SPEEDYTRANSAM1996

iTrader: (37)

I Was Wondering How Much This Should Run Me Paying My Friend To Do The Work.
Thanks

Spiers

iTrader: (7)

Haha well how about you ask your friend what he would charge!

StealthFormula

iTrader: (35)

cant read your friends mind you better ask him not us. A shop will cost upwards a grand fyi.

SPEEDYTRANSAM1996

iTrader: (37)

Well 1st I Want To No Whats The Cost Cause He's Not A Shop And Im Not Going To Low Ball Him. Also I Dont Trust Any1 With My Money Plain And Simple

chavez885

iTrader: (12)

You're going to low ball your friend? lol

SPEEDYTRANSAM1996

iTrader: (37)

no like i said im not going to low ball him i just want to no what the shop would probley cost me example 1000 then id give him 5-700 thats all

porksoda

iTrader: (39)

Do you want a price just for the install or for parts as well?

Checkmate007

This is a joke right?

Lets see here.... If NOTHING goes wrong with the install

$300 +/- for a roller camshaft
$280 +/- for roller rocker arms
$100 +/- for good push rods
$40 +/- for a set of guides
$70 +/- for a set of rocker studs to use the guides
$220 +/- for a set of roller lifters
$100 +/- for a timing cover, valve cover, intake and exhaust gaskets
$200 +/- for valve covers to clear said new roller rockers (This is if your buddy eats the labor to cut them to fit, if not plan on 400-500 for valve covers)
----------------------------------
$1310 in parts ALONE

Then we have the labor... And sorry to say the job you are asking your friend to do is a CLASS A job rated at 15.2 hours NOT INCLUDING the conversion to roller rockers or work to the valve covers. So lets just add another 5 hours on to that for fairness. You got 20.2 hours at normal mechanical labor rate for performance work @ $90 an hour (And this is about a $30.00 gift per hour as most performance shops are $120-150 per hour) and you have yourself $1818.00 in labor, which is not bad considering the general labor rule of thumb is twice the cost of parts.

So we have $1310 and $1818.00 in labor = $3128.00

Gee wizz... You could damn near buy a whole nother engine for that! If you were an Auto savy shark whom could perform all the work yourself, and had buddies who had used parts you could get it down as low as $500 for parts or even less depending who you know. But in reality the mere mortal could expect the follow a$$ reaming at a local repair facility IF THEY WOULD EVEN DO IT.

So the question now boils down to, (A) is you buddy a class A mechanic? (B) Do you have the money and (C) Are you prepared for betterment work or perhaps pulling the heads if the notorious #7 exhaust manifold bolts snap?

97badass

iTrader: (8)

^^^i think he better take some lube with that one.

an off the shelf grind is $250 plus shipping.
1.6 rockers are cheaper than that,
you only need ONE set of rocker arms
arp rocker studs are $25 for each side
and you can use the stock valve covers for each side.

and as for lowballing your friend...thats what friends are for

Checkmate007

BTW the above does not include the following little money suckers-

Oil and Filter
Spark Plugs
Antifreeze
Wires, Cap and rotor (Because your just nuts if you dont while your in there)

And whatever else you and your buddy break along the way. If you are not carefull you could loose a friend and mess up your car.

Checkmate007

Shows how much you know!

ARP studs are not sold PER HEAD rather in entire sets of 16. Sorry.

Stock valve covers do not work with roller rocker arms. Unless you buy the cheap stamped steel roller tip rockers that aint worth a darn anyway and flex just as much if not more than a traditional stamped non-roller tip unit.

Where did I say he needed more than one set of rocker arms? And a set of roller rocker arms start off about $200 on thru $600 and upwards of a $1000 for shaft mount. I was giving him real world numbers, what are you giving us?



Edit- Well I am sorry I listed roller rocker arms twice, but had you known what you were doing you would have known I meant roller lifters. Or were you just planing on stuffing the old ones back in there without even a rebuild?

porksoda

iTrader: (39)

Stock valvecovers DO work with roller rockers.

97badass

iTrader: (8)

arp rocker studs summit pt number arp-134-7103 $35.95 price/set of 16
ls7 lifters - $107
off the shelf grind cam $250
hardened comp pushrods $36.95
roller rockers- summit brand and proforms for $180
is that enough real world numbers? sure the roller rockers might not be the best brand out of the selection. but for a budget build, they would work just fine.
and a LOT of people still use the stock valve covers. do a search.
i agree with you for the most part...i just thought those prices were crazy!

porksoda

iTrader: (39)

^^^

Checkmate007

Everything was listed +/-

So you may save up to $200 to $300 by going all out cheap. The cost of oil, antifreeze and other such things will quickly fill that void.

The guy asked for a quote on what it would cost, I gave it to him. If you guys dont like what you see, then dont start the job. Have someone who is not a class A mechanic do the job and you could soon see cost run way over $3500!

Stock valve covers WILL NOT CLEAR roller rocker arms period. Yes you can hack them and shim them but the studs and posi-locks just dont clear, the supports inside will hit the shank of the rocker. You could put a huge spacer in there but anyone who does that is just looking for a leak. Either way its going to be more time or money.

porksoda

iTrader: (39)

Anyone who pays over 3500 for a cam swap would be an idiot anyway. And I don't know of any oil and antifreeze that will cost $200-$300. Stock valvecovers will work on roller rockers. I know because I have basically the biggest rockers on the market and they are under stock covers. You don't even have to cut them, just bend the little "L" shaped bracket until its straight. Takes all of 10-15 minutes to do both sides. You can look in my sig and see that I didn't skimp out on any of my valvetrain so I consider myself knowledgeable.

97badass

iTrader: (8)

then how do you explain to the people using stock valvecovers with rr's that they arent using stock valvecovers?

Checkmate007

Sure

That's why the Corvette LT4 had plastic valve covers right?

You ever notice how much higher the vette valve cover is compared to the Camaro/Firebird? Do you know WHY its made like that?

I seen an idiot once force a set of rocker arms under stock valve covers without spacers before. When he brought it in you could hear them rubbing and the valve cover was actually flexing each time the lifter came up.

You can cut to hell a stock valve cover but considering the sheet metal construction you are basically taking all of the sealing power away from it. Meanwhile your rocker arms will continue to rub on the center bolt stems. But hey... Sooner or later it will just wear out a groove right?



Your a hack dude!

Checkmate007

Oil + Antifreeze + Wires + Cap + Rotor = WELL OVER $200

Why dont you just hush-yo-mouf already. I know idiots who will tell you a stock valve cover clears rocker arms in one reply and then tell you he cut them up in the next. So much for stock.

By that rational a 383 stroker would be "Stock" cuz it was just cut a little to clear the stroke.

Lets just say he did want to be an idiot and run with the stock covers... He saves $200 on valve covers, then he buys some no name Summit parts and saves $300. Thats $500 in savings. Now he is only looking at $2628 for some POS half a$$ed job with nasty stock valve covers.

I insist on a link to these roller lifters for $107... I say "Link or ban!"

Edit-
Oh wait! here is the link! LOL
$107 Roller Lifters!! YEAH RIGHT YOU WISH!

Oh wait!! I think this guy here purchased some of them inflation buster lifters for $107.00! Look at the wonderful results he had!



Maybe you should Visit this thread and see what happens when you skimp on quality.

speedracer2536

iTrader: (15)

here is the part number for the ls7 lifters that will fit an lt1
12499225
go to www.gmpartsdirect.com

104 i think. it can be had on the cheap. why not go with oem chevy equipment