Reasonable price for cam installation
12 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 302
Likes: 1
From: Sarasota, FL
I had several well-known Florida shops quote me. All were $750 labor for the usual cam/springs/pushrods/timing chain/oil pump/pulley, plus another $500 for a dyno tune. Head swap $750 labor, or $500 if done at the same time as cam. Complete longblock swap, $1500 labor.
When you start adding it up, head/cam starts looking pretty damn expensive if you have to pay for the labor, especially if you don't do it all at once. I'm thinking seriously of just getting a TSP stroker longblock. It's not that much extra, and that way I still have my good stock longblock as a spare, or to return the car to stock before sale. We'll see.
When you start adding it up, head/cam starts looking pretty damn expensive if you have to pay for the labor, especially if you don't do it all at once. I'm thinking seriously of just getting a TSP stroker longblock. It's not that much extra, and that way I still have my good stock longblock as a spare, or to return the car to stock before sale. We'll see.
Last edited by Gannet; Dec 5, 2006 at 11:01 AM.
Step by step install guide.
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23
Do it your self, save the labor money for other mods.
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=23
Do it your self, save the labor money for other mods.
Trending Topics
yeah agree'd on doing it yourself. i've got pretty good at it, and managed to do a head/cam swap in a night with a few friends. started at 4:30 saturday when i got home from work, fired the bitch up open headers around 2 or 3am...thank god i hate my neighbors or else i "might" have cared....it's an easy job if you have basic tools and some mechanical knowledge.
$700-ish seems to be the rate at shops around me....
$700-ish seems to be the rate at shops around me....
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
TECH Regular
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
From: DFW, Texas
+1 to do it yourself. It is really easy. Took me a night to do it, could've saved about 3 hours if I wouldn't of used a cheap *** overhead spring removal tool. Spent half of the time looking for keepers. 
Way to expensive to be paying someone else. They take too long anyway.
Way to expensive to be paying someone else. They take too long anyway.
$500 for full valvetrain, cam, timing chain. wanted to do it myself but friend did his right before i was going to do mine, was off by 1 degree on timing and put valve through head...so i had mechanic install it, good friend and worked on race cars his whole life. If you have the ***** i say do it urself, just find someone who has before to help ya out
i was quoted for 450 from carter in orlando, full cam,springs,pushrods,oil pump, pulley ect with all gaskets and fluids included, but i think m going to try yself first
TECH Addict
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,458
Likes: 0
From: Miami, Fl. - Hurricane Highway
Do it yourself, thats what many of us have done. With the write-up on LS1 How To and help from us on LS1Tech it can be done with no problem. Before i installed my MS3 i was freaking out about doing it, but after your done and it starts up it seems like nothing. And it feels real good you saved yourself a shitload of money.
-Joel
-Joel
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,094
Likes: 0
From: Northern Va
Originally Posted by adillhoff
... It is really easy...
I would rephrase that as 'not that hard'. Bolting on a throttle body is really easy.If you are mechanically inclined and have done other bolt-on projects then you won't have a problem with it. But I still wouldn't call it easy. The satisfaction of doing it yourself is quite rewarding.
