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What is typical engine rebuild cost?

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Old Apr 9, 2026 | 01:21 AM
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Default What is typical engine rebuild cost?

Im curious what is a reasonable engine refresh cost for a 5.7 ls?
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Old Apr 9, 2026 | 02:29 AM
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Gonna need a whole lot more information than that. Are you doing the work? If a shop is doing the work, are they pulling and reinstalling the engine? We talking a hone, rings, bearings, and gaskets, or are we doing an overbore? Cam bearings or no? You can get a rering kit for $310 on rock auto and a dingleball hone for $40. If we're talking an overbore, figure another $300 for pistons, and $300 for machine shop work. If it's a shop doing everything, $6k without breaking a sweat.
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Old Apr 9, 2026 | 03:30 AM
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I would be pulling motor and reinstalling it. I was thinking cam bearings, rings, main caps, gaskets and maybe crank polish.
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Old Apr 9, 2026 | 06:47 AM
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The model year 2002 Silverado truck LM7 currently in my 70 Pontiac Catalina got rebuilt about a year ago for just under $2200.00. The heads cost another $400. Stock standard rebuild bored .030 over. The cam and the crank only needed a polish. Reused the rods, new oil pump, new lifters and trays, reused the push rods. I dropped the motor off and picked it up here in northwest Louisiana and it took the shop about three weeks, start to finish. Running very, very nicely now with a $1500 locally rebuilt 4L60E bolted up behind it - new torque converter. I did all of the required P01 PCM tuning using Tuner Pro RT and PCM Hammer - the free tools.

Rick
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Old Apr 9, 2026 | 08:04 AM
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Depends who you know and what you know!
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Old Apr 9, 2026 | 12:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Tommy42088
Depends who you know and what you know!
You won't know until you disassemble and MEASURE.
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Old Apr 9, 2026 | 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Full Power
You won't know until you disassemble and MEASURE.
100% agree and you have to know what your looking at or have someone that does to determine that. I paid 2,300 to have my shortblock assembled and that was with machine work and him purchasing a billet reluctor wheel, clevitte h series bearings, and my cam, I spent around 2k on pistons and rods, then all the misc stuff id say was around another 1k, maybe a little more, stuff like gaskets, seals, 1 bolt to 3 bolt cam gear, mellings oil pump, arp hardware, im probably missing a few things but all in all id probably say my shortblock was around 6k.
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Old Apr 10, 2026 | 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Tommy42088
100% agree and you have to know what your looking at or have someone that does to determine that. I paid 2,300 to have my shortblock assembled and that was with machine work and him purchasing a billet reluctor wheel, clevitte h series bearings, and my cam, I spent around 2k on pistons and rods, then all the misc stuff id say was around another 1k, maybe a little more, stuff like gaskets, seals, 1 bolt to 3 bolt cam gear, mellings oil pump, arp hardware, im probably missing a few things but all in all id probably say my shortblock was around 6k.
Were those forged piston and rods or stock ones? Im trying keep mine more stock with maybe a 224r cam since im in California
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Old Apr 10, 2026 | 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by B52bombardier1
The model year 2002 Silverado truck LM7 currently in my 70 Pontiac Catalina got rebuilt about a year ago for just under $2200.00. The heads cost another $400. Stock standard rebuild bored .030 over. The cam and the crank only needed a polish. Reused the rods, new oil pump, new lifters and trays, reused the push rods. I dropped the motor off and picked it up here in northwest Louisiana and it took the shop about three weeks, start to finish. Running very, very nicely now with a $1500 locally rebuilt 4L60E bolted up behind it - new torque converter. I did all of the required P01 PCM tuning using Tuner Pro RT and PCM Hammer - the free tools.

Rick
i can do 2200 so hopefully I can reuse most of my stuff just engine has about 250k on it
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Old Apr 10, 2026 | 03:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Lil_bird98
Were those forged piston and rods or stock ones? Im trying keep mine more stock with maybe a 224r cam since im in California
eagle rods, 20 over summit pistons. Im not to familiar with the California laws as im in Louisiana and i drive my truck on the street with no issues but with that being said idk how they would ever be able to tell if you had forged internals.
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Old Apr 11, 2026 | 01:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Tommy42088
eagle rods, 20 over summit pistons. Im not to familiar with the California laws as im in Louisiana and i drive my truck on the street with no issues but with that being said idk how they would ever be able to tell if you had forged internals.
I was just curious if the 2k was stock replacement or forged parts..I dont plan on going for big power just a small cam.
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Old Apr 11, 2026 | 02:21 PM
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You cannot bore an LS1. Early LS1s can tolerate a .005" hone, later blocks can *maybe* go .010". If your cylinders are worn, the block is junk. You will have to source an LH6 or L33 block and have it bored to 5.7 size. They are far more common than a 5.7. Or you can just use an iron 5.3 and bore it to a 5.7.
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Old Apr 11, 2026 | 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by LS1Formulation
You cannot bore an LS1. Early LS1s can tolerate a .005" hone, later blocks can *maybe* go .010". If your cylinders are worn, the block is junk. You will have to source an LH6 or L33 block and have it bored to 5.7 size. They are far more common than a 5.7. Or you can just use an iron 5.3 and bore it to a 5.7.
Is there any quick way to know an iron 5.3 from the lh6 or L33 if they are pulled from vechile.
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Old Apr 11, 2026 | 06:12 PM
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Forget about that too, mine was lc9, dod was deleted.
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Old Apr 12, 2026 | 05:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Lil_bird98
Is there any quick way to know an iron 5.3 from the lh6 or L33 if they are pulled from vechile.
Yes, the LH6 and L33 are aluminum blocks. The LH6 will have DOD and is a Gen IV block, however it uses a 24X crank ( at least in '06, I have an LH6 in my Firebird ). An L33 is basically a small bore version of an LS1 and is the best candidate to replace your LS1 because it has the knock sensor provisions in the lifter valley and uses a rear mounted crank sensor. To use an LH6 you would have to get a 1X 3 bolt timing gear and get a camshaft extension harness, along with a DOD delete valley cover. Both the LH6 and L33 come equipped with either 243 or 799 head castings.
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Old Today | 06:41 PM
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So I was quoted 3.5k to have short block cleaned and parts ordered..then another 2 to 3k if I want shop to assemble it. It would be all gaskets and new internals not forged though. It would have a 3 month warranty
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