That's like asking how much a girlfriend costs....depends upon the girlfriend, but the simple answer in any case is too much.

 

To answer your question it's a 68 Mustang

 

As opposed to installing it yourself...or cost for all the ancillary parts to install the engine? I'm confused, but that's not hard to do...

 

Friend with a shop. I helped with the install. I purchased all ancillary parts in advance.

 

Somewhere around 5k would be my guess. At a minimum. What engine? Just replacing like with like? Are you just dropping an engine and car off at a shop And seeing if they’ll do that kind of work?

 

What engine?

There are zero specifics so there is no real answer. He needs to be more clear and precise as to what car, what engine, does the car have an engine, are you upgrading....and the biggie, is he installing it or paying to have that done too.

 

IIRC I think he bought a crate motor, Blueprint maybe?

 

Yes it's a BluePrint engine.

 

Where you located?….It could make a big difference if some fellow VMF guy could help.

 

To be more specific Imperial.

 

As opposed to installing it yourself...or cost for all the ancillary parts to install the engine? I'm confused, but that's not hard to do...

Somewhere around 5k would be my guess. At a minimum. What engine? Just replacing like with like? Are you just dropping an engine and car off at a shop And seeing if they’ll do that kind of work?

I'll bet that's a good price. I don't drop off my car anywhere, that was one of the advantages. This mechanic works on modern cars not 60's cars. I was told it would be easy.

 

Can you drive your car to the shop?

I would expect a ready to go crate engine, with no modifications could be installed in a day. Add another day to get it running. 16hrs@$150+$200 fluids and such. = $2,600+$400 I really don't want to do it cost = $3k. Extra for exhaust work.

Sounds like labor rates need to be adjusted:

 

3k sounds right to me + other parts like a fuel pump etc.

 

It sounds to me like the OP bought a Blueprint crate engine and then he assisted a "mechanic" in the installation. The "mechanic" didn't charge him anything but he messed up the wiring and the shift linkage. He also did not tune the carb but I thought Blueprint did that on the dyno so I don't know.

 

Do you have another shop in mind to do the work? Morley Performance in Fenton did some decent work on my wife's 70 Cutlass convertible a couple years ago. They brought it back from a 15 year nap. I believe they would be up to the task. They're not cheap, but who is anymore?

 

Wow thanks. Fenton is very close to where I live. Depending on how far I get on my own that sound like a cool option.

Thanks
Eddie

 

My 5k guess was just the labor and the miscellaneous parts….

 

I think that sounds right. Between 3 - 5K. Good mechanics are very difficult to find. To find one that works on sixty cars is ever harder. I'm grateful. Keep in mind that his specially is newer cars not old ones. Needed to remind my wife that even though the car is not yet running we should look at the experience in a positive light.

 

He paid NOTHING and now wants to know what someone would charge to do it? Odd to say the least. Shift linkage and wiring and carb adjustments? Sounds like he got his money's worth for sure.

 

I Paid 500 to have my 390 removed - proper break-in, fluids, a few odd ends, anywhere from 5-1k w/is what Id logically expect to pay.

 

where and when, from a Mustang?

 

This seems insane to me. I dropped my fresh built 408C with trans attached into my 73 and had it plumbed, wired, running and driving in under 3 hours with just the "help" (I use that term loosely) of my girlfriend.

 

How long to disconnect everything and get the old one out?

 

Hell of a deal.

 

Well next time please call me or video so I can learn a thing or two, I’ve been doing it for 45 years and dont Think I could get an engine out of a car in an hour…….not that I’d pull an engine out of anything, I let other people do that now.

 

Will do. ever make it to Iowa?

 

My point exactly. A new engine, complete with installation, is going to be a lot more that 5K. Installation (minus the cost of the engine) should be a large fraction of that.
[/QUOT

My 5k guess was just the labor and the miscellaneous parts….

Just to restate the question. I have a new BP 306 engine which is paid for. The question is about the removal of my old 289 and install the new 306. I'm only trying to get the labor costs.

 

Depends. Is the new engine complete? IE all new accessories, intake, carb, alt, PS pump (if applicable) or is there a lot of stuff that will need transferred from old to new? If transferring what is the condition of those items? will they need restored first? Cleaned? Painted? There is not enough information here. Will the carb linkage and fuel supply be in the same location? Headers or manifolds currently Vs new set up?

 

$369.99 plus tax…

https://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-capacity-foldable-shop-crane-58755.html

If you are going to own a vintage car you need to purchase the tools and learn how to do these things yourself.

 

Patrick - I can and do the majority of things for my 68, not sure where you got the idea that I don't. I cannot see buying equipment for one time use it just makes no sense to me. My friend has a shop that includes a lift which helped a great deal. As I said I'm not gonna equipment for one time use.

Also, removing and installing an engine is a two man job. My question to you is. Have you ever removed and installed an engine and transmission by yourself?

Thanks for your advice
Eddie

 

The cost is probably a day to remove and install with the transmission. With 2 people @150 bucks per hour. 2.5k.

 

Thanks that's what I was looking for. In short I want to see how much I saved installing with a friend

 

Took me a few hours to dissemble everything under the hood of my car, drain all the fluids and prepare to remove the motor. Then the actual removal took an hour or two. Stuffing it back in, bolting it all up, wiring, fluids and all the misc. items took several days. Not because I'm new to it but because I cared about the outcome. A simple barnyard removal and install could be done in an 8 hour day if you had all your ducks in a row and didn't change anything.

 

How to change an engine by yourself

with just your trusty tractor.

 

Place local to me (Sunbelt) rents engine hoists for like $100 a week.

 

My buddy begged me to call him when it was time to reinstall my motor this last time. His son (a budding motorhead) was off for the summer and wanted to learn. It was a difficult thing for me to do to invite them over "to help" but I did eventually. I told them I was starting at 10am, by the time they got there at 10:30 I already had the motor in the car, they "helped" with headers etc. but I ended up going back over everything and even had to redo a few things. Just isn't worth it.

 

If I actually had to pay for the labor for all the stuff I have done to my Mustang over the years my wife would have divorced me long ago. Trying to claim "...but honey it would have been X$ more if someone else did it" would be a non-starter in my house. YMMD.

 

I took one of my cars to the shop ONCE. My 85 GT developed a clutch issue and I was stressed out in college and very busy and just took it to the local guys who I went to high school with, lived two streets over while in HS, and our parents were friends. They were a little older and had a decent shop by this time. Got the car back and out of curiosity I jacked it up to take a look. The transmission had never been out of the car....they just adjusted it yet charged me for a clutch...and these were people I knew.

That was the one and only time I have or ever will take my car to anyone. You can't even trust a mechanic you SHOULD be able to trust. But, because I do everything myself I just learn how to do things I have never done so now there is no part of the car I cannot do myself....engine, transmissions of all types, differentials, paint and body, upholstery and electrical and glass. I can do it all, and all by myself because even though I have helped tons of people there is no one available if I need something....so I have just learned to do everything myself. It just takes some thought and creativity to solve the need for a third hand.

On an engine being a two man job....NO, except for one thing. Circa 1982 I had to take the new engine out of my 66 coupe because the shop had done the heads wrong for rail rockers and the valve stems were cut too much. Stuff I did not know at 18, and one weekend on the way home from UT with a good buddy's now wife the ticking got louder until the engine swallowed a valve. Car was towed 50 miles home.

The following weekend I got home to take out the engine. My dad was outside and asked if I needed help. I told him no but if I did I would call him. About 45 minutes later I called him and he said "I knew you would need help" and I replied "yes, to take the hood off". Everything was disconnected, I just needed the hood out of the way to hook up the hoist. It took me no time to hook up the chain hoist and then the engine was out....all in a bout an hour. The only help you need is to get the hood off....but since then I have developed a way using ratchet straps to remove and install hoods by myself.

 

I'm not saying "all ya gotta do is".
Every situation is different and depends on money, time, abilities, friends, storage space, driveway space, etc, as well as if you would actually want to do it.

If you do it yourself, you'll learn more about what's under the hood and have a personal "connection" with your car that only comes from mashed fingers and such. It's also cheaper and you get to keep the tools you had to buy.

 

Place local to me (Sunbelt) rents engine hoists for like $100 a week.

There are many I've seen on FBMP for rent as well. I bought my picker and stand for $150 off FBMP but ended up having to buy a new ram from Amazon for $50. So my total cost was $200, still better than retail and I can sell if needed and at least double my money. I like this little set as they colapse into a very small foot print and store away nicely.

I'm not saying "all ya gotta do is".
Every situation is different and depends on money, time, abilities, friends, storage space, driveway space, etc, as well as if you would actually want to do it.

If you do it yourself, you'll learn more about what's under the hood and have a personal "connection" with your car that only comes from mashed fingers and such. It's also cheaper and you get to keep the tools you had to buy.

I do everything I can on my vehicles and around my home. But I convince myself (and my wife) that I "need" a new tool of some kind each time I do a job. I have soooo many cool tools...

 

I like this little set as they colapse into a very small foot print and store away nicely

I have had basically the exact same setup for like 25 years. Except I've not cared to buy a car lift and my '69 is a rusty beat up tin can instead of that shiny pretty one you have. Love my folding hoist for sure. It wouldn't matter if my engine stand folded up though because I always have an engine of some kind on it.