Just finished up getting a block done at Q&E in Anaheim, CA for a friend.

The shop manager Vance was very helpful. For $1500 they test your block for cracks, clean it, install top hat sleeves, and cam bearings.

For an additional $60 they will install new freeze plugs.

He says that he did some 20 over sleeves for a customer who used Ford Pistons, but since the liners are custom its a lot more expensive.

He charges $250 core for a block.

 

They do nice work

 

^ How would you know?

Oh yeah, the block was for you...

While talking about Q&E- They quoted me $200 to do a valve job on a set of heads. Then an additional $90 to surface both heads, then an additional $9 per valve stem seal, $144 total.

Thats $434 for a set! Ouch pretty pricey. Anyways, I am throwing this out there because I was going to start getting heads redone and selling them. Wanted to see what everyone else is paying for their heads to be worked.

 

I paid a little under 200 for a valve job and resurface on my heads, supplied my own seals. Probably varies a lot by what part the country you're in though, most any service work is probably cheaper in NC than CA.


Block looks nice, glad someone decided to take one for the team and give these guys a shot, should be a good alternative to buying an assembled motor elsewhere.

 

I think my friend paid right around $150-$200 for both heads - surfaced, new seals installed, and replacement of one bent valve - which I donated to him from my grenaded engine. It was done by one of the best machine shop guys in our college town in the middle of MO. Nobody seems to know how old this guy is. He looks the same now as he did in 1979 according to guys who knew him back then.

- I donated to my friend my old heads, not just the bent valve.

 

local machine shop that I have used ....quoted $550 resurface and valve job. not willing to do oversized machining.
rover falls under their import pricing, sbc and the likes are 1/2 that. go figure

 

typical quick clean up and decking usually runs $250 or so; great price on the block, but he's making up for it with the heads

 

That 9 bucks apiece is probably Valve guide r/r. A valve job is A LOT more work, depending on weather they are diss/clean/***/lapping or they are 3 angle cutting.
If they are 3 angle cutting for 290 bucks that's like dirt cheap, cause I could easily spend all day on a set of heads.

 

I believe he said 3 angle on the seats and single on the valves if that makes sense, but I will ask again. And he does dis assemble the whole component.

 

Looks a neat job Abran. Looks nice tidy machining with no ridges on top in the photo and the bore honing looks good. How do they machine the block top face, vertical mill with tipped cutter or flycut or maybe even plough grinding?

I have always had one comment on top hatted blocks, IMO they could do with a small hardened dowel locator between the liner edge and the block say about 3.32" or 1/8" dia to stop the vague chance of any radial movement of the liner, but that's a minor chance and issue.