<VV> Re:140 180 costs

[Tony Underwood]

At 01:42 hours 06/09/2004 -0400, UltraMonzaWest@aol.com wrote:

>
>Remember it's well over $1,000.00 in parts / machine work to just rebuild a 
>stocker..not counting LABOR / detail work..



This is why I refuse to play the game of arbitrarily paying somebody else
big  bucks to do a bunch of work, some of which may not be necessary.   I
do my own work.   And of all the engines I ever went through, not ONE has
ever blown up because of something I did or did not do.    


I once rebuilt (with mostly carefully checked used parts) a 180 turbo which
ran perfectly afterwards for years and was still running fine when it was
eventually sold.   Likewise a 140 engine which lasted through more than a
decade of hard street running and close to 80,000 miles before it began to
show signs of disgust at the treatment it had received over the years...
using some oil now but even so, it still runs pretty well.    

I don't think I spent more than 250 bucks on parts for either engine and
that includes rings, bearings, seals, gaskets etc ad nauseam, all purchased
at swap meets and/or dug from my parts stash... or bought on a deal from
other Vair owners' from *their* personal parts stash.    


I still regard a good std used crankshaft as every bit as good as a
carefully turned and professionally prepped crankshaft.  Likewise, good
selected used rods carefully mic'ed and closely inspected are every bit as
useful as professionally done rods.   Cylinders?   I must have a couple
dozen or more sitting on shelves or in boxes and so far I've always managed
to find useable examples for about everything I ever needed.    

Sure, it's possible to spend well over a grand for parts alone for a
complete engine overhaul, more for a total rebuild...  but it's usually not
necessary to spend that sort o money, especially if you know how an engine
works and you can do the assembly yourself.    Hell, this is the only way
*I* can afford to keep the stuff here on the roads.   I certainly couldn't
afford to spend thousands each time I need an engine.    

...and I keep on hoarding parts and pieces and other little things picked
up here and there at swap meets for cheap...    



Half the fun off the hobby is doing it yourself, IMHO.    And once *I* did
it, I know EXACTLY what's going on under the shroud and if anything fails,
I've nobody to blame but myself.   


Case in point:  

The last time I had a head repaired (intake seat) I farmed it out to a
reputable shop and they put a seat in the head and supposedly checked it
out.   I got the head back, looked it over, and installed it.   Another
seat failed a while later after having been beaten loose by a wobbling
valve which was running in a guide that was so loose the head of the valve
would move back and forth 1/8".    I might not have the facilities to
replace a seat myself, but I *do* know what to look for in checking out
work done... and I assumed the pro caliber shop had checked the head out
after they serviced that head.   That's the one instance where I didn't
check it myself.   My error.   It failed because I failed to check the work
done.   If I'd disassembled the head and checked it, I'd have found the
guide which *would* have been very evident once the valve spring was off
the valve, and I could have replaced the guide, reground or replaced the
valve, and that head would likely still be on the engine instead of in the
basement awaiting repair.  

I *am* interested in someday maybe gaining access to tooling to repair
seats myself.   I can usually do most of what else needs doing for most
engine overhauls.    

And frankly I would *rather* do it myself even if  I won lotto and could
afford to have any engine professionally overhauled regardless of cost.
That's part of the fun, to do it yourself and drive the car knowing you put
the engine together.    I just wish I had more time and the means to get
more actively involved with this sort of thing...  what a great way to make
a living, building Corvair engines...  especially with the prices the way
they seem to be going these days.    ;)       


tony..