Topic: How much did you spend rebuilding your sohc/4 engine?

[HondaOwnerLOL]

If you've rebuilt multiple engines, tell me about your favorite

[Don R]

 It's a 750 K3 motor off of a bike that leaned against a clothes line pole with the carbs off for a couple years. The intakes however were packed tightly with shopping bags and the motor was not stuck. There was moss on the valve cover. The PO claimed it had various big bore kits depending on how many drinks he had.
 I put that motor in my K0 frame because the 812cc K3 engine in it when I bought it had a hung valve. I needed a bike to ride on a charity ride and got it running. A couple years later I took it apart and it was stone stock. I added a CI 836 kit and a gasket set, ported the head, put in a set of new valves I got from a mini sprint engine guy, I also used an F2 cam on stock valve springs.
  After a few rides I missed a gear and tagged an intake valve so apart it came again for a new valve, aftermarket springs and retainers so why not add a way too big cam? (Kenny Harmon F) I had a really long 4 into 1 header at first and since went to a set of 4-4 no number Yamiya pipes.  Way different jetting, it's almost stock jets now.
  It's more torquey than I expected, I've had a continuous problem with the #1 carb flooding, I think I finally got it right.
  I'd guess I have under a thousand in it, due to years of parts collecting. The valve springs and the 4mm ($200) overbore were the most expensive parts. My brother gave me a lot of stuff and I had parts engines for those little missing things. 

[BenelliSEI]

I’m freshening the top end of #582. Fin repairs, honing, vapour blasting and parts. About $1200?

[bryanj]

A well known engine builder in uk told me the most expensive rebuild he did was north of £8000 gbp

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Probably north of $8000

[MauiK3]

It adds up quickly.
Re doing these bikes is not an economy job and rarely, if ever, results in a profitable result, if that is your intention.

[Ellz10]

Not including the cost of new RS34's, custom boots, custom airbox from CognitoMoto, and the cost of vaporblasting the entire motor, I've got a little over $5,800 into my motor.

To be honest, my initial budget was $1.5-2k

And although it's been one helluva rollercoaster ride, I've thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to my next, MUCH less expensive build. 

[WideAWAKE]

Rebuild on my K0 which didn’t require too much.

Case blasting/painting, hone, rings, valves lapped.

All new chains and tensioners.

Some good used rocker arms.

Gaskets, seals, clutch plates and springs.

All set me back about 1000-1200.

[Tim2005]

It depends on the condition of your old engine and whether you plan on modifying it.  Looking at the CB400F, the parts for a very basic rebuild - gaskets, seals, rings, chains, tensioner blades etc would be about £500, add another £300 if you need the crank shells too.  You can spend upwards a long way from there, I've a brochure somewhere that shows the most successful 400F race motors, the Luke Chutes Formula 2 versions, were available to customers  in 1980 for a bit over £5000, which would have been enough to buy 2 new whole CBX1000s in those days. 

[BenelliSEI]

It adds up quickly.
Re doing these bikes is not an economy job and rarely, if ever, results in a profitable result, if that is your intention.

+1 To that statement for sure! I used to suggest to people it was cheaper to find another bike. Not sure that’s true any longer!

[xanaphyst]

1974 CB550 complete engine only rebuild was $2400. All the rest of the project was more than that.

[WideAWAKE]

It adds up quickly.
Re doing these bikes is not an economy job and rarely, if ever, results in a profitable result, if that is your intention.

+1 To that statement for sure! I used to suggest to people it was cheaper to find another bike. Not sure that’s true any longer!

Depending on the bike - it’s probably true more often than not.

I know I couldn’t even come close to buying my K0 for what I got into it And I know I couldn’t build my Xs2 for what I paid for it restored (and still have to do all the work).

[HondaMan]

While they are usually south of $3k complete for the fancy ones and about half+ that for regular rebuilds, there was one I did for a rider with lot$. It ended up with the wet Sumpthing, Megacycle cam, 836cc bores, port work, and engine entirely polished to a mirror shine (I actually could see myself in it). That latter put the total past $9600 before shipping.

Here's the sad part: remember that huge power-line-caused fire in California that burned down whole towns? This bike was in one of the garages that burnt to the foundation. So did the bike.

[Doobie]

I bought a CB750K2 a few years ago with only 365 original miles. The bike had been sitting for its entire life and the engine was frozen. The owner had the engine rebuilt at a cost of $5,000 at a shop in the LA area.

[Stev-o]

Probably north of $8000

Holy #$%*e, Jerry!   On your F'ing F?

I think the last one I rebuilt was around a grand, I dont keep receipts as my wife would flip!

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Yeah, the 900 then 915. That would have been a "total" price had I only had to do it once. My head work cost ~ $2100 and I only paid $1800 for the bike in 1975. Carrillos ~ $1200 plus installation on the lightened balanced crank (don't remember those dollars). Bore kit ~ $700 and maybe another $700 to have that work done to the cylinders. Cam ~ $250. All 3 new chains. All new rocker arms ~ $300. Undercut tranny ~ $300 - $400. Bearings. Carbs ~ $800. Chromed valve cover ~ $200. Powder coat the engine ~ $425. Gaskets. Both tensioners. Clutch. Miscellaneous stuff. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few items. Now remember the initial build that resulted in a destroyed crank and #3 cylinder with the oil stopper ball coming out, then reworking with a "redone" polished journal crank that required brown and black bearings only to have around 50 clearances and was did not apparently have the oil passages cleaned but the replacement ball staked this round that took out all of the pieces of the new #3 again due to lack of oil, then the replacement crank and new 915 kit and all the costs of all these efforts. I do NOT want to know the final cost to get it right but I am plea$$$ed with the end results.

The 1000 was a MUCH lower budget build......  Cam, kit, chains, bearings, rods, carbs. Maybe half price?? Only wanted to accomplish the "high tech" build once.

Dedication or foolishness??

[Stev-o]

Dedication or foolishness??

Only you can decide that!
You have the Condo out on the Island [and the Corvette?] so it did not hurt you financially...

[PeWe]

My K6 has been restored and rebuilt many times.
836, ported head 34/28mm valves, cam, lightened alternator, all bearings, chains, clutch, Smoothbore 29.  New 836 pistons + a few guides, valves a year after.
This was the 80's.

New pistons, hd studs, CCC heavy duty primary chains, restore head 2014.
After that better carbs, Mikuni TMR32, 900cc, a few cams, head got 5mm valve kit, APE crank with Carillos, Billet block 1005cc, undercutted trans, 2 more ported heads.  CycleX welded rockers. Restored primary hub with new cush rubbers. Billet clutch plate, F2 clutch into the K6.

One K2 head was ported but in need of final touch by a professional, seat job, reused not much used valves I had.
392 head ported from scratch, all guides, valves, springs.
Another kit, 970cc in stock cylinder is in now.
Since the 125-75 cam is such good cam I had to order one more just for sure, 125-70 hardwelded still new.

I used 890cc kit for a short while with my first head, restored from 5mm valve kit, now stock stem size 34/28 mm. This will go into another engine with similar stuff inside.
It is prepared to handle the billet block and +100whp.

This is most of it.
On top of it a bunch of cams I had to test.

Cams costs much more today.

Very difficult to not upgrade.
I have just got a set of new pods since they had 35% off. My pods started to look tired, rubber flange does not enter carbs that good as it did.

Do not mention all extra gaskets I have ordered from Dynoman. Various sizes and thicknesses to stock, 836, 890, 970, 1000cc.
RCS, MLS and fibers.

Always have a bunch of oil filters and oil at home.
Just got 2 sets of restored oil lines from Germany.

Spares is a must, cannot waste weeks in riding season to rebuild.

[jakec]

400F engine rebuild:

Machining: $799
Vapor blasting: $620
Parts (including donor engine): $640

Total: $2,019