Whad did it cost to rebuild your 2.6L?

[Kerrigan]

Just wondering what a complete rebuild will run on a '79 2.6ltr that was running with 79K miles on it when I pulled it from the donor?

What did yours cost and did you do anything "extra" to it during the rebuild to make it stronger? Not hop it up; just make it stronger and longer-lasting.

[PowerRam348]

it all depends on what you want from your motor. it's fine to say you want it stronger but what is it the engine is going to do; get on the freeway, race a little, tow stuff, economy, power?? as far as making it stronger, the rods are already forged and you can get forged pistons from J.E. and Clevite but they are spendy. i have no idea about an upgraded crankshaft other than custom. i strongly recommend getting arp studs for your con-rods, crank mains, and head bolts. when i did my engine rebuild i did a .020 over bore, eliminated the balance shafts and had everything balanced. i removed 2 pounds from the flywheel, centerforce clutch, edis4 distributorless ignition powered by megajolt. i replaced the head with a non jet valve fully assembled head from clearwater cylinder heads. the rebuild kit i got from ebay. the whole engine rebuild with modifications ran me about $1700.00. i built my engine for getting on the freeway. my transmission rebuild over this last weekend ran me $275. again, it all depends on what you want the engine to do.

[Kerrigan]

I do occasional off-road (it's been converted to a 4x4) but most use is around town, hauling 3-400 lbs of stuff in the bed, or an occasional small trailer tow with 7-800 lbs. It is about 800 lbs over factory curb weight with the bumper, winch, 4x4 gear, etc.


it all depends on what you want from your motor. it's fine to say you want it stronger but what is it the engine is going to do; get on the freeway, race a little, tow stuff, economy, power?? as far as making it stronger, the rods are already forged and you can get forged pistons from J.E. and Clevite but they are spendy. i have no idea about an upgraded crankshaft other than custom. i strongly recommend getting arp studs for your con-rods, crank mains, and head bolts. when i did my engine rebuild i did a .020 over bore, eliminated the balance shafts and had everything balanced. i removed 2 pounds from the flywheel, centerforce clutch, edis4 distributorless ignition powered by megajolt. i replaced the head with a non jet valve fully assembled head from clearwater cylinder heads. the rebuild kit i got from ebay. the whole engine rebuild with modifications ran me about $1700.00. i built my engine for getting on the freeway. my transmission rebuild over this last weekend ran me $275. again, it all depends on what you want the engine to do.

[PowerRam348]

well, it sounds to me like you want/need a little more power and torque. i got my engine dyno'd a little while ago and, with the modifications that i made, it makes 159hp and 188ft-lbs of torque. but i need to get a weber 38 dges to finish it up and i'll gain a few more horses and torque. i would suggest a build kinda like mine for the added towing power. as far as making the motor stronger or longer-lasting i did a full motor balance to help the longevity of the motor and eliminated the balance shafts. the balance shafts, at least in my book, are just another thing that can go wrong that requires bearings and proper alignment. if you remove the balance shafts you need to have the engine balanced or you'll pound the crap out of the main bearings and be changing them sooner than you would like to. i would also suggest an aftermarket non jet-valve head beings that, and i quote, "the jet-valve heads crack like a tweaker in a police interrogation room".

[Kerrigan]

May I ask how much $$$ it took to get there?


well, it sounds to me like you want/need a little more power and torque. i got my engine dyno'd a little while ago and, with the modifications that i made, it makes 159hp and 188ft-lbs of torque. but i need to get a weber 38 dges to finish it up and i'll gain a few more horses and torque. i would suggest a build kinda like mine for the added towing power. as far as making the motor stronger or longer-lasting i did a full motor balance to help the longevity of the motor and eliminated the balance shafts. the balance shafts, at least in my book, are just another thing that can go wrong that requires bearings and proper alignment. if you remove the balance shafts you need to have the engine balanced or you'll pound the crap out of the main bearings and be changing them sooner than you would like to. i would also suggest an aftermarket non jet-valve head beings that, and i quote, "the jet-valve heads crack like a tweaker in a police interrogation room".

[PowerRam348]

i found my receipts for my engine build a few minutes ago. i messed up on my overall cost for the build. it was about $2,650:shock: not including the distributorless ignition setup. it sure didn't feel like i spent that much.
-pauter rods $815
-new crank $225
-rebuild kit was $267 from ebay
-head was $400
-ARP studs for rods, crank mains, and head $256
-machine shop work $684

i hope that this gives you an idea of cost for your motor build. you can have your rods re-conned instead of buying new like i did. my crank was cracked so i needed a new one.

here is what it cost me to go distributorless
-edis4 stuff off ebay $64
-megajolt ecu $162
-custom made bracket for the VR sensor $20
-mounting and balancing the trigger wheel to the front pulley $70
-usb to seriel tuning cable adapter $40
-misc connectors and wiring needed $20

[camoit]

$1300 out the door in cali but that was years ago.

[PowerRam348]

if your crank and rods are good, you can have them re-conned and save about $800-$900

[Kerrigan]

Thanks for the info!

[OCD Boss]

i found my receipts for my engine build a few minutes ago. i messed up on my overall cost for the build. it was about $2,650:shock: not including the distributorless ignition setup. it sure didn't feel like i spent that much.
-pauter rods $815
-new crank $225
-rebuild kit was $267 from ebay
-head was $400
-ARP studs for rods, crank mains, and head $256
-machine shop work $684

i hope that this gives you an idea of cost for your motor build. you can have your rods re-conned instead of buying new like i did. my crank was cracked so i needed a new one.

here is what it cost me to go distributorless
-edis4 stuff off ebay $64
-megajolt ecu $162
-custom made bracket for the VR sensor $20
-mounting and balancing the trigger wheel to the front pulley $70
-usb to seriel tuning cable adapter $40
-misc connectors and wiring needed $20

I've been doing some looking around for motor rebuild kits for the '80 2.6 Sport. I seem to find plenty for the '81, what's the difference between '80 and '81? Any recommendations on where I can find a kit for the '80?

[pennyman1]

main and rod bearings could be different; other than that they are the same. Anyone selling the kits should be able to tell you for sure, if they are name brand kits and not some chinese knockoff.

[rwenzek94]

costed me about 1200

[Acuta73]

Block: Line bored (crank and balance), pressure tested, bored over, cleaned, 10:1 pistons, rings, bearings, and shaft balance (all installed) = $580 (2001-ish)

New non-jet head: Street polish, new valves, seats, guides, and seals = $360 (2012)

"Other" items (oil pump, water pump, etc, etc, etc): ~$400 (various years)

Weber 38 Synchro: $300-ish (2011)


Biggest increase to "longer lasting" would be the non-jet head and short-block work.

[Kerrigan]

Clearwater Cylinder Heads apparently does not have anything as far back as 1980 any longer .....[

[pennyman1]

the 81 up design head will work on the 79-80, but you need the intake and valve cover to match the head 81-89 2.6 - or find a 79-80 head that is good.