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| Cost - AMC 304 Engine Rebuild |
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When I got the Jeep, I was told that there was a rebuilt AMC 1976 Engine in it. It had
paperwork that it had been replaced, however, after about a year of driving it, I started to notice the power was not there
and the Jeep started leaking a lot. I tried to replace the rear main seal a couple times, but that didn't seem to stop the
issues. I finally decided to rebuild the engine.
I did a lot of research and found that it might be easier to get another engine, rebuild that, and then take the time to take
out the original engine, remove the parts that were needed and then sell that one off. In retrospect, this could go either
way, it just depends on how much time you have to be without an engine in the Jeep and how much room you have to store it. My
time was limited, so I wanted to minimize the downtime with the Jeep.
I settled on getting a new block and found an engine shop that came recommended highly, so I started out with the project
and along the way a lot of time and money were done to do the engine rebuild correctly (in my mind). The costs below show
what it took to get the job done. The prices can vary, but no matter where you live, you will need machining, rebuild parts,
and labor to put it back together. I had the shop do everything, and thus the cost went up. If you rebuild it yourself after
having the machining done, you will end up saving some money. If you don't buy a new engine and have the tools to do the
rebuild already, then you will be ahead of the game.
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Cost Center
1974 AMC 304 Engine Block and assorted pieces
Engine Hoist
Engine Stand
Flow Kooler Water Pump
Center Force Clutch Kit with removal/alignment tools
AMC Blue Paint
Engine Rebuild Parts
Assembly Labor and Machining
Dyno Testing
Header Gaskets
Shop Supplies - Rags/Towels/Cleaners
Assorted Fluids - Spray Paint/Oil/Power Steering/Radiator Fluid
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Cost
$200.00
$175.00
$75.00
$100.00
$320.00
$30.00
$1350.00
$1700.00
$300.00
$10.00
$25.00
$25.00
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$4310.00 |
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Total Time:
60 Hours
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| Cost - Offset |
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Since there was a new engine purchased to do the rebuild, there were a lot of extra parts
leftover after the rebuild. I traded the old engine block for a set of axles. I traded some of the new parts that were
purchased for the engine as well as some of the older 304 engine parts for a steering column, brake booster, and some other
assorted parts that I figured I would use more then the 304 parts.
You can offset the cost of this project a lot of if you can find a buyer for your old stuff. If you end up using your
original motor to do the rebuild, then you will have a lot less stuff to sell. I still have a lot of the old parts, like the
water pump, the clutch, and some other stuff I replaced, but their value is not that much since they are pretty much used up.
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Total Cost:
$4310.00
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| Conclusions |
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The total amount does not include all the diesel that was spent traveling to get the engine,
food, diesel for going up to the machine shop to take pictures, and finally all the little odds and ends that came up with
little clamps, hoses, and other miscellaneous stuff that seemed to always be needed.
The total time should be around 60+ hours all said and done. That being said, travel time is somewhat included in there as
well as the time it took to go get the motor, drop it off, travel up to see it, bring it back home, and then finally put the
new engine in the Jeep.
This project is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of time to do it and a lot of prep time to make sure that you have
everything and when you don't, the project stops and you have to go out and get the other parts.
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