Kevan
Enthusiast
Pfft....that's nothing. Patent something if you want to feel real pain in the wallet.$148 an hour![]()
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My patent attorney is over $400/hr.
Pfft....that's nothing. Patent something if you want to feel real pain in the wallet.$148 an hour![]()
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Ok, I'm going to throw my 2 cents in here. Labor based on some manual and reality are two different things. Sure, a head and cam swap can be done really quick. Is it done to perfection, NO. I did that exact job on my car, and I am not a seasoned tech, but I can tell you to do that job right it's no $2000 job. Did the guy do a perfect job, I don't know, but the fact that the pushrods were incorrect and other issues were discovered along the way tells me he was at least careful. All that work costs money, and the swap is not involving factory parts, which means lots of additional checks. Yes I think Eight Thousand dollars is a heck of a lot of money, but with issues and unfamiliar parts you became part of the learning curve.
To me at least a Viper is not the ideal car to learn to do a top end job on.(the guy turning the wrenches should have declined due to inexperience.)Have swapped heads and cam out of my 650 hp GTS (along with numerious total engine builds )more times then i can count .Paid less than 2 grand labor on the top end ,Exactly 5500 .00 Labor for the total rebuild on a blueprinted and balenced motor(just done last year).Any gearhead will tell you how much more time it takes to check tolerences,balence,use a torque plate ect.Ok, I'm going to throw my 2 cents in here. Labor based on some manual and reality are two different things. Sure, a head and cam swap can be done really quick. Is it done to perfection, NO. I did that exact job on my car, and I am not a seasoned tech, but I can tell you to do that job right it's no $2000 job. Did the guy do a perfect job, I don't know, but the fact that the pushrods were incorrect and other issues were discovered along the way tells me he was at least careful. All that work costs money, and the swap is not involving factory parts, which means lots of additional checks. Yes I think Eight Thousand dollars is a heck of a lot of money, but with issues and unfamiliar parts you became part of the learning curve.
Required reading......absolutely.....8,000 views and its the very first item listed out....
People that have burnt their hands on the stove are much more likely to never do that again.
Ok lots of confusion here so I need to clear this up. The hourly rate was $120.00 an hour and that is pretty much normal around here. Plumbers are making the same and kids at McDonalds are starting at $15.00 an hr. The mechanic spent the time on the car and I am sure it is one right so now it is the negotiation stage. There is $500.00 worth of parts etc that were not installed and that was an honest mistake and they are going to fix this. They are going to do something on the labour so let’s see where that ends up. I should know something by Friday. And no there is no written estimate and that’s my fault as I have always had a good relationship with the shop. But at least I have the car and I’m driving it.
I went this way so that I did not have to change the pistons and Jeff has machined the heads for 91 octane as that is all we have around here. Dan at DC Perf has sent me the programming for the car. They both have assured me that I won’t have to worry about the pistons. Sure the Super Charger would have been nice but I did not want to add a bunch more weight out the front and I did not want the expense to change the pistons. But looking at my bill now, a whole new rebuild by Arrow might have been cheaper.
So how does it go? Well I am down a tiny bit on power until I hit 3800 rpm buts that ok. Tames a bit of the torque out on the bottom end but once I hit 3800 rpm look out as she will break the tires loose and do the slither every time until I hit 2nd gear. Once in 2nd and she has hooked up this pulls like there’s no tomorrow and the same into 3rd and 4th and 140 mph comes faster than I ever would have expected. No question that I am now making some serious power. How much? I will know within a couple of weeks once I get it to the dyno and make a couple of pulls and get the data off to Dan and get this dialed in.
At an idle it sounds like a stroked 426 hemi idling on Nitro Methane in my garage with the door shut. It does not sound at all like a V10. This is a true V8 sound from the late 60’s and it is loud. On the road idling around with the top off it is ok and surprisingly it is not that loud but once I put my foot into it and pulling past 4000 rpm this thing barks and reminds me of a V8 flowing through and set of burnt out Walker Blue Bottles. She is going to get me a ticket but she is sweet............
I have the 3” Corsa exhaust with the Hi Flo Cats, Bellanger Headers, Stryker Heads with Jeff’s Cam with I believe a .629 lift and is degreed in, no bleed lifters, ported intake, 170 deg thermostat and DC Perf Tune. I will post some pictures later of the engine as it now matches the yellow paint on the car perfectly along with the dyno pulls and the final bill.
Tim