This might be a "perspective" issue. Builder vs Customer
For what it's worth:
We charge $35 to tear down, tech, and inspect an engine.
This charge is absorbed into our rebuild fee IF we are doing the rebuild. (We do not charge the tear down, tech, and inspect fee in addition to the rebuild fee of $175 + parts.)
Now, if the customer simply wants the engine returned and not have us rebuild it, we will gladly do that - $35 fee +shipping.
I will not re-assemble an engine that is not being rebuilt to our standards (ie just put it back together "as is.") The problem you run into is that when the guy gets his engine (that obviously needs a lot of work) back from the engine builder, you'll find he lists it for sale as "just back from being professionally built by engine builder "X"". = BIG problems!!
I've seen this all too often.
A couple years back (if you remember the guy from Florida selling spray painted 14 HP flatheads on ebay) I got in one of these basket-case engines from a customer. Out of all of the parts on the engine that I got in, I could only use the crappy spray painted sheet metal and bolts. (aluminum bore block, pull choke carb & tank, worn crank, stock rod, etc etc -- total junk!)
Imagine having to tell the customer that it wasn't worth the $35 to ship it back, let alone the $35 tear-down fee.
I regularly have a half dozen engines here from customers who have to make a decision on how to proceed with their engine that needs more parts than it's worth.
$900 is unreasonable only if you can find someone better to rebuild it for less I suppose. Is the engine worth $900 fresh? Maybe, maybe not. Could you likely buy another engine fresh (quite possibly even better) for less? Absolutely!
We regularly sell fresh flatheads for $600 - $850. I have also rebuilt many flatheads that the rebuild bill comes out this high. Throw a new rotating assembly - crank, rod, & piston, a new carb, and new sheet metal and it's very likely you'll be in the $800 - $900 range.
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Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cuts
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Celebrating 25 years of service to the karting industry
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com