Does anyone have a idea of the cost of a balance job?? I had a 500ci 440 balanced last year for $150.00 this year it was $406.00 HELP!!!!

It looks like your new motor probally needed some heavy metal(Mallory metal is a $100.00 per inch ) to make it balance correctly That or your machine shop needed more money this time I have paid similar money for balancing years ago before we found out tthat it is cheaper to cut the counter weights down to reduce the revolving weight instead of adding heavy metal to the counter weights to make them balance correctly. The hemi stroker cranks are famous for needing heavy metal, especially when using them in a wedge motor with lighter pistons and rods than the hemi use

$150 is a cheap balance job, especially if they used race type tolerances. Maybe they got lucky and the rods and pistons all were almost dead nuts out fo the box, which I have never seen...

Like Cab says, it must have needed mallory metal.

BTW, a typical shop would charge $175 - $250 for a balnce job that didnt need mallory metal.

I just saw a 700" T/S BBC at a shop where the mallory metal flew out of the crank on a dyno pull. It wasnt installed as it should have been. You want the shop to be competent.A good balance job is worth every penny.

Thanks! after looking at the bill they added mallory and machined the counter weights??? This is a OHIO crank < I called and ask some questions and was told they never charge that much and the cranks are not that far out???

My balancing is going to cost $200.00.... on a 440, with coated pistons,and new h-beam rods. Hopefully,nothing out of the ordinary comes up!

The first performance balance job I had done cost me $150 in 1956. I had to drive from Alexandria, LA to Houston, TX and spend money for gas, a motel and food. By todays standards that was an expensive balance job!!!!

$150.00 in 1956??? ...that's like $800.00 nowadays..with adjusted inflation factor! How many POUNDS of mallory metal did they have to use?

Just called around here last week - Average was $300 with no mallory.

I am as prone as the next guy to look out for being ripped off. But, it is way too easy to second-guess something that we didn't take part in, and we don't know what components were actually being balanced. It is also very easy for a manufacturer to blame someone else when they get a phone call from a customer, especially when nothing can be proven one way or the other. Maybe you'll buy your next crank from them or tell your friends how happy you are. Even very honest companies will do this, it isn't lying to say what "usually" happens.

So, if your shop had to use a chunk of Mallory that decreases the job by $100 right there, plus they had to spend longer on the job. If they screwed up or if they didn't you won't be able to tell.

What matters now is the quality of the finished product. If that is as good as it's supposed to be, I say you can have no complaints.

R.

$250 plus materials, materials are priced to cover installation unless its a real disaster of a job. There's gonna be discussion of that job w/customer before there's any work started. S/F....Ken M