www.enginebuildermag.com ENGINE BUILDER 31
Circle 32 for more information
BY DOUG KAUFMAN, EDITOR dkaufman@babcox.com The current 3.3L/3.8L engines found in the latest offerings from Chrysler are the latest in a long, successful line of conventional 60-degree V6 motors. First introduced as a family back in 1990, the engines have been upgraded and improved to provide good torque for the necessary applications, reasonable fuel economy and a reputation for durability and appropriate performance. Both have iron blocks and aluminum heads and since 2001 have been used nearly exclusively in Chrysler s FWD lineup, powering the Dodge Caravan, the Chrysler Town & Country and the Chrysler a. In 2007, the 3.8L became the optional engine in the Jeep Wrangler. Although there are definite similarities, there are plenty of variations, too. Prior to 2001, Chrysler used the same block for both the 3.3.L and the REGIONS NUMBER OF STATES IN EACH REGION EAST NORTH CENTRAL (5) EAST SOUTH CENTRAL (4) MIDDLE ATLANTIC (3) MOUNTAIN (8) NEW ENGLAND (6) PACIFIC (Including Hawaii) (4) SOUTH ATLANTIC (9) WEST NORTH CENTRAL (7) WEST SOUTH CENTRAL (4) 3.8L engine. Since that time there have been at least six different casting numbers for the 3.3L engine and at least four different 3.8L castings. Still, the main differences relate to parts, including different cranks, rods, pistons and camshafts. In the March 2010 issue of Engine Builder, contributing editor Doug Anderson wrote an in-depth article outlining the parts and procedures necessary to properly rebuild these engines for continued service. Anderson says this engine is a good one that a savvy rebuilder should pay attention to. These engines have been around for a long time and have been used in a lot of high-value cars, trucks and minivans, so we can expect to see quite a few of them for some time to come. They re easy to build if you pay attention to the details, so you should be able to make some money on them if you know the right combinations. It s those details that are key. With multiple blocks, heads, cranks, rods and front covers, those combinations can be a little tricky. Likewise, details about the rebuilding costs can be tricky as well. Labor costs for different procedures may vary www.enginebuildermag.com ENGINE BUILDER 33
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ENGINE & PERFORMANCE WAREHOUSE, Median and Mode Labor Charges For Rebuilding The Chrysler 3.3/3.8L Engine Service Average Median Mode 95% CI range CYLINDER HEAD SERVICE Clean/disassemble/estimate valve job $48.79 $40.00 $40.00 $44.97-52.61 Clean & pressure test cylinder head $58.81 $50.00 $40.00 $55.43-62.20 Clean & dye inspect head $35.42 $30.00 $25.00 $31.36-39.48 Basic valve job $132.74 $125.00 $150.00 $125.80-139.68 Install 1 valve guide $16.81 $15.00 $10.00 $15.58-18.04 Install 6 guides $54.66 $50.00 $60.00 $51.57-57.75 Machine and install 1 valve seat $25.45 $25.00 $25.00 $23.89-27.01 Machine and install 6 valve seats $84.09 $72.00 $60.00 $79.54-88.64 Weld damage in combustion chamber $74.12 $75.00 $50.00 $68.71-79.52 Crack repair using pin (ea.) $48.55 $50.00 $75.00 $40.86-56.23 Straighten cylinder head (ea.) $68.19 $60.00 $75.00 $62.98-73.41 Surface cylinder head (ea.) $42.22 $40.00 $40.00 $40.48-43.96 Install plug insert (ea.) $28.42 $25.00 $25.00 $26.39-30.45 BLOCK WORK Disassemble, clean short block & est. repairs $119.91 $100.00 $100.00 $111.81-128.00 Clean cylinder block $62.95 $55.00 $50.00 $59.84-66.06 Magnetic powder inspect block $41.17 $35.00 $25.00 $38.04-44.30 Pressure test cyl. block $78.72 $75.00 $100.00 $74.26-83.17 Bore oversize and hone block $134.10 $125.00 $120.00 $126.64-141.55 Install cylinder sleeve & bore (1 sleeve) $105.17 $100.00 $100.00 $100.07-110.27 Resize big end of rods (per 6) $79.40 $74.00 $60.00 $73.09-85.71 Clean and magnetic inspect rods (per 6) $38.72 $36.00 $30.00 $35.11-42.34 Straighten connecting rods (all 6) $46.06 $39.00 $30.00 $40.46-51.66 Install rods on pistons (6) $48.97 $48.00 $60.00 $46.81-51.13 Resurface block deck $112.25 $100.00 $100.00 $106.50-118.00 Machine block main bores $165.19 $150.00 $150.00 $156.63-173.75 Install core plugs (all) $26.04 $25.00 $25.00 $23.92-28.16 Wash block (final) $40.01 $35.00 $25.00 $36.55-43.47 CRANKSHAFT WORK Clean crank & check for cracks $39.79 $35.00 $30.00 $37.08-42.50 Straighten crankshaft $42.27 $39.00 $25.00 $37.99-46.55 Weld journal (per journal) $67.09 $57.50 $45.00 $59.96-74.23 Weld & grind journal (per journal) $91.42 $75.00 $75.00 $79.79-103.05 Grind & polish crankshaft $117.10 $117.19 $125.00 $111.53-122.67 Polish crankshaft $40.15 $39.25 $40.00 $38.17-42.13 MISCELLANEOUS OPERATIONS Balance engine assembly $208.67 $200.00 $250.00 $201.70-215.65 Assemble short block $261.07 $250.00 $250.00 $245.07-277.07 Assemble long block $446.05 $400.00 $400.00 $417.40-474.71 Clean all sheet metal/covers $53.62 $49.09 $50.00 $49.30-57.94 Pressurize oil system (incl. oil/filter) $45.38 $40.00 $40.00 $39.56-51.20 Sim test engine $178.33 $120.00 $100.00 $130.20-226.47 widely from coast to coast, and even from neighborhood to neighborhood. As a supplement to that article (which you can also find online at www.enginebuildermag.com), we present here our current labor costing study on rebuilding the Chrysler 3.3L/3.8L engine, which offers a look at national and regional average labor charges. The study covers various head, block and crankshaft service procedures as well as miscellaneous labor charges. The charts begin on page 36. In addition, the detailed chart above represents the national average, median and mode labor charges for all of the procedures covered in our survey. As explained by at least one car advertiser in the past, your results may vary. Your shop s operational procedures may allow you to be more productive than these charts indicate. Conversely, you may find your costs are significantly higher than others in your same area. These discrepancies should not be seen as indicating that your costs are either too high or too low. Instead, they can be explained, says Bob Roberts, Market Research Manager for Babcox Research, in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. In some shops, certain operations may be included while doing others and 34 CHRYSLER 3.3L/3.8L LABOR COSTING STUDY May 2010
Circle 35 for more information
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: this may lead to a larger dollar amount charged. Additionally, some shops may have given us an each price when we wanted all or they may have included an all when we asked price each, Roberts says. Some shops reported to us that they perform some repairs on a time basis. We did not use a dollar-per-hour value if they provided it. A few shops price all their repairs on a time basis. This is most common with welding repairs. Some shops do not perform all the operations listed and this leads to a smaller number of observations and thus a less reliable average, Roberts says. The average for a specific labor charge is the result of adding all of the charges for that service from all respondents and then dividing that number by the total number of respondents. The median is the result of ranking all of the survey responses from highest to lowest and then finding the number that falls exactly in the middle. The mode is simply the most-often reported number from all survey respondents. Additionally, our chart provides the 95% Confidence Interval (CI) range. In real terms, if you were to ask all of the machine shops in the country what their labor rates were for each operation, it is 95 percent certain that the true average labor cost would fall within this range. In some cases, you ll notice that the following charts include only the national average. This is not a mistake, Roberts points out, and is instead a reliable representation of the results of our survey. In all cases, he concludes, the national average will be the most accurate figure. This survey and its results were coordinated by Babcox Research, the market research division of Babcox Media. Babcox Research specializes in custom research in all areas of the automotive aftermarket, offering complete research capabilities, including questionnaire design, database creation and report preparation. Surveys are conducted via mail, phone, fax, e-mail or the Internet. Charges reported in this study were compiled through a survey faxed to nearly 1,700 machine shop members of the Engine Builders Association (AERA), as well as a sample of Engine Builder subscribers. More than 290 completed questionnaires were received for an effective return rate of about 5 percent. For more information about this or other studies, or to have a custom study done for your company or industry, contact Bob Roberts at Babcox Research: broberts@babcox.com; 330-670-1234, ext. 252. If you have suggestions about engines to select for future labor cost studies, contact us at dwooldridge@babcox.com or dkaufman@babcox.com. Clean, Disassemble and Estimate Valve Job $48.79 Clean & Pressure Test Cylinder Head $58.81 Clean & Dye Inspect Head $35.42 $40 $38 $36 $34 $32 $30 $35.42 $28 36 CHRYSLER 3.3L/3.8L LABOR COSTING STUDY May 2010
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Basic Valve Job $132.74 Install 1 Valve Guide $16.81 Install 6 Valve Guides $ 54.66 Machine and Install 1 Valve Seat $ 25.45 Machine and Install 6 Valve Seats $84.09 Weld Damage in Combustion Chamber $74.12 $80 $76 $72 $68 $64 $74.12 $60 $56 www.enginebuildermag.com ENGINE BUILDER 37
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Repair Cracks in Cylinder Heads with Pins $48.55 (each) Straighten Cylinder Head $68.19 (each) $55 $75 $50 $70 $45 $65 $40 $38 $48.55 $60 $55 $68.19 $36 $50 $34 $45 Surface Cylinder Head (ea) $ 42.22 Install Plug Insert (ea) $ 28.42 Dissamble & Clean Short Block & Estimate $ 119.91 Clean Cylinder Block $ 62.95 38 CHRYSLER 3.3L/3.8L LABOR COSTING STUDY May 2010
Circle 39 for more information
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Magnetic Powder Inspect Block $ 41.17 Pressure Test Cylinder Block $ 78.72 Bore Oversize and Hone Block $ 134.10 Install Cylinder Sleeve and Hone $ 105.17 per sleeve Resize Big End of Rods (all 6) $ 79.40 Clean and Magnetic Inspect Rods (All 6) $ 38.72 40 CHRYSLER 3.3L/3.8L LABOR COSTING STUDY May 2010
Circle 41 for more information
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Straighten Connecting Rods (All 6) $45.41 Install Rods on Pistons (6) $48.97 $50 $48 $46 $44 $42 $40 $45.41 $38 Resurface Block Deck $112.25 Machine Block Main Bores $165.19 Install Core Plugs (all) $26.04 Wash Block (Final) $40.01 42 CHRYSLER 3.3L/3.8L LABOR COSTING STUDY May 2010
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ENGINE & PERFORMANCE WAREHOUSE Clean Crank and Check for Cracks $39.79 Straighten Crankshaft $42.27 Weld Crank Journal $67.09 (per journal) Weld & Grind Journal $91.42 (per journal) $70 $95 $68 $93 $66 $91 $64 $62 $67.09 $89 $87 $91.42 $60 $85 $58 $83 Grind and Polish Crankshaft $117.10 Polish Crankshaft $40.15 www.enginebuildermag.com ENGINE BUILDER 43
BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Balance Engine Assembly $208.67 Assemble Short Block $261.07 Assemble Long Block $446.05 Clean All Sheet Metal & Covers $53.62 Pressurize Oil System (Including Oil & Filter) $45.38 Sim Test Engine $178.33 $50 $180 $48 $178 $46 $176 $44 $42 $40 $45.38 $174 $172 $170 $178.33 $38 $160 44 CHRYSLER 3.3L/3.8L LABOR COSTING STUDY May 2010
Circle 45 for more information
Circle 46 for more information