I’ve got a 2015 Ford Fiesta that needs a new motor. One shop said $1,500.00 just for the labor & another said $600.00 - $800,00. They are so far apart that I’m a little hesitant on both. What’s a realistic ballpark figure for taking the old motor out & putting the new one in? It’s a 1.6 non turbo.
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Labor rates vary state to state shop to shop. The biggest expense is labor with a motor swap. $600-$800 is very reasonable in NY. Expect it to be $800 if they give you a range it will always be on the high side. It’s probably at least a 10hr project if it all goes well.Last edited by Chuck E Ducky; 08-15-2021, 10:33 AM. -
Yes, labor rates vary from area to area. I know some fellow mechanics who travel over a hour to a different county for work because the money is there.
I would estimate $800 being the bare minimum I would expect to pay for a NEW engine install for labor. Removal, parts swap, install, fluids, and road test is a lot to squeeze into $800… If it’s a junkyard engine, I would also want the unit resealed before it goes into the car. Something to consider there… I would also expect a phone call saying they found something else along the way. A motor mount, dry rotted plastic tube that broke, etc.
Go with a shop that has a good reputation over the cheapest estimate. The less honest shops will come in low on a estimate and bend you over once they have your car or they will damage things and make you pay for it. Things to consider…Comment
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Yeah i definitely expect it to be on the higher end of the estimate. I don’t have any particular experience with this shop but they’ve been around forever & just moved to a much bigger location. I know that’s not a statement on quality but they must do a fair amount of business.Comment
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If the garage has any certifications, they might go "by the book", meaning, there is a set amount of time that the factory says it should take to do a long-block swap. So they charge you the hourly-rate based on what the factory says, regardless if they can do it quicker.
The Fiesta should take 9-12 hours, according to the factory. So, labor-rate times 9-12., One garage might be giving you this rate, and the other might be basing it on how fast it really takes. If you trust the cheaper option, go with that.
A couple years ago, I spend $2000 for my Ford E350. $1000 for the swap, and $1000 for the junkyard engine. That was a good deal.
But I've also done swaps myself- on my older vehicles, jeeps and scouts, etc. There is fewer things to screw up on the older cars. unhook a few things and yank it outComment
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I’m getting the motor for $750.00 from a local used parts place. If i can get it back on the road for ~ $2,000.00 I’ll be ok. I can’t buy another vehicle & don’t really want to anyway.Comment
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What happened to the original over heat?Comment
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Camshaft. No compression in #3 & #4 cylinders.Comment
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seems about right.
its a LOT of work. not like the cars of old. there are a lot of wires, wire connectors, and wire tie downs. clips and brackets, tight packaging, and emission bs components. then theres the other stuff like oil and filter for the replacement engine, spark plugs, thermostat and belts, coolant and coolant bleeding that needs to be performed. You also need ATF and other little things. if a power steering hose needs to be removed you now need more fluid and new crush washers. things like that.
most newer cars remove the engine through the bottom. its pretty neat.
its a big job with allot of unknowns.Comment
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I would say around $1000 ballpark for labor at a shop.
Has anyone put a scope inside to see if the cylinders and/or pistons are damaged? If not you could get a reman cylinder head and not pull the motor at all.
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They haven’t. I talked to another shop today & they said it was most likely not worth saving. I’m going ahead with the engine swap. If i can get another 2-3 years out of it i should be in a better position to do something else if i have to.Comment
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The shop that quoted $1500 could have factored in 2 or 3 techs, while the lower quote might just be 1 or 2 techs. If you didn't get a full quote of the work the $1500 is probably more accurate to the actual cost. $800 could just be the motor swap, without factoring in fixing or replacing other parts that might need servicing. Both estimates seem reasonable, but I'd ask to better understand what it is the quote applies too.
Also see if you can keep the blown engine. Sell it for scrap or make a little cash back to someone that might be able to rebuild it. It's a small engine.
It's probably a similar cost to fix it than a replacement which is why the tech suggested just a swap. It's also a lot more work to pull an engine apart and fix it than just swap it for these small engines.
On the flip side these little 4 bangers are generally doable to fix for most dedicated diy mechanics
If the bloc is fine you can replace just about all the other parts.
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I just replaced a 2.0l turbo in an Escape last week... zero compression on #4 cylinder. Wasn't worth the time to tear down the engine, tbh... customer declined exploratory diag time and decided to replace the engine.
Not a fan of Ford drive trains, but I've been busy repairing them, a lot, so maybe I should change my mind.
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As others have said, 9-12 hours or about $1K is ballpark for a straight swap. It’s a pretty small motor and not super cramped in bay so that reduces complexity. Not like an Audi V8 or something like that. Also make sure they’ve factored in all the other supplies like oil, ATF, etc.
I did a swap in a Nissan Maxima once in about 6 hours using a lift and friends shop. That included taking off custom turbo setup and everything. I saw them swapping out Civics in like 3 hours because they had just done it so many times.Comment
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ask a mechanic how long a it would take to remove a subaru flat 4.
they smile, squint their eyes, start nodding and tell ya 30 minutes. lolComment
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