A spun bearing is a way to describe an engine’s rod bearing that has lost its lubrication on the crank, resulting in a crank spinning with the bearing, rather than inside of it. This type of issue can happen in different types of vehicle engines, such as gasoline, diesel, stock, and racing engines.
If you need to repair a spun rod bearing, chances are there are associated engine repairs you’ll have to tackle as well. Some of the most common are crankshaft repairs, rod journal repairs, rod bore repairs, and connecting rod repairs.
On average, the costs associated with repairing spun engine rod bearings are about $2,500 (parts plus labor). You’ll typically have to repair or replace parts such as gaskets, cylinder head bolts, engine cooler lines, pistons, crankshafts, and others.
In this article, we’ll dive into the average repair costs associated with spun engine rod bearings by looking at average costs of labor, as well as average costs of parts. These repairs can be costly if you need multiple engine parts to be fixed or replaced, and sometimes, the best course of action is to replace the engine altogether if you’ve let things go too long.
We will also look at discrepancies in average costs based on geographical location, vehicle types, and other factors. Read on to learn about what you might be paying to repair a spun bearing in your vehicle.
Cost Breakdown for a Spun Bearing Repair
There are several reasons that you might end up with a spun bearing in the first place. You might end up in this situation by putting your vehicle under excessive heat endurance.
Or perhaps you put your vehicle through heavy loading and hauling. Most commonly, though, a spun bearing results from a loss of lubrication, loss of oil pressure, or particles within the engine’s oil.
To understand the associated costs of repairing a spun bearing, we need to look at the costs tied to the following:
- The average cost of a spun bearing repair
- Types of repairs associated with spun bearings
- Average costs of repairs based on vehicle type
- Average costs of auto labor in different locations
Average Cost of a Spun Bearing Repair
On average, the cost of a spun bearing repair job is about $2500, which often includes the cost of related part repairs.
Average Cost of Common Spun Bearing-Related Repairs
Some common repairs you may have to get when you repair your spun bearing include engine gaskets, connecting rod bearings, camshaft bearings, cylinder head bolts, cooler lines, pistons, and crankshafts.
Head Gasket Replacement Cost ($1674)
The main gasket that commonly gets replaced in an engine is the head gasket. On average, this replacement will cost $1674, where labor costs around $1185 and parts cost around $489.
Cylinder Head Replacement Cost ($3274)
The average cost of replacing a cylinder head in a vehicle is $3274, where labor costs around $1345 and parts cost around $1929.
Cooler Line Replacement Cost ($223)
The cooler line replacement job is one of the cheaper jobs you’ll find associated with a spun bearing repair. The average cost to replace an engine oil cooler line is around $223, where the cost of labor is around $126 and the cost of parts is just under $100.
Crankshaft Replacement Cost ($1650)
The crankshaft is another important part of a vehicle’s engine that may need to be replaced if it has been affected by your spun bearing. The crankshaft, on average, costs about $1650 to replace, where labor costs around $550 on average, and parts cost around $1100.
Camshaft Replacement Cost ($1420)
If your camshaft bearings are damaged badly enough, you may end up having to replace the whole camshaft. The average cost to replace a camshaft is about $1420. The average cost of labor is about $961, while parts cost about $460.
Average Cost of Labor for a Spun Bearing Repair
To understand the cost of labor for repairing a spun bearing, it’s important to look at cost discrepancies from place to place throughout the United States. You also have to consider the average amount of hours it takes to complete spun bearing-related repairs, and multiply this by our average labor rate where you live.
Depending on which type of repairs and how many you need to have done in relation to your spun bearing, you can expect repairs to last anywhere between 10 and 20 hours. A good average to expect (and may be on the higher end of the estimate) is about 15 hours.
According to Auto Chimps, the average cost of auto labor in the United States varies based on several factors, including the type of repair shop, make and model of the vehicle, geographical location, and more. However, on average, you can expect a standard rate of about $100 per hour.
Labor Rates by Location
It may surprise many car owners to know that Vermont has most recently held the lowest average cost of auto repair among US states, while California has held the highest.
Further, if we take a look at the average cost of labor for a check engine light-related repair in different states, we see that it varies depending on your region.
- California – $147
- Georgia – $153
- Hawaii – $140
- Colorado – $154
- Utah – $147
- Mississippi – $160
- Texas – $151
- Rhode Island – $138
- Arkansas – $156
- Pennsylvania – $144
- New Hampshire – $134
- Vermont – $124
Average Cost of Repairs Based on Type of Vehicle
To get an idea of some of the cost discrepancies for this repair based on vehicle type, let’s take a look at some of the average costs of parts repairs/replacements for different aspects of spun bearing repairs.
Since we know that a spun bearing repair often involves work on various other engine parts, we can look at how the cost of some of these repairs/replacements differs among vehicle types to see the differences.
These averages are estimated based on costs in Columbus, Ohio since that area is more representative of average auto labor costs in the United States. Further, these estimates include an average that combines the cost of parts and labor.
Here are some examples
- Average cost of a head gasket replacement for a 2015 Ford F-150 is $3273
- Average cost of a head gasket replacement for a 2013 Toyota Camry is $3586
- Average cost of a camshaft replacement for a 2013 Toyota Camry is $2415
- Average cost of a head gasket replacement for a 2018 Cadillac Escalade is $1840
- Average cost of a cooler line replacement for a 2018 Cadillac Escalade is $373
- Average cost of a camshaft replacement for a 2018 Cadillac Escalade is $4264
Factors Affecting the Cost of a Spun Bearing Repair
Although the costs of repairing a spun bearing generally add up to a similar price range (around $2500), there will be vast discrepancies in the cost for everyone. Auto repair costs vary for different people based on the types of repairs, location, cost of parts, and more.
Location
As previously discussed, location will play a big role in the cost of a spun bearing repair. Not only do hourly rates of auto labor change from state to state; but you’ll also see differences in the cost of parts.
Depending on where you live, it may be difficult to get certain parts in stock without ordering them and having them shipped in. This can tack on extra costs for express shipping or other necessities.
Further, some locations may have an auto repair shop in every part of town, which makes the supply high and costs much lower.
Parts and Labor vs. Parts Alone
Another aspect of a repair job that might change the cost is whether or not you are paying for the engine repairs or just the parts. While some engine parts can be quite pricey, you could still save a little money if you know how to do the repairs yourself.
What Parts Are Getting Repaired?
You will also pay differently depending on what parts you are getting repaired. If it’s just the main rod bearing that you need to repair, your costs will be different than if you need to repair the bearing, gaskets, camshafts, and more.
Deals and Discounts
If you can find deals or discounts provided by your auto repair shop or when buying parts online, this will save you a good deal of money, as well.
Model and Make of Your Car
Finally, you can expect the cost of a spun bearing repair to change based on the make and model of your car, as we discussed above. Certain car makes require more expensive repairs, such as Ford’s and Toyotas.
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Conclusion
The cost of repairing a vehicle’s spun bearing can get complicated since it involves repairing and/or replacing associated parts most of the time. Aside from the rod bearing itself, you may have to repair or replace cooler lines, gaskets, camshafts, and other parts.
Overall, though, the average cost of a spun bearing repair is estimated to be around $2500. This can vary depending on where you live, the type of car you have, discounts available, and other factors.
