average time engine spends in machine shop?

[formulabird428]

Curious, what's the average time engines spend in a machine shop?

Basically, I have a short block waiting to be assembled. To my knowledge, no machine work is required short of a light hone on the cylinders.

However...

It is (supposedly) being inspected from a recent cam bearing issue & hot spots / smearing on the main & rod bearings...

How much time is "allowed" for this type of assembly/diagnosis? It's been there for 7 weeks? Is that normal?

[TCSGTO]

I see you live in my neck of the woods. I'm in the same boat. My engines' been in the shop for almost 2 months and hasn't been touched yet. Even though Quaker closed this year the shop is busier than it has beenin years. I have it at B&K off Rt 87 near Gustavus.
I've waited 3 months for a valve job,good work takes time so it's best to be patient. What shop are you using now,who did it the first time?

[formulabird428]

TCSGTO,

I'd rather not mention names at this point.

However, I'm curious if you'll be at Salem this year for the huge car show? Is your car a show or race car?

[TCSGTO]

TCSGTO,

I'd rather not mention names at this point.

However, I'm curious if you'll be at Salem this year for the huge car show? Is your car a show or race car?


If the GTO's engine is done I'll take it there,if not I'll take my 68 390 AMX. I went last year with the GTO & got ALOT of passes in. Ran a string of 12.0's with really good reaction times. Figures,I had one of my best days at a T&T session! Track prep wasn't that great but then again it hasn't been good at Quaker since Swindell took it over. If your going, get there at or before 8AM or you'll wait a long long time to get in.

The GTO isn't a race or show car. I don't have the patience for either anymore. It's just a stock looking street driver that I'll drive to the track once in a while. I've had it for almost 25 years now.

If you want you could PM me with the shop your using,if you don't want to I'll understand. I'm just curious since I've had experiences both good & bad with a few of them around here over the years.

[getmygoat]

No matter what they tell you when you are shopping around, it never seems to be out of there in less than two months.

[Forrest]

Guess I`m lucky , my machine shop takes no more than a month for ANY work! And their work is fantastic!I`m definitly blessed.

[GTO Noob]

I feel guilty telling you this but I just had mine in and I got it back in 2 weeks. It would drive me crazy having to wait 2 - 3 months to get it back.

Sorry to hear it's that way where you guys are.

[formulabird428]

Let me just say, that a particular shop (in Ohio) had my engine for...

2 years!!!

That's right, 2 years. Not to mention, they did complete headwork $1400 on a set of unported #46 heads, which were only supposed to get screw-in 7/16 studs.

Yea, those #46 heads...after $1400, they were not ported. However, I did feel good having a 5-way valve job (a $400 value). I guess they felt that I need this...

Now, after that first encounter, I find myself having problems with another Ohio-based machine shop...

Is it just Ohio?

[dci]

I don't know where you are in Ohio, but I am about 5 minutes from Summit Racing. Give me a call and maybe I can help you out or point you in the right direction.

Don Johnston
DCI MOTORSPORTS INC.
330-628-3354

[Hillard]

I hope you're not basing your judgement of every machine shop in Ohio based on two. I've finished complete rebuilds in three weeks before and have had others longer. (I only do this on a part time basis right now, hoping to change that very soon and go full time). If the customer doesn't ask me, I'll ask the customer when they want it back and tell them yes or no. I've had customers walk away because they just wanted it quicker, but that's better than ticking you off later just because I wanted your business.

[formulabird428]

I was kidding about Ohio machine shops.

Maybe it's just my luck...i don't know. These 2 machine shops are VERY reputable (especially the recent one), but yet I get the shaft? I believe it has alot to do with my age...since I am younger than the average enthusiat.

By the way, I'm located in Youngstown, about 45 minutes from Summit. You have to love Summit getting your order wrong, as you find that out 1/2 way home. Been there, done that...lol

[mechanickeith]

The shop I use here in town is great!! Last block I took them, vatted, magna fluxed, decked, bored .060,, new cam bearings, freeze plugs (brass), line honed & cylinders plataue honed. Dropped the block off on a monday, picked it up on thursday, same week. The crank shop I use, I took them the crank, vatted, polished & rotating assy balanced. They got it on my lunch brake, I picked it up at 5:30 that evening!!

[468GP]

The shop I use here in town is great!! Last block I took them, vatted, magna fluxed, decked, bored .060,, new cam bearings, freeze plugs (brass), line honed & cylinders plataue honed. Dropped the block off on a monday, picked it up on thursday, same week. The crank shop I use, I took them the crank, vatted, polished & rotating assy balanced. They got it on my lunch brake, I picked it up at 5:30 that evening!!

Did you get fries and a coke with that? Geez, are they that slow? I'm sorry but that's almost scary. I would be curious how many people work there and how many engines they do a month.
Aren't most of these engines that we are talking about, just toys anyway? How big of a hurry are you in? If you're racing in a points class and something happens one weekend and you need to get back out there to earn points, that's one thing, but for show cars or weekend cruisers, take it easy. Yes, two years is ridiculous, but 2 or 3 months is what I would expect.

[formulabird428]

the problem i'm having is communication, lack of communication. And that was the problem with the 2 year machine shop, who never informed me of anything and I ended with a set of $1400 unported heads.

This 2 month machine shop, well...he won't call me back. When I ask questions, the answers seem VERY general...and usually toward the "it's the customers fault"...

since I had a major cam bearing failure, along with rod/main bearing problems, I would like to be informed, at least somewhat.

The engine was supposedly "started" April 1st. Three weeks later and nothing? I just hope I'm not getting the back burner, and then they rush the job in the end. Because, an engine with problems + rushing = boom.

I guess when you are having problems, like I am, it just magnifies the situation...

[74t/a]

3 weeks to 3 months in my shop.....depending on the level of the build and the availability of parts.

[ModifiedPONPON]

waiting on my engine for over one year

[performerrpm]

i took my block and crank to southwest motor rebuilders for machine work after 3 weeks when they said they had finished except for the final hone the said they over looked a small crack and found it and that itwasnt any good ,but i just bought it from another shop and was garaunteed that it was magged and pressure tested good so when i went to get it they already had it loaded up in some ole truck "they said for recycling" and didnt wanna turn lose of it even though i was gonna repay for all work done i did manage get it back and it was against policy to charge for work done that in there words shouldnt have been done s i was only out 65 turning the crank then took to len williams down the road he showed me the parting line they refere to as a crack in 10 other 455s and finished what needed to be done to it about 31/2 weeks altogether . if i'd known who lyn was at the time i wouldve took it too him from the get go