[Will]

There was one shop around here, about 30 miles South in Tacoma that I could trust and they went out of business a couple years ago.

I haven't built any engines since then so I really don't know where to go now. I've had several cranks screwed up by other shops. Got one 428 crank that looked like it had been polished with sandpaper and not one of the main journals was true to the crank centerline. I don't have a good way to measure stroke or index in my garage and I hate to think how bad that might have been off on that crank... Had to send it back out to get another .020" taken off it to true everything up (ended up .030" under and was turned .010" the first time). Strangely, didn't really have any issues with taper on that one.

Had another crank come back where they didn't even touch the thrust face and it had pitting from corrosion. I pointed that out to the guy at the shop and he said "that's not a problem, it'll be fine." So, I took it to the shop that's now out of business and they laughed and fixed it for me. That was a Toyota 22R crank and the first shop hadn't even bothered to remove the screw-in plugs from the oil passages in the rod journals. Second shop said it was full of junk.

I don't understand how shops that turn out crap work like that can stay in business.

[hurryinhoosier62]

Originally Posted by Will

There was one shop around here, about 30 miles South in Tacoma that I could trust and they went out of business a couple years ago.

I haven't built any engines since then so I really don't know where to go now. I've had several cranks screwed up by other shops. Got one 428 crank that looked like it had been polished with sandpaper and not one of the main journals was true to the crank centerline. I don't have a good way to measure stroke or index in my garage and I hate to think how bad that might have been off on that crank... Had to send it back out to get another .020" taken off it to true everything up (ended up .030" under and was turned .010" the first time). Strangely, didn't really have any issues with taper on that one.

Had another crank come back where they didn't even touch the thrust face and it had pitting from corrosion. I pointed that out to the guy at the shop and he said "that's not a problem, it'll be fine." So, I took it to the shop that's now out of business and they laughed and fixed it for me. That was a Toyota 22R crank and the first shop hadn't even bothered to remove the screw-in plugs from the oil passages in the rod journals. Second shop said it was full of junk.

I don't understand how shops that turn out crap work like that can stay in business.

I've got ONE guy I trust to grind a crank. I've known him for nearly twenty years. If Fred ever gets out of the business, I don't know who I'll send cranks to for grinding. I could do it myself, but one doesn't purchase a $50,000+ crank grinder to grind a crank or two a year.