Machining timeline?

[icetech]

Just had a general question.. my cars are beaters so i usually find a good motor and use it or re-ring/bearing and drive. This time i wanted to do a stroker and do it semi correctly.. Took my block in over 3 months ago to get bored 30 and decked.

I was just curious, how long do you guys usually wait for a block to get done? I see guys that seem to do alot of motors and i just don't see how anything gets done in less than 6 months+ at this rate.

I'm not that worried bout it yet, i am just hoping to have the motor for spring. Last time i took a block in it was just for cleaning/cam bearings, that took bout 2 days. was also 30 years ago though

 

[Hilljack68]

Both me and a buddy of mine had our blocks done at the same shop - mine about six years ago, his was just this Summer. On both occasions, they took about a month to get everything done - including .030 over-bores. They also do full engine builds, as they did to my buddy's GTO.

I suppose, to some degree, it's just a matter of how busy they are, and what time of year... but 3 months sounds a bit too long for a bore & deck. Late Autumn and Winter will be longer because the racers have their engines yanked and lined up for rebuild.

 

[icetech]

Both me and a buddy of mine had our blocks done at the same shop - mine about six years ago, his was just this Summer. On both occasions, they took about a month to get everything done - including .030 over-bores. They also do full engine builds, as they did to my buddy's GTO.

I suppose, to some degree, it's just a matter of how busy they are, and what time of year... but 3 months sounds a bit too long for a bore & deck. Late Autumn and Winter will be longer because the racers have their engines yanked and lined up for rebuild.

Yeah, thats why i took it in june, figured it would be a slower time.. 2 other machine shops near me but both have some pretty bad stuff posted online, and one i called were just dicky on the phone which isn't a good start.. It's like choose between quality that you won't see for half a year, or getting something back that might be ok..

 

[Hilljack68]

Yeah, if the guy is pissy from the onset... run away! Most gear heads around here get their machining done at the shop I mentioned, and I've never heard a single negative comment. Ask some of your buddies around Macomb.

 

[icetech]

What's going to suck is waiting 4+ months and if it fails magnafluxing or for any other reason i get to start over.. I hate things i can't control or do myself.. .

 

[dvw]

My guy can be slow. But if it's race season he will drop everything to help. When your busy, your busy.
Doug

 

[69Bee]

I am a three-man shop (me, myself, and I) and the dogs answer the phone. Under 2016-2020, I was so busy, an engine build could easily reach a year if I was doing a complete build. I they were doing the assembly, it would be less, but usually more that 6 months. I don't think I have had a red month this year yet. There has been less work, so motors were finished faster and think the last one, a 440 Mopar, took about two months. The biggest thing to take into account is how busy the shop is and how many people work there.

edited to not make it political...

 

[icetech]

My guy can be slow. But if it's race season he will drop everything to help. When your busy, your busy.
Doug

yup, i get it... i was just more looking to see whats normal, Wasn't complaining although it does seem like that in text sometimes (i woke up cranky and feeling like crap so maybe i was a little) getting better though

 

[icetech]

I am a three-man shop (me, myself, and I) and the dogs answer the phone. Under 2016-2020, I was so busy, an engine build could easily reach a year if I was doing a complete build. I they were doing the assembly, it would be less, but usually more that 6 months. I don't think I have had a red month this year yet. There has been less work, so motors were finished faster and think the last one, a 440 Mopar, took about two months. The biggest thing to take into account is how busy the shop is and how many people work there.

edited to not make it political...

It's funny how we have different experiences in different industries... i had 3 really bad years..then 4 really good years, and now about 5 bad months that are getting worse and worse.. luckily i have very low overhead and can survive even the worst that we have ever seen..

 

[icetech]

Anyway, thanks for the nfo guys.. was just curious how things are as far as wait times out there

 

[69Bee]

It's funny how we have different experiences in different industries... i had 3 really bad years..then 4 really good years, and now about 5 bad months that are getting worse and worse.. luckily i have very low overhead and can survive even the worst that we have ever seen..

I am stuck home and closed due to surgery at the moment and have already had to get money out of savings for bills I could not stop or reduce. Four or ? months couldn't go fast enough or might have to just retire.

 

[icetech]

I am stuck home and closed due to surgery at the moment and have already had to get money out of savings for bills I could not stop or reduce. Four or ? months couldn't go fast enough or might have to just retire.

Damn, i hope you get better and things straighten out... I have worked 65+ hours non stop for 30 years now.. i can't even take 2 days off or i go nuts sitting at home. retirement sounds like hell to me

 

[69Bee]

I watch TV, peruse these forums constantly hitting "What's New", and have the ham radio on when it is not thundering out, so there is plenty to keep me busy as I cannot do too much because of the hand limitations. As it gets better, and able to drive and leave the house, I know I am going to try to get back to work, but don't want to push it and hurt myself. Just trying to lift the remote or push a button on it with my index finger hurts like a som bitch... If I retire, I have plenty to do to keep myself busy and I have found it isn't as hard as it was when I was younger not working.

 

[ckessel]

My short block is "done". The machinist is waiting on the balance sublet shop to get done. My guy has had it for a month and he's a one man band. Hopefully he gets the assembly back next week as he's out for the month of October for back surgery and returns in November.

 

[icetech]

My short block is "done". The machinist is waiting on the balance sublet shop to get done. My guy has had it for a month and he's a one man band. Hopefully he gets the assembly back next week as he's out for the month of October for back surgery and returns in November.

You been working on your car? i haven't seen your thread pop up at all

 

[ckessel]

It's for the wagon. 65 is on back burner for awhile. The wagon is my DD, so I want to get it mechanically sound. Underside is done, other than a couple of hiccups I'll try to deal with today. I'll assemble the short block. Still have many items to buy for the engine, but I'll do that as I make dough on jobs. Want to get Mike paid up before he goes under the knife.

 

[icetech]

It's for the wagon. 65 is on back burner for awhile. The wagon is my DD, so I want to get it mechanically sound. Underside is done, other than a couple of hiccups I'll try to deal with today. I'll assemble the short block. Still have many items to buy for the engine, but I'll do that as I make dough on jobs. Want to get Mike paid up before he goes under the knife.

Ah cool... I was gonna drive mine to work today, but woke up in a crap mood and figured better to just take the truck in

 

[toolmanmike]

I haven't checked with the local shops lately. It has been years since I built my 273. The local shops are always busy but a little less during the later summer. All the engines are built during the off season and they are backed up until maybe June. The worst is waiting for parts now days. You might wait a few months for a set of rod bolts or some retainers.

 

[icetech]

I haven't checked with the local shops lately. It has been years since I built my 273. The local shops are always busy but a little less during the later summer. All the engines are built during the off season and they are backed up until maybe June. The worst is waiting for parts now days. You might wait a few months for a set of rod bolts or some retainers.

yeah, i'm watching parts prices go up while waiting to figure what i'm gonna do fun times. No biggy in the end.. if the car wasn't drivable it would bug me more

 

[copper67sat]

I recently got my 383 parts back from the machine shop. Took 2+ months for a valve job on new aluminum heads, R&R pistons, hone cylinders, polish & rebalance crank. Took me a while to find a trustworthy shop in my area so that slowed my build down significantly. I kept tasking around until I got solid recommendations. This guy is a drag racer and builds a lot of 5.0s and Coyotes for that crowd but can also handle other makes. I was encouraged when I dropped my parts off and one of his workers identified it as BB Mopar just by looking at the rear of the block even though it was covered in a black trash bag.

I had a comparable $ estimate from the shop that did the work last time (35 yrs ago) with a 1-week turnaround, but this is the shop that did questionable work on my original heads the first time, so he was a last resort at best. Glad I didn't go back there. The new shop told me that the crank was not well-balanced by the previous shop, so they had to spend time undoing some of that work to get it balanced this time. He also told me that my new 440 Source heads needed extra work because some of the seats were not quite located properly relative to the valve.