Never tell a machinist that you are.....
- Thread starter Cranky
- Start date
In October I hope to be dropping a 440 off for a total rebuild. It is not an engine I need but I would like to have by next May. I just want to have a spare fresh 440 just in case.
rumblefish360
Well-Known Member
A pair of cylinder heads at the machinists for 6 months, never touched. I ask why? It’s a simple repair job. His reply, “We didn’t want to do it.”
Then why did you F#%!£! Take it? He shrugged his shoulders.
Now that I have time and I’m all but close to caught up, (Thanks COVID!
) I’ll fix them myself.
Then why did you F#%!£! Take it? He shrugged his shoulders.
Now that I have time and I’m all but close to caught up, (Thanks COVID!
) I’ll fix them myself.
My 472 Hemi has been in machine shop jail for almost two years!
- Local time
- 1:06 PM
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2009
- Messages
- 37,750
- Reaction score
- 52,021
- Location
- Pasadena, Texas
What all was done to it??
Dayam!
I've actually have had decent luck with the local shops....what's left of them. All of the local guys that knew Mopars pretty good have retired or passed away. Even the Chevy shops are gone and the best Mopar shop around now is 80 miles away. Kinda hard to swallow that one for living real close to the 4th largest city in the nation. There's supposed to be a shop north of me that's good but even that one is probably 40 miles.
69a100
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 1:06 PM
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 11,455
- Reaction score
- 17,511
I'd much rather have a stoner paint my car over a full blown drunk doing it! Stoner's tend to pay a little more attention!
- Local time
- 1:06 PM
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2009
- Messages
- 37,750
- Reaction score
- 52,021
- Location
- Pasadena, Texas
Used to know a custom painter that had to have a couple to calm down his shakes....and he was one of the top painters in the region!
Nate S
Well-Known Member
I couldn’t imagine. I’m wildly impatient. Last winter when I had mine bored / decked etc. had it back in 3 weeks. Was installed and running in another 3.
Begood03
Well-Known Member
It was a completely untouched R3 low deck block that needed all the machining done. A couple of years ago a friend of mine found it for sale not to far from here. The guy bought in when new, and put it aside to one day build an engine with his son. Unfortunately the son was killed in a snowmobile accident. After a few years the guy couldn't look at because of the memories it brought back. So he put it up for sale at a very good price, and I gave him what he was asking, and took it home.
69a100
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 1:06 PM
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 11,455
- Reaction score
- 17,511
The Macco that painted cr8crshr's car, it was under new management as the previous owner was a bigtime drunk and drove the franchise down the toilet according to new owner.
cr8crshr
Well-Known Member
- Local time
- 11:06 AM
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2009
- Messages
- 7,677
- Reaction score
- 14,621
- Location
- Northwest Nevada
Yep I can attest to that. But he did get the job done and for a 1400.00 single stage paint job from them, it turned out really nice. I was not too overly in a hurry as I was back on active duty during 2001-2007 so I was deploying on a regular basis. So I would head out for say 14 to 20 days and then back home to CA for about a week or so so I could at least keep tabs on it. Here is the pic of it afterwards...cr8crshr/Bill
The machinist nightmare was shortly after. I was off again to the sand box and had my 383 done with the machining and decking/sonic bored, etc. I had bought all the parts but it was getting to the point of "I need to get it built and don't have the time" as I only do my own engine re-builds. That way if I mess up, it is on me. Well long story short, the shop that did my heads, 516's ported and oversized exhaust valves and sleeves kept bugging me to do the build so I went with him for the sake of getting it done. Well he took a tad longer than I expected, but it really didn't cause me any angst because I was on the road so much. Well he finally got it done so I loaded it up, and headed back home. It sat for a while longer and then the day came to put it in. After it was in, I was turning the crank to align it up to TDC for initial fire up and this happened. It jammed up and would not rotate any further. I could reverse it all the way backwards 360 and it would bind up again. WTF???. I pulled the engine and dropped the oil pan and observed. The # rod journal was hitting the bottom of the # 1 piston sleeve. WTF??? AGAIN!!! So I tore it back down, found a new crank and had it turned, and put it all back together. Well it ran but had a knock that brother and I couldn't locate nor find. OK...That's enough!!! So my Brother happened to find a 69 383hp short block for 900.00 up in Sacramento on Craigslist. Took the run up, bought it, engine stand and all so now I have 2, and brought it home. Tore down the first 383 and put my cam and now new aluminum heads, plus other items from the first one, and dropped it in in place of the first. Fired up on the 2nd crank and the rest is history as they say. I had been told that the place that did my first one, CA Street Machines, was known to do shady work and then blame the owner for any problems instead of making things right. I should have taken that to heart and trusted myself as I firmly believe that it is better to do what work you can yourself, farm out the machine work, and do your own engine builds. Lesson learned and although I do not motor the car around much these days, it has turned out to be one of the best experiences I have ever had. Sorry for the long windedness, but it applies to the OP/Cranky's question...cr8crshr/Bill
Last edited:
- Local time
- 11:06 AM
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 77,133
- Reaction score
- 123,031
- Location
- NorCal Sierras
fabricators & chassis builders are the same way
never pay them (many people doing work for ya') upfront either
no incentives to finish
like;
Paint Jail
Body Jail
Fabricator Jail
Machinist/engine Builder Jail
Contractor Jail
I'm familiar with them all
partially why I learned to do most everything myself
other then most engine machining, I don't have the tools
or the space/room for the proper tools
or I'd probably do that too
hard to find a really good machinist
I know quite a few of them too, most were from the ol' Alameda Shipyards
a few I knew from PG&E powerplants too
(or many old engine builders, either gone or retired now)
some are great, some are fast, pick 1
but not both or very rare anyway
3 very good ones I know, all car guys too
are so busy, good luck getting anything in a timely manner
no matter how much you offer them
(to an extent, everyone has a price, are you willing to pay it ?)
never pay them (many people doing work for ya') upfront either
no incentives to finish
like;
Paint Jail
Body Jail
Fabricator Jail
Machinist/engine Builder Jail
Contractor Jail
I'm familiar with them all
partially why I learned to do most everything myself
other then most engine machining, I don't have the tools
or the space/room for the proper tools
or I'd probably do that too
hard to find a really good machinist
I know quite a few of them too, most were from the ol' Alameda Shipyards
a few I knew from PG&E powerplants too
(or many old engine builders, either gone or retired now)
some are great, some are fast, pick 1
but not both or very rare anyway
3 very good ones I know, all car guys too
are so busy, good luck getting anything in a timely manner
no matter how much you offer them
(to an extent, everyone has a price, are you willing to pay it ?)
This is the engine I would like to stuff under the hood of the Satellite
Similar threads
