HOW to find a decent machine shop
THATS SIMPLE, IN CONCEPT (but can be a P.I.T.A. in some locals)
GO TO THE LOCAL DRAG STRIP with a PAD and pen,ask several obviously experienced race car owners,about the machine shops they avoid and those they recommend
I don,t know about all areas but here in south/central Florida we have access to all the listed types of metal supply,dealers, welding equipment supply and machine shops, within 45 min-1 hour drive Id need, but of course you'll find there's several options in each category of who you want to deal with and the skill levels and parts selection and prices all vary a great deal between shops.
the best route is to take the time and effort to meet and talk to several dozen experienced racers at a local shop
,the problem is that,
theres always a few local incompetent and/or unskilled machine shops and over priced scam artists in most areas.
it helps a great deal if you take the time and effort to find a trust worthy and reasonably priced local machine shop ,
and trust me when I say this is critical, and yes, the compedent machinist will seem to point out endless things that should be done to increase durability, as it helps you decide what might be beneficial, or things you over looked,or just allow proper component function
and helps him make more cash,
,and a good machinist will try to guide you in component selection to help avoid mis-matched parts and low quality parts being used,
yes quality parts and machine work, ALWAYS COST more than you may expect them too!
the quality of precision machine work your machine shop does will have a huge effect on the long term durability and power potential of your engine.
Obviously you'll want to avoid ,places that either don,t do quality work or don,t do the work at all, or do it very badly..or fail to deliver work on the expected completion dates, and you won,t know which shops to trust without a bit of research with the faster local racers.
here is one area of reality, where the difference lies between the best vs the better ,
and the all too frequent .... guys charging an exorbitant amount of money for inferior work,
you know, exactly what I'm saying if youve ever dealt with skilled machine shops,
and the better mechanics, and all too often, scam machine shops, and fly by night operations, that pop up and go out of business every few years,
and why good machinist and knowledgeable engine builder's ,are so hard to locate, and most have long wait times , too get quality work done..
and why it almost always costs considerably more, and frequently takes longer to have some shops and race teams, work on your car or engine,
its also why many guys get rather pissed off, when they see what it costs for a top quality builder to build any engine.
and without doubt guys in some shops see what the best shops charge and think.. hell, if the best shop in my area, charges that much I should be charging a good deal more,
and I can knock that out for a bit less and in less time and make a killing...... and why finding a good machinist and machine shop is a real challenge in most areas.
I can easily suggest a cam , but its a rather meaningless gesture, and all too frequently a waste of time and effort for both of us.
simply because, without verifying the facts, and this is where Id say the vast majority of internet web sites,
and the recommendations, you see being posted in them, all too often, go wrong far too frequently.
yeah its easy to assume the timings correct the true functional compression, in every cylinder is nearly identical,
(most guys measure, two or three cylinders and without a second thought ignore the rest,
and thus they, blissfully assume all the other cylinders must be the same or so close its a waste of effort,
, most guys fail to put in the effort, too measure the less easily accessed cylinders, thinking
(why bother its a P.I.T.A. and if the first two or three are fine so will the rest of them, )
and that is the attitude that will be used for other factors, yeah, most guys, and every other guy reading similar threads on a vast ocean of similar web sites,
all over the internet, skip over anything that is redundant or takes a bit of extra effort, they simply assume they know things that may or may not be true.
the vast majority of guys , are absolutely convinced, that verifying every measurement and clearance issue in their engine,
in each cylinder is so close that they are effectively duplicate in all areas,
yeah without any doubt... its a waste of time and effort, too do what most guys, will just be convinced is busy work,
yes most tuners and car owners are just like the vast majority and are convinced everything between all the cylinders have not changed are exactly as you and they remember them too be..
especially if they have taken the time and effort too do things correctly several times in the past and found that to be true in the past.
thats the difference between the 5%-10% of guys consistently posting the best and most consistent time slips and lap times vs the guys that frequently win a few races,
but over a season or two, don,t consistently, year after year build a good reputation, for durability and consistently winning.
it is always helps to post your location,when posting questions, at least the city & state your located in because theres a good chance an experienced hobbyist or mechanic on this site may be reading this, located local to you, who is willing to help either for free or at low cost! or at least post advice and places to get parts locally
WALK THROUGH THE LOCAL RACE TRACK PITS WITH A PAD AND PEN< ASK QUESTIONS AND TAKE NOTES
ask every guy with a car running 10-11 seconds or faster
(these guys will generally be rather familiar with local machine shops)
ASK these questions and in this order,
(1)WHO WOULD YOU AVOID IN A MACHINE SHOP
(2)WHO WOULD YOU SUGGEST IN A MACHINE SHOP
(3) where can you purchase metal and welding supplies
(4) what local engine builders get work out on time and at a reasonable price?
(5) IS there any machinist or machine shop that does exceptionally good work I should use?
(6) are there any local salvage yards that have better selections and prices?
ITS well worth the effort for you too, take the time to visit the local race tracks with a pen,pad and paper and ask a few dozen of the guys racing the 11 second and faster cars about which machine shops can be trusted to do quality work at a fair price and deliver on time! ask enough people to get a minimum of 12-15 separate suggestions, trust me a pattern will emerge in the answers with a minimum of 12-15 answers
There is local shop where I am that has had to change names 4 times and at least on paper owners three times in the last 15 years because they specialize in shoddy work and charging for work thats either not done or very poorly done. no one I know would trust them to gap a spark plug yet they still get unsuspecting customers because they are located near several auto parts stores. A good rule to follow is go where the faster racers go when they need work done because they are usually knowledgeable, and to keep their business, the machine-shop must be experienced and reasonably well equipped and stay busy enough because of their reputation.
take notes, and compare all your answers you'll see a pattern emerge after 8-10 guys (MINIMUM) answer your questions, and don,t bother talking to any car with a huge machine shop stickers on the doors ,as the obvious sponsor, because you know who they will recommend, they want someone else paying for their parts besides the cars owner, what you want to do is talk to the regular guys running the faster self financed cars.
theres also the machine shop I generally deal with, they have had the same owners and machinists for at least the last 20 years or so , and constantly have work stacked up, if you don,t get a specific date promised , IN WRITING ON YOUR RECEIPT, and DON,T PAY MORE THAN 1/3 up front, I can assure you it will take them a bit longer than you expect, but at least the works done correctly
machine shop services are priced very differently throughout the country. Your best bet is to talk to people in your area to find out which shops have the best reputations, for doing quality work at a fair price. Then pick two or three shops that are reasonable close (within an hours drive) that have good recommendations and go visit them for a brief question and answer session to get a feel for the shop . After talking to the machinist for a few minutes, and getting a basic price list and asking what type of major machinery they have you will have a good idea of who you want to send your work to, who can do a good job and whos full of BULLSSST. Remember though, good machinists are hard to find, and youll rarely find a good machinist working in a small shop at the rear of an auto parts store, look for real automotive machine shops with an established track record and reputation to uphold .
when you pay for work at a machine shop you're paying for access to the machine tooling which costs, that machine shop to run and maintain, in many cases HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars, and if you're LUCKY those machines are controlled by a very experienced MACHINIST with decades of experience in how to use those tools correctly,
your not just paying for the couple of hours he spend doing your repair or modifications
READ THE DARN LINKS AND SUB LINKS
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ting-started-in-the-car-hobby.339/#post-52906
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...s-you-need-tools-and-skills.11379/#post-52068
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-calculators-and-basic-math.10705/#post-46737
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-heads-up-on-buying-used-engine-blocks.14305/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/machine-shop-sequencing.4460/#post-11720
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bare-minimum-tools.11026/#post-51823
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...embling-an-engine-correctly.10363/#post-43806
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...k-for-in-a-good-engine-combo.9930/#post-38321
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...r-basic-performance-concepts.9731/#post-36488
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...f-how-not-too-deal-with-a-machine-shop.14454/
http://www.chevydiy.com/big-block-chevrolet-engine-step-step-rebuid-machine-shop-guide/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ty-thats-key-in-building-a-good-engine.11682/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-state-muscle-or-project-car.4318/#post-18620
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ilding-a-dream-or-wasting-cash.775/#post-8401
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...block-cylinder-wall-thickness.976/#post-22976
keep in mind your not looking for the guys that will make your car FAST as much as your looking for who can be trusted NOT to screw up your parts, and guys in the machine shop who can both follow instructions on repairs, and make valid suggestions and mods you’ve selected to do ,and those machine shops where the machinist will take the time and effort to advise you and do the job correctly and you also need to know who is doing sub-standard work, and should be avoided, that’s why both questions and in that order
remember to ask
(1)WHO WOULD YOU AVOID IN A MACHINE SHOP
(2)WHO WOULD YOU SUGGEST IN A MACHINE SHOP
take notes, and get at least 8-10 recommendations on several different nites at the track, from guys with the 11-10 second cars
and remember many guys who have slower cars than the 11 second bracket generally are using mostly bolt on and go parts with little use for a quality machine shops skills, but once you get into the more extensive mods machine work becomes critical to your success
that EXACTLY why I do all the work possible on my cars and engines....WHY I ve collected thousands of dollars in tools and done years of research...
I got soooooooo... tired and pissed off from dealing with scammers, thieves and morons who were in business too collect money from the CLUELESS masses of guys that wont or don't take the time and effort to find out what actually needs to be done and exactly how its supposed to be accomplished
and finding out that a huge percentage of the mechanics/garages and machine shops were at least partly staffed with guys who knew less and cared FAR less about doing the job correctly than I could ever comprehend, If your going to BE in business you might THINK you'll want to build a good reputation and look for repeat business, but all to frequently they are in it for a quick buck and screw the results or customers
Ive seen machine shops throw ALUMINUM cylinder heads in a CAUSTIC SODA bath to clean them, Ive seen MORONS try too charge me too torque plate hone a block, when they didn't even know what a TORQUE PLATE WAS or OWN ANY that fit that family of engines, Ive seen guys try to beat piston pins out of rods, guys who think a valve job is simply slapping grinding compound on a valve and using a drill to lap the valve into the seat, guys that charge for degreeing in a cam who don't own a degree wheel or a dial indicator and think aligning dots on the cam drive is degreeing in a cam,.....I could go further but you get the IDEA, LEARN and DO as much as you can yourself, collect the tools and manuals you need, and join a few clubs and find the knowledgeable few guys that do their own work rather than pay exorbitant prices to shops and take their chances... youll be way ahead! and when FORCED to deal with machine shops, you need to write a detailed set of instructions listing exactly whats to be done, on each component and the prices and dates the works expected to be completed on, and do the required research to find the reliable machine shops in your area,BEFORE dealing with any of them
http://www.harborfreight.com/36-piece-1 ... 35121.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/micro-engraver-98227.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/electric-e ... 46099.html
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ng-dated-signed-and-pictures.4786/#post-12990
some parts will need to be engraved
as always dealing with any machine shop is a crap shoot,
as there's a very wide range in skill levels, experience and just "GIVES A SHIT" in attitudes, in all machine shops
but yes a decent machine shop will tend to give a better result, ask detailed questions on cost and time frames don't fall for the old...
"
"ABOUT A WEEK and maybe $250, depends on what they require"
as that all too frequently results in well we found a few extra parts needed replacing,
we had to order those... so it took 30-60 days and now the cost is $350-$700)
garage.grumpysperformance.com
get a firm delivery date and price quote , your not looking for the least expensive shop , your looking for quality work done on a firm schedule
before dropping any component off at a machine shop you take DETAILED CLEAR PICTURES from several angles, date those photos and have SEVERAL copy's made,...make sure you list parts supplied, in detail with pictures, of those parts, make a detailed list ALL work to be done and HAVE FIRM expected due dates and prices for work, LISTED on a signed receipt and have the machine shop sign the work order listing of all major parts, show him you have the spare pictures, have a list of parts thats detailed enough that casting numbers and vin numbers are listed ,try to get a picture of the machine shop guy you speak to also, and stamp blocks on the oil pan rail,cranks on the flywheel flange stamp heads lightly on the ends all with your ph# or other ID, that shows in the pictures, obviously NOT on precision machined surfaces in most cases.
youve got to accept the fact that mistakes get made, parts get screwed up, lost, stolen or swapped ,some people are crooks, etc. if you don,t have positive dated photographic proof of what you dropped off, the work agreed to the dates promised and a way to identify your parts from similar defective parts they might be swapped out for, your screwed if your forced to go to court to seek compensation
THATS SIMPLE, IN CONCEPT (but can be a P.I.T.A. in some locals)
GO TO THE LOCAL DRAG STRIP with a PAD and pen,ask several obviously experienced race car owners,about the machine shops they avoid and those they recommend
I don,t know about all areas but here in south/central Florida we have access to all the listed types of metal supply,dealers, welding equipment supply and machine shops, within 45 min-1 hour drive Id need, but of course you'll find there's several options in each category of who you want to deal with and the skill levels and parts selection and prices all vary a great deal between shops.
the best route is to take the time and effort to meet and talk to several dozen experienced racers at a local shop
,the problem is that,
theres always a few local incompetent and/or unskilled machine shops and over priced scam artists in most areas.
it helps a great deal if you take the time and effort to find a trust worthy and reasonably priced local machine shop ,
and trust me when I say this is critical, and yes, the compedent machinist will seem to point out endless things that should be done to increase durability, as it helps you decide what might be beneficial, or things you over looked,or just allow proper component function
and helps him make more cash,
,and a good machinist will try to guide you in component selection to help avoid mis-matched parts and low quality parts being used,
yes quality parts and machine work, ALWAYS COST more than you may expect them too!
the quality of precision machine work your machine shop does will have a huge effect on the long term durability and power potential of your engine.
Obviously you'll want to avoid ,places that either don,t do quality work or don,t do the work at all, or do it very badly..or fail to deliver work on the expected completion dates, and you won,t know which shops to trust without a bit of research with the faster local racers.
here is one area of reality, where the difference lies between the best vs the better ,
and the all too frequent .... guys charging an exorbitant amount of money for inferior work,
you know, exactly what I'm saying if youve ever dealt with skilled machine shops,
and the better mechanics, and all too often, scam machine shops, and fly by night operations, that pop up and go out of business every few years,
and why good machinist and knowledgeable engine builder's ,are so hard to locate, and most have long wait times , too get quality work done..
and why it almost always costs considerably more, and frequently takes longer to have some shops and race teams, work on your car or engine,
its also why many guys get rather pissed off, when they see what it costs for a top quality builder to build any engine.
and without doubt guys in some shops see what the best shops charge and think.. hell, if the best shop in my area, charges that much I should be charging a good deal more,
and I can knock that out for a bit less and in less time and make a killing...... and why finding a good machinist and machine shop is a real challenge in most areas.
I can easily suggest a cam , but its a rather meaningless gesture, and all too frequently a waste of time and effort for both of us.
simply because, without verifying the facts, and this is where Id say the vast majority of internet web sites,
and the recommendations, you see being posted in them, all too often, go wrong far too frequently.
yeah its easy to assume the timings correct the true functional compression, in every cylinder is nearly identical,
(most guys measure, two or three cylinders and without a second thought ignore the rest,
and thus they, blissfully assume all the other cylinders must be the same or so close its a waste of effort,
, most guys fail to put in the effort, too measure the less easily accessed cylinders, thinking
(why bother its a P.I.T.A. and if the first two or three are fine so will the rest of them, )
and that is the attitude that will be used for other factors, yeah, most guys, and every other guy reading similar threads on a vast ocean of similar web sites,
all over the internet, skip over anything that is redundant or takes a bit of extra effort, they simply assume they know things that may or may not be true.
the vast majority of guys , are absolutely convinced, that verifying every measurement and clearance issue in their engine,
in each cylinder is so close that they are effectively duplicate in all areas,
yeah without any doubt... its a waste of time and effort, too do what most guys, will just be convinced is busy work,
yes most tuners and car owners are just like the vast majority and are convinced everything between all the cylinders have not changed are exactly as you and they remember them too be..
especially if they have taken the time and effort too do things correctly several times in the past and found that to be true in the past.
thats the difference between the 5%-10% of guys consistently posting the best and most consistent time slips and lap times vs the guys that frequently win a few races,
but over a season or two, don,t consistently, year after year build a good reputation, for durability and consistently winning.
it is always helps to post your location,when posting questions, at least the city & state your located in because theres a good chance an experienced hobbyist or mechanic on this site may be reading this, located local to you, who is willing to help either for free or at low cost! or at least post advice and places to get parts locally
WALK THROUGH THE LOCAL RACE TRACK PITS WITH A PAD AND PEN< ASK QUESTIONS AND TAKE NOTES
ask every guy with a car running 10-11 seconds or faster
(these guys will generally be rather familiar with local machine shops)
ASK these questions and in this order,
(1)WHO WOULD YOU AVOID IN A MACHINE SHOP
(2)WHO WOULD YOU SUGGEST IN A MACHINE SHOP
(3) where can you purchase metal and welding supplies
(4) what local engine builders get work out on time and at a reasonable price?
(5) IS there any machinist or machine shop that does exceptionally good work I should use?
(6) are there any local salvage yards that have better selections and prices?
ITS well worth the effort for you too, take the time to visit the local race tracks with a pen,pad and paper and ask a few dozen of the guys racing the 11 second and faster cars about which machine shops can be trusted to do quality work at a fair price and deliver on time! ask enough people to get a minimum of 12-15 separate suggestions, trust me a pattern will emerge in the answers with a minimum of 12-15 answers
There is local shop where I am that has had to change names 4 times and at least on paper owners three times in the last 15 years because they specialize in shoddy work and charging for work thats either not done or very poorly done. no one I know would trust them to gap a spark plug yet they still get unsuspecting customers because they are located near several auto parts stores. A good rule to follow is go where the faster racers go when they need work done because they are usually knowledgeable, and to keep their business, the machine-shop must be experienced and reasonably well equipped and stay busy enough because of their reputation.
take notes, and compare all your answers you'll see a pattern emerge after 8-10 guys (MINIMUM) answer your questions, and don,t bother talking to any car with a huge machine shop stickers on the doors ,as the obvious sponsor, because you know who they will recommend, they want someone else paying for their parts besides the cars owner, what you want to do is talk to the regular guys running the faster self financed cars.
theres also the machine shop I generally deal with, they have had the same owners and machinists for at least the last 20 years or so , and constantly have work stacked up, if you don,t get a specific date promised , IN WRITING ON YOUR RECEIPT, and DON,T PAY MORE THAN 1/3 up front, I can assure you it will take them a bit longer than you expect, but at least the works done correctly
machine shop services are priced very differently throughout the country. Your best bet is to talk to people in your area to find out which shops have the best reputations, for doing quality work at a fair price. Then pick two or three shops that are reasonable close (within an hours drive) that have good recommendations and go visit them for a brief question and answer session to get a feel for the shop . After talking to the machinist for a few minutes, and getting a basic price list and asking what type of major machinery they have you will have a good idea of who you want to send your work to, who can do a good job and whos full of BULLSSST. Remember though, good machinists are hard to find, and youll rarely find a good machinist working in a small shop at the rear of an auto parts store, look for real automotive machine shops with an established track record and reputation to uphold .
when you pay for work at a machine shop you're paying for access to the machine tooling which costs, that machine shop to run and maintain, in many cases HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars, and if you're LUCKY those machines are controlled by a very experienced MACHINIST with decades of experience in how to use those tools correctly,
your not just paying for the couple of hours he spend doing your repair or modifications
READ THE DARN LINKS AND SUB LINKS
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ting-started-in-the-car-hobby.339/#post-52906
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...s-you-need-tools-and-skills.11379/#post-52068
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-calculators-and-basic-math.10705/#post-46737
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-heads-up-on-buying-used-engine-blocks.14305/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/machine-shop-sequencing.4460/#post-11720
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bare-minimum-tools.11026/#post-51823
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...embling-an-engine-correctly.10363/#post-43806
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...k-for-in-a-good-engine-combo.9930/#post-38321
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...r-basic-performance-concepts.9731/#post-36488
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...f-how-not-too-deal-with-a-machine-shop.14454/
http://www.chevydiy.com/big-block-chevrolet-engine-step-step-rebuid-machine-shop-guide/
bits of rather useful info, yeah its going to take awhile but theres good tips
if theres one subject that won,t die, its the constant need for guys to discuss and ask questions, concerning how to build a lower cost SBC engine. Ill save you a a great deal of time and effort , the KEYS to performance are, AND ROUGHLY IN THIS ORDER GOOD HEAD FLOW HIGHER COMPRESSION CAM...
garage.grumpysperformance.com
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ty-thats-key-in-building-a-good-engine.11682/
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-state-muscle-or-project-car.4318/#post-18620
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ilding-a-dream-or-wasting-cash.775/#post-8401
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...block-cylinder-wall-thickness.976/#post-22976
keep in mind your not looking for the guys that will make your car FAST as much as your looking for who can be trusted NOT to screw up your parts, and guys in the machine shop who can both follow instructions on repairs, and make valid suggestions and mods you’ve selected to do ,and those machine shops where the machinist will take the time and effort to advise you and do the job correctly and you also need to know who is doing sub-standard work, and should be avoided, that’s why both questions and in that order
remember to ask
(1)WHO WOULD YOU AVOID IN A MACHINE SHOP
(2)WHO WOULD YOU SUGGEST IN A MACHINE SHOP
take notes, and get at least 8-10 recommendations on several different nites at the track, from guys with the 11-10 second cars
and remember many guys who have slower cars than the 11 second bracket generally are using mostly bolt on and go parts with little use for a quality machine shops skills, but once you get into the more extensive mods machine work becomes critical to your success
that EXACTLY why I do all the work possible on my cars and engines....WHY I ve collected thousands of dollars in tools and done years of research...
I got soooooooo... tired and pissed off from dealing with scammers, thieves and morons who were in business too collect money from the CLUELESS masses of guys that wont or don't take the time and effort to find out what actually needs to be done and exactly how its supposed to be accomplished
and finding out that a huge percentage of the mechanics/garages and machine shops were at least partly staffed with guys who knew less and cared FAR less about doing the job correctly than I could ever comprehend, If your going to BE in business you might THINK you'll want to build a good reputation and look for repeat business, but all to frequently they are in it for a quick buck and screw the results or customers
Ive seen machine shops throw ALUMINUM cylinder heads in a CAUSTIC SODA bath to clean them, Ive seen MORONS try too charge me too torque plate hone a block, when they didn't even know what a TORQUE PLATE WAS or OWN ANY that fit that family of engines, Ive seen guys try to beat piston pins out of rods, guys who think a valve job is simply slapping grinding compound on a valve and using a drill to lap the valve into the seat, guys that charge for degreeing in a cam who don't own a degree wheel or a dial indicator and think aligning dots on the cam drive is degreeing in a cam,.....I could go further but you get the IDEA, LEARN and DO as much as you can yourself, collect the tools and manuals you need, and join a few clubs and find the knowledgeable few guys that do their own work rather than pay exorbitant prices to shops and take their chances... youll be way ahead! and when FORCED to deal with machine shops, you need to write a detailed set of instructions listing exactly whats to be done, on each component and the prices and dates the works expected to be completed on, and do the required research to find the reliable machine shops in your area,BEFORE dealing with any of them
http://www.harborfreight.com/36-piece-1 ... 35121.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/micro-engraver-98227.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/electric-e ... 46099.html
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ng-dated-signed-and-pictures.4786/#post-12990
some parts will need to be engraved
as always dealing with any machine shop is a crap shoot,
as there's a very wide range in skill levels, experience and just "GIVES A SHIT" in attitudes, in all machine shops
but yes a decent machine shop will tend to give a better result, ask detailed questions on cost and time frames don't fall for the old...
"
"ABOUT A WEEK and maybe $250, depends on what they require"
as that all too frequently results in well we found a few extra parts needed replacing,
we had to order those... so it took 30-60 days and now the cost is $350-$700)
finding a machine shop
HOW to find a decent machine shop THATS SIMPLE, IN CONCEPT (but can be a P.I.T.A. in some locals) GO TO THE LOCAL DRAG STRIP with a PAD and pen,ask several obviously experienced race car owners,about the machine shops they avoid and those they recommend I don,t know about all areas but here in...garage.grumpysperformance.com
get a firm delivery date and price quote , your not looking for the least expensive shop , your looking for quality work done on a firm schedule
before dropping any component off at a machine shop you take DETAILED CLEAR PICTURES from several angles, date those photos and have SEVERAL copy's made,...make sure you list parts supplied, in detail with pictures, of those parts, make a detailed list ALL work to be done and HAVE FIRM expected due dates and prices for work, LISTED on a signed receipt and have the machine shop sign the work order listing of all major parts, show him you have the spare pictures, have a list of parts thats detailed enough that casting numbers and vin numbers are listed ,try to get a picture of the machine shop guy you speak to also, and stamp blocks on the oil pan rail,cranks on the flywheel flange stamp heads lightly on the ends all with your ph# or other ID, that shows in the pictures, obviously NOT on precision machined surfaces in most cases.
youve got to accept the fact that mistakes get made, parts get screwed up, lost, stolen or swapped ,some people are crooks, etc. if you don,t have positive dated photographic proof of what you dropped off, the work agreed to the dates promised and a way to identify your parts from similar defective parts they might be swapped out for, your screwed if your forced to go to court to seek compensation
Last edited by a moderator:
