Machine shop woes

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RockinRobin

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Removed Gen3 hemi from bracket car Duster in May. Without a lot of details, it's still at the machine shop. Had to replace crankshaft (spun main bearing ruined it). He's had all of the parts needed to balance it since 1st of July, but hasn't finished it yet. I've been calling around my area to find someone else who will do /finish the balancing and have found several sources. Going to make the 2 hour drive to the machine shop and go get my stuff. Will probably have to spend money twice for the same thing. Why did I use this guy??
1. He charges much less than the others (yeah I'm cheap)
2. He builds race motors all of the time (he bracket races himself)
3. He owns the dragstrip I go to most often.
You would think he would want to get me back at his track spending money as quickly as possible, but I keep getting put on the back burner. I don't want to burn bridges with the track owner, but even if he finishes it I'm taking it all apart and checking everything anyway.
 
Oh, BTW I pulled engine and tranny at the same time. Tranny was rebuilt, needed new sprag and other parts from A&A in Ca. it was done in 2 weeks.
 
It happens. Even the folks with a known quick turnaround can get backed up and take months from time to time.

Tell him youre building another motor.Tell him you just sold it as a basket case to finance it..and you're gonna come get all the parts.
 
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I work at a machine shop since June, **** we have stuff stacked up way before I started. I personally have had my stuff at my buddies since last March for machining so it is a much longer process than what I expected too. Now seeing how stuff works I suppose it takes time, but balancing if someone stays on it shouldn't take longer than a 8 hour day.
Because I'm new & do it in 8
 
OP, I hear you..... And you have every right to be aggravated. At the end of the day it's not right for a shop to put work in front of yours or not complete it in a timely manner... It sux!!!!!

However finding a reputable with a decent turn around time will be tough and you will be starting over. In other words, if you like the work that's done go there with donuts and try to make it work. Otherwise you may end up in a worse situation.....

Keep in mind everything is a hot mess right now so be smart in how you go about this problem. I wish you luck.....

JW
 
Man, I dunno its tough all over. I sent a crank out in Jan 2021, the Monday after new years day, it took the guy till March I think till I got it back. Kept saying "COVID" that seems to be the excuse why things are backed up.
 
Man, I dunno its tough all over. I sent a crank out in Jan 2021, the Monday after new years day, it took the guy till March I think till I got it back. Kept saying "COVID" that seems to be the excuse why things are backed up

his grinder got COVID?
 
I dropped off my 360 block, crank and pistons today, to have machine shop check it out because it was .030 over already and crank .010 under. He said I'll know by Friday if everything checks out OK. I guess their not too busy up here.
 
Or you could try honesty is the best policy. Go there and tell him you like him and his work. You really do want HIM to do the work, but you are concerned with the delay. Ask him for an honest time of completion.
 
Or you could try honesty is the best policy. Go there and tell him you like him and his work. You really do want HIM to do the work, but you are concerned with the delay. Ask him for an honest time of completion.
Yep, did that. Months ago. And several more times. Then I find out my stuff sits while stuff that came in after gets worked on, including his own car.
 
Yep, did that. Months ago. And several more times. Then I find out my stuff sits while stuff that came in after gets worked on, including his own car.
Dam, that sucks. I would be taking my stuf away from him. When u go there just surprise him. He will back pedal and say next week. Don’t believe him. Stick to ur guns, pick ur stuff up and get the hell out of dodge. Kim
 
It happens. Even the folks with a known quick turnaround can get backed up and take months from time to time.

Tell him youre building another motor.Tell him you just sold it as a basket case to finance it..and you're gonna come get all the parts.
Not bad! Kinda a like white lie, but it beats the alternative..and that could be a pissing match
 
I dropped off my 360 block, crank and pistons today, to have machine shop check it out because it was .030 over already and crank .010 under. He said I'll know by Friday if everything checks out OK. I guess their not too busy up here.
Man, I remember when Adam, a guy that ran the machine shop at Napa, would Mike a crank while ya wait, free! When Napa closed the machine shop ( in the warehouse of the Tampa area warehouse) he went on to United Speed World. I'm thinking he didn't like their crooked ways. He couldn't deal with em long
 
Same problem here... Dropped block off in early March.. Dropped off balanced stroker kit beginning of September.. got it back last week and no intermediate shaft bushing...:BangHead:... Owner came to my house and put it in..
Never (knock on wood..) have had a problem with one of there engines..
The best thing I can think of was giving them the block at least a year before I even thought I would like to have it...
I recently had a cam reground for what it would have cost to buy a new one, but the new one keeps going further and further out of stock and the price keeps going up even though they don't have it...
Things are rough all over...
 
Same problem here... Dropped block off in early March.. Dropped off balanced stroker kit beginning of September.. got it back last week and no intermediate shaft bushing...:BangHead:... Owner came to my house and put it in..
Never (knock on wood..) have had a problem with one of there engines..
The best thing I can think of was giving them the block at least a year before I even thought I would like to have it...
I recently had a cam reground for what it would have cost to buy a new one, but the new one keeps going further and further out of stock and the price keeps going up even though they don't have it...
Things are rough all over...
I think by December, we will be in supply chain hell....
 
I dropped off my 388 in Sept of 2019 and got it back Oct 2020...9 month wait on pistons...two month wait on tooling for the shops new CNC block machine.
 
Ugh... that just ain't right. The lack of Manufacturing HERE, and sadly, the Loss of Masters in these Trades and others, with little interest in learning or working, along with an acceptance of substandard quality, by underqualiyfed labor has got us in a jam. Gonna get worse
 
I take this more from the hobby restoration angle then the all-out drag racing angle..
With that in mind there's always plenty of challenges even without the shortages to get a car restored the way you want it...
Like I tell all my customers "if it was easy everybody would have one..."
 
I take this more from the hobby restoration angle then the all-out drag racing angle..
With that in mind there's always plenty of challenges even without the shortages to get a car restored the way you want it...
Like I tell all my customers "if it was easy everybody would have one..."
Right on. I'm In the middle, on the car thing. I've got a Ironhead that runs low.7s in the 1/8 th. I used to street it here in Tampa. Traffic is wicked here anymore. But I want my Mopar to look proud,.be loud, and move out! But with you doing a reato type deal, there's definitely more to do while you are waiting..
 
So I went to the shop on Friday and he said block checked out Ok but if we go .040 over getting pistons may be a problem and costly. I told him I have a Scat stroker kit but pistons are .030 over. So we decided to go with the stroker kit and he'll check to see if block can be cleaned up with a slight hone and use the .030 over pistons. If not, pistons may be a bit of a problem, but I'll keep on top of it. Glad I have a shop that does the job and quickly.
 
There is always the alternative... forget about having everthing "perfect" and do it the way millions did it in the past....yourself!

I did my first engine work in 1959 at age 10. Valve job on a '53 Buick. Yes the "shop" did the valve grind but I did the cleaning and didassembly/assembly work.

I didnt have a machine shop do anything other than a sleeve job in my '64 GTO until I had raced for years. We got by... think of the guy who went 200 mph in dragsters with junkyard engines. Running to SLC from Bonneville for a junkyard core was a right if passage for many. In '79 during Speedweeks I traded a spot on the floor in a crowded Wendover motel room for my labor cleaning engine parts in the rooms bathtub after the guys I befriended blew their engine in their B/STR.
 
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