Check in on your local machine shops guys

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pittsburghracer

pittsburghracer

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I was sitting here grinding away on some exhaust ports and I figured I would give my local machine shop a call to see how things are going. Glad I did as they are slow, like in closing at 3:30 one guy in the shop slow. Not a big shop to start with they laid off one guy and I’m not sure about their crank grinder as he was a retired guy that would come in when needed to do cranks only. I’m still waiting for my income tax check (9 plus weeks) and my stimulus check but I have some 440-1 heads I ported that are flowing very good but I have some bigger 2.250 intake valves I would like to try. Hell this may even get me motivated to build the 505 mega block build I have on a stand. So next week I will drop those off and my set of Speedmaster heads to have them opened up for 2.05 valves. I may go ahead and drop off a stock 360 crank to have polished and balanced for a .030 (360) block I have sitting here. He thanked me about three times for checking on them.
 
Yeah, I checked in on my guys as well and they are slow. Before the virus they were slammed with guys wanting stuff done for the start of racing season, and then the season didn't start. I called another friend who was holding off on getting some work done, and he is now taking it in next week.
 
Heck while I’m there I might get a price on boring out the lifter galleys to 5/8 for me to tube them. The older I get the more I hate doing that job by hand. I may even get the Coronavirus price deal. Lol.
 
Hopefully will get to donate some of my stimulus check to my local machine shop of choice, but they were still busy when I dropped a block off to them about three weeks ago. Have a set of 308 heads to drop by and get some 2.02 intakes put in and get milled. Not nearly as exciting as a 505 MegaBlock :eek:, but still something.
 
pittsburghracer said:
I was sitting here grinding away on some exhaust ports and I figured I would give my local machine shop a call to see how things are going. Glad I did as they are slow, like in closing at 3:30 one guy in the shop slow. Not a big shop to start with they laid off one guy and I’m not sure about their crank grinder as he was a retired guy that would come in when needed to do cranks only. I’m still waiting for my income tax check (9 plus weeks) and my stimulus check but I have some 440-1 heads I ported that are flowing very good but I have some bigger 2.250 intake valves I would like to try. Hell this may even get me motivated to build the 505 mega block build I have on a stand. So next week I will drop those off and my set of Speedmaster heads to have them opened up for 2.05 valves. I may go ahead and drop off a stock 360 crank to have polished and balanced for a .030 (360) block I have sitting here. He thanked me about three times for checking on them.
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I stopped in at the local welding supply to get a new gas hose and the owner said they have been busy as hell.
People doing home projects I guess.
 
My machine shop has been pretty busy for the past 3 weeks I’ve been talking to him. Last time I was in there he had an original 426 Hemi and 409 Chevy in his assembly room getting their final assembly. Kind of cool to see since those are probably my 2 favorite big blocks of all time.
 
My machine shop is slammed. I called on Monday morning to check on my Speedmaster heads that have been there eight or nine weeks and he said he'll make a note and call me by the end of the week.. it's now 505 here on Friday evening and nothing LOL...
 
j par said:
My machine shop is slammed. I called on Monday morning to check on my Speedmaster heads that have been there eight or nine weeks and he said he'll make a note and call me by the end of the week.. it's now 505 here on Friday evening and nothing LOL...
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I'm still surprised you didn't inspect them yourself. I did a step by step video on what to look for.....
 
Mine is now up to an 8 week wait on machine work, and they're not building any engines at all until next winter. I'm actually about to try a new (to me) place in MA, they do a lot of circle track work, and with the tracks closed they told me two weeks to bake/shot block, deck, align bore, bore and hone. It's a little more than my regular place, but I'll pay the extra $70 to save six weeks.
 
j par said:
My machine shop is slammed. I called on Monday morning to check on my Speedmaster heads that have been there eight or nine weeks and he said he'll make a note and call me by the end of the week.. it's now 505 here on Friday evening and nothing LOL...
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That's because YR slipped him a couple of Benjamins to go slow on your stuff.

:poke:
 
318willrun said:
I'm still surprised you didn't inspect them yourself. I did a step by step video on what to look for.....
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Well I reached into my gold mine LOL and figured I could spend a couple hundred dollars on a decent valve job and while they're doing it why not have the people that built my motor and my head's look at it?.. my stuff has taking my abuse for the last 5 years or more...
 
j par said:
Well I reached into my gold mine LOL and figured I could spend a couple hundred dollars on a decent valve job and while they're doing it why not have the people that built my motor and my head's look at it?.. my stuff has taking my abuse for the last 5 years or more...
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Agree, smart to have somebody else build it. Now, please take it to somebody else and have them tune it, no need to be the slowest stroker A-body on the site, maybe the 2nd slowest? ... :poke:
:lol:
 
You did not build yours either LOL you just took them apart and put them back together... No micrometers or real measurements except for you rattling them around in their holes...lol...
In all likelihood I'll have them put new Springs in but Ted said he wanted to check the spring rates first...
I think it's money well spent as they're not getting thrown on top of a junkyard Maxi van motor...:poke:..:D...
Edit: my motor is in perfect tune..
 
j par said:
You did not build yours either LOL you just took them apart and put them back together... No micrometers or real measurements except for you rattling them around in their holes...lol...
In all likelihood I'll have them put new Springs in but Ted said he wanted to check the spring rates first...
I think it's money well spent as they're not getting thrown on top of a junkyard Maxi van motor...:poke:..:D...
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All the same... never lost one... yet. :D
 
318willrun said:
All the same... never lost one... yet. :D
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Not even in the ballpark of the same and I've never lost one either well actually I did lose my 318... But that was semi on purpose I should have never held third gear all the way to the end of the quarter mile LOL...
 
j par said:
Not even in the ballpark of the same and I've never lost one either well actually I did lose my 318... But that was semi on purpose I should have never held third gear all the way to the end of the quarter mile LOL...
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If I blow the 440 up then I'll stick to my small blocks because it can't be me :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
The paint and body shop I've been talking with is slow too.
 
What a great way to help local small business and get stuff done on our cars.
 
In it's way to the machine shop. Getting a full work over, bore/hone, deck, align bore.

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Don't really want to start a build thread, so this one will do.

Baked/shot, back to me for tube install and peen, then back to the machine shop for all the actual machine work. Rotating assy is supposed to ship this week.

Never seen one cleaned this way in person, super impressive vs tanking.

IMG_20200504_082345.jpg
 
I stopped by my local independent speed shop and picked up a Quick fuel 750 DP. He said he is busy as hell cause guys like me have time to work on their stuff. And he was 100 bucks Canadian less than Summit with next day pick up.
Did I mention I'm enjoying quarantine! If everything could stay this way but allow the tracks to open then I'd be fine.

Cley
Screenshot_20200504-065723_Chrome.jpg
 
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