Just wanted to get some insight on when the best time of the year would be to have the machine shop do machine work on your engine?

Perhaps winter because racing season is done?

Summer.....maybe most have done got their stuff done and are now racing?

Surely not just before race season....everyone's engines are at the shop. :p

When?

Winter Time is best-get better deals and save $$$.

Shouldn't matter when.
I've got 8 yrs experience working in automotive machine shops.
We take jobs in order and do them in order.
Find a shop and get in line.

About May/June, after your income tax return comes back!!!!!!! HAHAHA

Seriously....I don't want to take my block down there and have to wait forever to get it done. I figured there was a time of the year (maybe winter?) where buisness is slow.

None of the good shops in my area have a slow period. The middle of racing season (mid-summer) are extra busy as guys are busting stuff and need it worked quickly so as not to miss next weekend's racing event. At these times the guys running the shop typically just work more hours instead of letting stuff back up even more. Regardless, I've never seen any real difference in turn around time at various times of year. As was said above, get it line with your work request and check in regularly to see what progress is being made.

Another tip: if you NEED it by a particular date, tell them. If you don't need it by a particular date simply ask when you can expect to have the work completed. If you dictate a date and they can't meet it they should tell you. Either way, you will have specific expectations.

I've always told my machine shop how quickly I needed it. If it wasn't a need for it to be rushed I just told them don't make it a priority, if someone needs to be put in front of me go ahead and do it. But on times when I tell them I need it done before the weekend, they do their best to help me out.

I would say it depends on how regular of a customer you are..... & how much special handling you part needs!! small jobs can be slipped in without much trouble BUT...most machine shops only have one or two guys running the high end machines & they are back logged all the time & if they are setup on a production run you may have to WAIT quit awhile.....I sorry to say even small job shops that used to do custom one off work take on production stuff now days to pay the bills....