This time it was my budies 400 sbc after the problem I had with my 400 we thought we would try another machine shop. To make a long story short he said he lost our block. We went to the shop and found it in a couple minutes of looking, needles to say we took it home to decide where to go next!

The problem we have now is that it looks like the block had been sand blasted. I can see minute pits in the main housing. Do you think this will efect anything? Does it need to be align honed.

I don't think it's an issue, but he's a little concerned over it.

Thanks!

I would think any pitting in the main saddles wouldn't be ideal as it would make it easier to have the oil get behind the bearing, kinda like being over the high side clearance for the main saddles does. Probably over-thinking it and I'm no machinist. It could be align honed or bored if necessary.

When will this town get a PROFESSIONAL engine shop?

Jody

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MY CAMARO (http://www.camcojb.com)

This one is in Robins. Beware!

John

I'm in SoCal and bought my 67 EC from a fellow that brought it down. The engine was built in Sac. I was told, and I believe the seller believed this, that it had TRW pistons. When it blew, I found Silv-O-Lite cast pistons in it. The kicker is one pistons had TRW hand stamped on the top. I'm sure the builder did this then showed it to the guy (not an engine guy), leading him to believe the pistons were forged. I can understand your dilemma.

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Pat Kelley
66 El Camino, daily driver
67 El Camino, STRIP/street (12.08, 113mph, 7.500@92.14 1/8 mile) 355 powered
Pat's Page (Dynamic Compression Ratio Calculator, car specs, Spark plug reading info) (http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/)

the block has probably been through the "bake and blast" process, it can give a little texture to the surfaces. align-honing will make it go away. probably not a big issue if it's not a full time racing engine. gotta watch the lifter bores too, the top edge can get a little peened over, just enough to make the lifters tight, no spin, then no lobe. I always check the lifter bores with a new lifter before washing the block for assembly.

Tom

I just gotta ask, How the hell do you "lose a block"?

Distributor weights, a bushing, nuts and bolts sure, but a whole block? What a lame excuse for an attempted theft. Should of aligned honed his jaw just on GP. Sometimes dont ya wish you had 3 "knock people out without repurcussions" passes per year?

This kind of stuff makes me real nervous about finding someone to do the machining. Im gonna be out in the garage cleaning up the block with sandpaper, a carpet steamer and a dremel if I keep hearing stuff like this.

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'70 SS 396
4spd, 4.10's and a smile
TC# 1341
ACES# 5388
Beaux
The SS (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/btmyss.JPG)
The Rat (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/btmill.JPG)
Interior (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/midint.JPG)

Life is a gateway drug that leads to Chevelle addiction.

When I blew the engine a few years ago, I originally took it to a local shop... They took longer than promised (and I had even added a few extra days for them), and they never did a complete job... I had a cylinder sleeved and they never decked the block (leaving the sleeve to stick up a few thousands).

I also had the crank checked (the shop had to send it out to be wet-mag'd). When I returned, my crank was still sitting in the same spot I had placed it, and it was still dusty (as it was when I dropped it off).

Asked the guy to check one rod for straightness (with piston on), and while watching him, it was apparent that he wasn't too familiar with the equipment...

I ended up taking my engine up to Redding to have the machine work done... I have a friend thats a machinist up there...and pretty much the only machinist I trust...

I am getting ready to build another, and am really thinking of making to 5+hour round trip just to use someone I can trust...


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"Once you go RAT, you never go back..."
TC #1366
Tony
The Chevelle (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1966_L78/ChevelleA.jpg)
Dual Quad 396 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1966_L78/ChevelleC.jpg)
Side View (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/1966_L78/ChevelleD.jpg)

[This message has been edited by 1966_L78 (edited 11-13-2002).]

Well I have a double bad machine shop story. Took over a year to get a 427 long block assy built. Picked it up and noticed that something just didn't seem right. Turns out my virgin 69 427 block was replaced with a 73 454 block. Shop swears they didn't swap the block even though I had circled the #'s on an engine decode sheet I had and wrote down the date code. Needless to say we parted company the hard way. Any way fast forward 2yrs and about 2k miles later. Engine develops a knock. Tear it down and #8 piston pin is sticking out and redesigning the block.

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Steve Strasemeier (70SS 396, Fathom Blue/White Stripes)
My 70SS (http://www.chevelles.com/decoder/about.html)

[This message has been edited by Steve S (edited 11-13-2002).]

Actually to make a short story long, the machinist said the block we gave him was .030 over and he would have one of his goons look around the shop for another block but, swore up and down it was 30 over! We new this was not the case as this baby was virgin! We still had the factory pistons and I measured them with a micrometer. After a week of back and forth on the phone, we decided to make the 45 min trip to Robins to see if this was indeed our block. We thought he might be trying scam us out of our rare 509 block! The 509 block is real popular with the roundy round boys because it's a cheater block! It has the same freeze plug arrangement as a 350. Basically it can be disguised as 350!

When we dropped the block off, it seemed that he was salivating over it too much! He told us a story of a 509 he built once that was the only 400 that held together, and they sonic check better. I thought the 817 was the bomb personally.

Well anyway, when we got to the shop he showed us some different casting blocks! They were all junk! Then we saw our block which he said was the only 509 he had butt was 30 over. After further inspection we noticing some scrapes on the deck surface that we had identified prior during teardown. We asked for a mic and he said he could not find his glasses or his caliper. We then told him that we had brought one of the pistons with us and that we would do a test fit. He then found his mic and then said okay the block is standard after measuring our piston! He said his goon did not zero his caliper.

We then asked if this was the same goon that would be doing the machine work? He told us to take the block and go, needles to say we felt likewise!

Crazy crap!

Are you looking for a new machine shop is Sac? My brother works at one off Drycreek and Marysville in North Sac (SSM 929-0963). They have built my race motors and quite a few others for the racers around here. They have always done me right, and I trust them with all my machining.

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383 SBC 69 Chevelle 410HP/500Ft.lbs
Citrus Heights, CA
Team Chevelle Member #1070
http://www.x86Racing.com (Dave Silva 03)

Tony......

Let me know when you're ready to get your work done, and we'll have Powers Performance knock it out for you. He has a '69 Camaro running the qtr in 7.64 with a small block, on 10.5" tires!!...... and he just finished balancing a 434 SBC for me with a 6" rod, 4" stroke that we kept internally balanced. The local bikers are even having him balance the engines on their brand-new Harleys, straight from the show-room floor.


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Fueling the addiction:
67 Malibu (sb406/700R4)
70 SS454 M/C (roller 468/Switch-Pitch TH400)
74 Jensen (96 Northstar/700R4)
69 Jeepster ('96 4.3/700R4)
72 Chevy C10 ('99 Vortec 355/2004R)
50 Merc Woodie (Being chopped, dropped, and planted on a Stretched 70 Monte chasis, '01 Vortec 406/700R4)

"A drag race is like a gun-fight....... there IS no 'second-place winner'

Dave, sent ya email.

John

I am just wondering what shops you went to first. Dave nice to see hear from you again I hope all is well.

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Sacramento Chevelle Club (http://www.sacchevelles.com)

"Ingredents to clone a chevelle" one, or maybe two, depending on the size of your engine, tall blond female,5'11 & 150 pounds + Beer + Big screen T.V+ infinite amount of sex + paste, you know the kind we used to eat when we where little!" This quote is a trademark of Spawn22.

John,

Did you get the email I sent you about this? I didn't know there were hilljacks 1 & 2, I sent it to the email for hilljack, not hilljack2.

Yeah I did check yours. At work I'm hilljack2, home is hilljack.

Just curious, are these "bad" shops AERA members? I'm just wondering out loud. Did sort of "barter" deal on some of the machine work ( labor) with a shop that does mostly auto/deisel repair shop work. But I know the owner and the lead machinist and they can be as good as they want. Something BillK said about AERA ( I hope I got the letters right) adn I hapened to notice a AERA bulletin on the main guys desk. They are members.

I dont know if its a good acid test or not, but these guys did a bang up job on the engine. Absolutely dead on everything. And the shop is in the middle of the "barrio" and not know for hipo stuff. But I knew they were good machinists ( and apparently kinda into working up an old 435hp 427!)

I could have went to the lcoal bbc guru, who is very good, and spend another $1000-$1500. I would have had a dyno sheet.

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Gene
ACES / CanAm Chevelles
67 SS 427 (http://www.chevelles.com/feature/october2000.html)



[This message has been edited by 427L88 (edited 11-14-2002).]

not sure where ya went or if you've already started this project , but I swear by don over at motor machine in carmichael, great guy and does awesome solid work! give em a shot 944-0649, believe me if he had some sh#t like that happen at his shop , somebody wouldnt have a job , he is a straight up guy , tell him jackson sent ya!