Block and head machine work?

MaliaFredrickson · **Posted:** Tue Oct 28, 2003 10:57 pm

I need to get some machining work done on the "spare" CRX engine. I know I need basic bore/hone cylinder work and possibly more. Any suggestions for a good, reasonably priced place for machining?
-Dustin Fredrickson

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Tue Oct 28, 2003 11:19 pm

T-Hoff is one of the club supporters/sponsors and have taken good care of many club members.

The machine shop is in Raleigh, but parts can be dropped off at their durham location as well.

www.t-hoff.com

I have no experience with CarQuest's services, but you can also drop parts off at the Morrisville (Airport Rd) CarQuest for machine work.

Scott

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Wed Dec 17, 2003 7:05 pm

THOFF is my one and only paying sponsor and they do support the club
but the problem is their two good machinest left and the guy working
there now is not interested in doing any type of High Performance
work.
Without getting into a long story I tried to have my head refreshed
there about the same time Scott dropped off his motor, but ended up
having to take it to RaceSports (Dennis Shaw) today.
I would be interested in tracking feedback, good and bad from
club members regarding machine work.

If you want a motor that is going to give good leak down readings
then these are the shops I would recomend based on my
first hand experience.
Hopefully others can add to this list because we all have different types
of cars and needs.

If anyone knows what shop Billy is at please let me know.

CarQuest: does good work but they dont's seem to be into import stuff mostly americal iron, if this has changed please post an update on this forum. For block work at reasonable shop rates they would be fine. I still
use them occationally.

Walker Automotive: is an excellent shop and I have been told that they
have the best Crankshaft re-builder in Raleigh by several other
machinests. They work on everything and are professional
while it is not beneath them to drill out the occational broken stud.
Several shops in the area outsource work to Walker so that probably
says something.

RaceSports: is "the" best but don't expect to pay production shop rates.
Dennis was formally a contract developer for Nisson and later
Oldsmoble when they ran IMSA. He is recognized expert in Honda,
Masda, as well as a host of vintage and motor cycle power plants
He has a flow bench and a dyno and keeps current.

Hamilton Machine: Lynwood Hamilton: Though NOT a automotive Machine shop, is a must know for any type of Mill, Lath, tool & die, frabracation.
If you can draw it on a pice of paper Linwood can make it. However, he
has a machinests sence of time: Double what ever time quoted and
add one week but that par for the course.

SAPPS: Radiator Repair and Frabracation: MUSt know for welding and
frabracation. This is the only place to get alluminum welded in Raleigh
and does some of most beautyfull welds I have evern seen anywhere.
if you punch a hole in a $500 Alloy racing radatator or twist the AN
bung off your $200 Mocal Oil Cooler,this is the place that will make it new again for very reasonable rates same day service. They have saved my
butt more than once.

R&J in Apex: The "official" custom exhaust shop for THSCC but they
are big on frabracation, including car body quarter pannel replacment,
frames, race cars street rods. Shop is full of street rods and Circle
track cars. Great for General repair Manual Trans and Diff work.
THSCC members get 20% off labor and parts.

Dillon Supply: This is where you buy steel in Raleigh, write their phone number on the top of your mig welder.

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Wed Dec 17, 2003 10:35 pm

Glad I just read this...

T-hoff doesn't have my engine yet, looks like they might not get it either... I hate to be the guinea pig for whoever is doing the work now... They did such a nice job last time. Looks like I might be headed to the "specialists" out in Moorsville (might have to call them tomorrow to talk shop).

It's a hike, but he is one of the few nationwide "experts" on the engine that I'm building. Might cost me 20% extra though.

Scott

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:32 pm

Mark's comments regarding Dennis Shaw have a slight error AFAIK. He and Amos Johnson (Team Highball) raced Mazda's (not Nissan/Datsuns) in IMSA (after running AMC stuff) and did lots of Mazda engines. He has branched out quite a bit since Team Highball closed down. He still has the Team Highball dyno. Dennis has done both rebuilds on my FF engine. Its leakdown has never been worse than 4% so I would say he knows what he is doing. He built a FF engine from all new parts for a well funded local racer (Bill Gurley) that matched Bill's Ivey engine on the same dyno. (Ivey is one of the top FF engine builders).

Regarding Walker (if that is the shop just inside the Beltline that has been there a long time), they were the recommended (by Team Highball) machine shop when I first moved here in the mid 80's and for awhile afterwards. I used them for the block/crank/rods, etc. of my Lotus Europa since there wasn't anything exotic about it. Sent the Head to a Lotus specialist. Glad to hear that they still have a good rep.

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2003 12:57 pm

Dennis called to say my head is ready. He found a bent exhaust
valve in the cylinder that failed leak down. The rest just had carbon
buildup. Damage only $105 (plus the new valvesprings THOFF
installed).

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Fri Dec 26, 2003 10:23 am

I just had a long talk with one of the machine shop guys at CarQuest (Germantown Rd. in Raleigh). He certainly seemed knowledgeable, and they have some experience doing higher performance stuff (it's all about knowing *how* to use the tools you have, a race engine doesn't need special tools - IMHO).

Prices are fair, and turn around sounds fast (relative to my previous T-Hoff experience).

He said they don't like to do crankshafts (to do them right takes up too much of his time). He went as far as to say that he would contract them out to another local shop *if* he could find one that does them right (however, none of the local shops are up to his standards).

Carquest will balance rods/pistons (off engine), but they don't have the tools to spin balance anything.

Nothing else to report just yet.

Scott

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:54 am

Update...

Walker Parts store (Machine shop) in Raleigh does do engine balancing but they do NOT do align-honeing of the mains.

I've about decided on Carquest for the block and head work and Walker for the crankshaft and balancing.

Scott

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2003 4:44 pm

Scot's post illustrates a key concept. It does not take special tooks
or equipment to do high performance work all things equal.

Some machines
can put out work faster than others and/or do multiple tasks but it's the
people that make the quality not necessarly the machine.

The key is finding someone who is willing to take the time to keep the
tollerances exact and on spec and do the job exactly right for a price you
can affoard. Also to be releastic on your part about what hourly rate to
expect to pay.

The "secret" HP comes from cylinders that are
round with rings and valves that seal. THis is very basic and it's not much
more complicated than that, but it's easier said than done. It takes extra
time to do right and certain things like Torque plates. If a shop does
not use torque plates to prep a block they will make beautyfull cylinders
but they will not be round so keep looking.

Machinests, like many mechanics, unless they own the shop, tend to move
around so I would tend to try and link up with a "person" rather than with
a perticular "shop" whom you can trust. From my experience wtih Cary and Dennis, I learned that its common for shops to sub-contract stuff out
so that is not a big deal but you have to trust their judement there. If a
machine cost 300K and it must generate 1K a day to justify owning one
they are not going to purchase one if they don't expect to get in at least
1K a day's worth of orders for it.

It is your responsibility to check everything before you install it or
assemble it unless you pay the shop to do the final assembly. IF you
do the final assembly they you must invest in some tools and knowlege
to learn how to check things properly.

There are many crank specialy shops in the country and FedEx is reletavely cheap so don't limit your search to the immediate area. Places like "Hank the Crank" can be found in any issue of Hot Rod or Circle Track, etc.

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:26 pm

In this vein, does anyone know any of the NASCAR specialists in Huntersville? Certainly their machines could do stuff other than big 3 V-8's, although they could be unwilling to make the tooling changes for what they might view as a hobbyist one-off.

--Kevin H.

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Mon Jan 12, 2004 10:24 am

Kevin Hoff wrote:

In this vein, does anyone know any of the NASCAR specialists in Huntersville? Certainly their machines could do stuff other than big 3 V-8's, although they could be unwilling to make the tooling changes for what they might view as a hobbyist one-off.

--Kevin H.

That is a problem with a lot of speed shops, they are set up to do certain type engines, and that's all they (want to) do. As most here know I have a very good friend who owns a speed shop outside Buffalo and was the 2001 Pro Mod national champion. They can build some of the most powerful V-8 engines and racing snowmobile engines in the country, but won't touch a 4 cylinder or EFI engine even for me.

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Thu Jan 15, 2004 1:59 pm

Well, I've got another shop for yall to consider/comment on. I just got off the phone with a guy at "Cylinder Head Specialty" in Wake Forest, and for me, it seems to be just who I'm looking for. It turns out they've built a TON of circle track cars with my motor over the years, and he had all the right questions/tips/knowledge. He had just finished doing an off-road truck motor for a guy (my engine) that was using a 0.51" lift cam (that's really big).

Don't let the name fool you either, they do all machine services excpet crankshaft grinding.

I called them because Adam Ligon said they did a nice job on Mike Whitney's BMW cylinder head.

Scott

Dale Schendel · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2004 12:07 am

I highly suggest John West Racing Engines in Raleigh. the Dealer I work for has all their work sent to them as well as one of my engines and several other technitions use them. The work is always good. In fact My Corolla was done by them about 30k ago.

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