Thread: Stopped by the machine shop today.

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Since it has been a couple of weeks since I dropped off the new block, and the pistons and crank for Dan's 455 Olds at the machine shop, I decided to pay them a little visit today. I am really impressed with how it is coming along.

They baked and tumbled the block in a shot machine and every nook and cranny came out looking like the day it was made. They had the block in the boring machine and had already taken the first cuts and were letting it cool down to keep down any warpage. They told me they are boring it first, then honing each cylinder to the piston for that hole, then using a brush on the end of the borer to finish up the cylinder. Such a difference from the machine shop I have used for the past 20 years or so.

The machine they are using is a Sunnen CV 616, which means nothing to me, but I thought some of you like Pat and Jerry would have an opinion on it. I didn't want to be too snoopy by taking pictures and look like a tourist, so I just looked around and left.

Dan still doesn't know I took the engine there and I am surprised he hasn't noticed it missing from the shop. He is going to be very surprised when he sees it all done. Once it comes back he and I can start figuring what rings, bearings, etc we are going to use this time. I am leaning toward the Hastings rings that Pat likes so much, and have always used Clevite bearings but I keep hearing about King bearings......any opinions there?


Don

I'm glad thing are going right along.
I dropped my rearends off to the trany shop four months ago. I'm having them put the gears from an early 80's GM to the other. 3.33 gears in the 69 GM rearend for the 37 Pontiac. The guy says it will work. He said this acouple of weeks ago. Said he would call when done. Four months and still waiting. I hate waiting this long. Wanted to finish the frame before I start pieceing the body together. Glad yours is going good.

Trjohn57 Maybe time to make a call???

Don - you're an incredible father! These are the kind of "surprises" that make life special! Be sure and capture the look on his face when he "discovers" what you've been doing.

Been there, done that. Think I'm ticking him off. Said he would call when done.
What ya gonna do? I'm just alittle lost on the deal.
Hopefully I won't get a surprise saying it won't work after he said it would. Wish it was like Itoldyouso's surprise.

Originally Posted by glennsexton

Don - you're an incredible father! These are the kind of "surprises" that make life special! Be sure and capture the look on his face when he "discovers" what you've been doing.

Well, thanks, but he has been so bummed about the engine not being right I just had to try to get it back running again for him. I really feel for him, the car is so right in every other aspect and runs right down the road, but this engine thing has been frustrating. Don and I talked today and we can't figure it out, we have put so many motors together over the years and never had one blow oil like this one.

Trjohn57, don't you hate it when shops do that to you? There have been times we gave something to a shop and were promised it would be done in two weeks, when you go back in 3 weeks it hasn't even been touched. The guy who is doing Dan's machining was very up front with me. I told him we weren't in any rush, and he said "Don't tell me that because as busy as we are it will get put aside indefinitely." I revised that and asked if a few weeks was reasonable, and he said yes. So far it looks like they are going to get close to that estimate.

Don

I had acouple of motors done by the same guy. Once was 15 years ago and my 455 was done about 3 years ago. This guy knows his stuff. I didn't have to wait tooo long. J&L in Tea, SD. I'm very happy with what he did. Line bored, KB pistons and the whole works.

Wow, Don! Long distance tool orders to VA, surprise block machining for your son - keep this up and you're going to have people moving to Florida when they start a project, asking about adoption possibilities!! Just kidding, that's a wonderful thing, doing unexpected things for your kids and those you care about. And you're right about his car - it's a beauty, and getting the engine right is only fitting. Good one!!

Hey, as we get nearer the day when we meet our maker, we need all the help we can get not to spend eternity in a place hotter than Florida !!!!!!!!! I want St Peter to have more stuff on one side of the ledger than the other ! I've got some real making up to do for my early years !


Don

Its been my experience that the machinest want the pistons and rings in hand before boring & honing. I like the king bearing, they've been real good in the race engine didn't know they have street duty but i bet they are high quality and would use them in a heartbeat.
Do you guys remember the proper honing technique shown in Grumpy Jenkins' book, the block was in a cutoff 55gal barrel and a guy stood there with a hone attached to a 1/2" drill motor and he grump was talkin about the proper 'cross-hatch' pattern and how to achieve it! You guys remember that? Machine shops have changed.
You think your son hasn't noticed the engine is missing! Are you nuts? Hes' beside himself trying to act normal!

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i used kings there ok they make a SI OEM bearings but there race pro bearings are fine for the street .over the years i used many bearings some i like better for size then others with your son s engine clevite 77 would be hard to beat availability

Thanks Pat, that is good to hear, and they are easy to find too. What do you think about that Sunnen CV 616 machine? It looked pretty good to me, but what do I know.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Thanks Pat, that is good to hear, and they are easy to find too. What do you think about that Sunnen CV 616 machine? It looked pretty good to me, but what do I know.

Don

yep its a better $$$hone then i have but its not all machine its the guy working it i think you said they brush the wall s when done i do that as well thats called Plateau hone

They were pretty proud of that brush attachment and made me feel it. Glad you do the same thing, that is encouraging. The guy has some nice machinery in there, from what I could see. As I mentioned before, they also have an engine dyno and a chassis dyno, so it looks like they are serious about their work.

He also told me they are going to mildly chamfer (if that is the right word) the top edge of the cylinders to take the sharp edge off and make putting pistons and rings down in there easier, with less chance of catching one on the edge. That made sense to me too.

Don