Stopped by the machine shop today.

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.

Quote:

---

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. :confused:

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. :mad: 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 !!!!!!!!! :D I want St Peter to have more stuff on one side of the ledger than the other ! :LOL: I've got some real making up to do for my early years ! :o


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!

__________________

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

Quote:

---

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

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

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

---

well they should be that brush is alot of coin for that machine . just a note here you can over brush the walls . the midly chamfer is a thing i do on every bore less its still there from stock like the sbc have way to much.you should ask him if he breaks the edge off the bottom of the bores thats the one is were many guys screw up

..they do not do it ..:3dSMILE:

I'll ask them next time I am there...........thanks.

Don

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I'll ask them next time I am there...........thanks.

Don

---

yep and that the least the block should be hone with all mains cap TQ down and deck plates if they have them when it honed out

I'm pretty sure they don't have deck plates, they are hard to come by for a 455 Olds. Everybody carries the more common sbc bbc ones, but not enough call for oddballs like the Olds to warrant buying them. But I do know the mains are torqued because they had to get new ARP ones as the originals get ruined in the shot process.

Don

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I'm pretty sure they don't have deck plates, they are hard to come by for a 455 Olds. Everybody carries the more common sbc bbc ones, but not enough call for oddballs like the Olds to warrant buying them. But I do know the mains are torqued because they had to get new ARP ones as the originals get ruined in the shot process DON

---

there not hard to find i have had plates made by a shop that a better plate and price then BHJ makes so it not hard they just cost any were from $350to $500 + new so you have to do some engines to get them to pay for them self .but i buy them if the job calls for the need . it a good selling point to tell your customers you have a deck plate for there engine that other shops in town do not :) if the guys got a dyno cell a $400 plate should be no big deal no the shot will not hurt the bolt if he has the ampro sunnen set up with cut steel .the bake oven could

Maybe it was the baking. I thought he meant the shot, but now that you mention it I guess the heat would take the temper out of the bolts.

Don

Don i've always used Clevitte 77's and Hastings rings, never had a problem with either.

Steve, I am pretty much sure those are the brands we will be using. This engine really has us shaking our heads, there have been engines we put together with a lot less care that never missed a beat. Not sure what was up with this one but we sure are going to take our time so we don't have a repeat. I think the biggest mistake we made was in assuming the heads were done right because they were fresh rebuilds in plastic bags when we bought them. We figured there was no need to check anything as they had new ss valves, springs, etc. Never thought the guides would be sloppy. :(

We also don't know why two expander rings broke, but the pattern on the pistons seems to indicate they were too tight in their holes too. It might be a little noisier this time around, but it shouldn't have that problem again, either.

Don

Machine work complete,then send it out to Dr Olds Joe Mondello for assembly That would be ....:cool::toocool:

Yeah-yeah,with the heat wave I am having delusions.:o:LOL::LOL:

Wish I could afford to do that, it would be done right.:D I got sticker shock the other day anyway.............I called this engine shop to see roughly what my bill was going to be and he said "Oh, somewhere between $ 3,000 and $ 3,500." :eek: I said "What!!!!" :eek: Then I realized he forgot he was not assembling the engine, just doing the machine work. He still hasn't worked up the final tab but it should be within normal machine shop prices.

I think I am going to take up crack cocaine, it has to be cheaper than this hot rod stuff. :LOL:

Don

Well then let's see here.................S&H from Fort Meyers to Mich and back...................no wait.........Hey Pat ya have your vacation yet??.How ya feel about having a cranky Irish guy around for afew??.:eek::LOL::LOL:Of course that is assuming he could get threw airport security.:D

Just kidding now Pat don't get mad.:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1gary

Machine work complete,then send it out to Dr Olds Joe Mondello for assembly That would be ....:cool::toocool:

Yeah-yeah,with the heat wave I am having delusions.:o:LOL::LOL:

---

i hot tank and mag a 455 olds engine for guy that sell hard to find stuff .thats were it was going mondello s

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 1gary

Well then let's see here.................S&H from Fort Meyers to Mich and back...................no wait.........Hey Pat ya have your vacation yet??.How ya feel about having a cranky Irish guy around for afew??.:eek::LOL::LOL:Of course that is assuming he could get threw airport security.:D

Just kidding now Pat don't get mad.:)

---

this cranky irish more cranky then irish.. the sail boat engine mounts are kicking my ass all that up and down in that boat .i really know why i left working on boats 15+ years ago:( i care not to fly but i drive down i have customer down there. i need to get out of town any ways. shipping on the engine would of been $360. if i long block the engine i would of covered 1/2 of the shipping out of the bill

Come on Pat, you know you love working on boats.............especially SAIL BOATS !! :LOL: At least you could have picked one made out of fiberglass, not concrete to get intimate with. :D

Don

oh i know glass boat nothing like getting one of the porupine quills under your finger nail

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

oh i know glass boat nothing like getting one of the porupine quills under your finger nail

---

Been there done that :eek:OUCH

Post some pics when you get the block back. Have to say your one nice guy and a great Dad. The boys are lucky to have you for a role model.

Well, thanks, Steve, but I have a method to my madness. I'm getting up there and need Don and Dan to visit me when I go to the home. :p:D Actually, you know how it is, no matter how old your kids get they are still your kids.

When the engine comes back I will take some pictures for sure. It looked good sitting in the boring machine the other day. I have a really good feeling about it being right this time.

Don