Spend 3k on engine rebuild using the best, largest shop in state

Big places with lots of craftsmen are never good. I'm actually looking for a smaller shop to work on my car, because the one I go to got too big and new guys always do sloppy work.

Yeah I went to a tiny little shop to have valve work done and haven't had any problems with that head on daily driver since.

These motors came from the factory with plastic timing chain sprockets on the timing chain. Guess what I found clogging the oil pickup? That's right, bits of plastic! This thing needed to be rebuilt.

I would never say I'm throwing money at it either, as I've done everything myself except the transmission and motor rebuild myself. That includes: rebuilding every engine accessory, 100% new brakes, bodywork, blended some paint removed all rust, and went through all of the suspension. I even welded up my own 2" mandrel bent dual exhaust for it. I wanted to do all the assembly myself but everyone urged me to get it back as a roadblock and, seeing as this is my first attempt at restoration, I listened.

>plastic timing chain sprockets on the timing chain.
Holy shit that's redundant. Maybe I should get some sleep. Roadblock should also be longblock.

You gotta take them to shops known for working on the type of engine you have. Taking a Ford to a Chevy oriented shop will end up with the rod caps on the wrong rods every damn time. Taking Buicks to Ford oriented shops ends up with timing chain tensioners installed wrong and far too tight thrust clearances on both cam AND oil pump. God forbid you take an FE to a Chrysler oriented shop. Probably be about like dividing by zero.

Point is all engines have their fine details that aren't necessarily obvious to those versed on working on other brands so it's best to find who's known for good work on the brand you have.

I totally agree with you and it's funny you say this because this shop IS far and away the best place to take your amc motor. They have several 390s and 401s on hand ready to sell at all times and are known for doing amcs.

Problem is, they've never once touched a rambler V8 before because they really aren't as popular as the later ones and production numbers etc.

>3k
Stopped right there.

Well his was not fine faggot. And he is checking their work and holding them accountable. I'd be pissed too.

>best, largest shop in state.
perhaps they are overworked due to their reputation
I've found better work comes from people who are not professional
.eg its not their only job
and its not even something they care to bother with most times

I prefer straight up machine shops over mechanics when it comes to engines most of the time.

>hone this
>machine this head
>drill and tap these old stripped out holes
>turn this down to this
Ok sir that'll be $435, we'll call you in the next couple days.

I didn't say it was fine, just that practicing due diligence and being properly equipped is important for shit like this. Good on him for holding them accountable too, a machine shop I took my block to be bored at whacked one of my pistons and mushroomed a ringland and I'm still pissed at myself for not putting up a bigger stink about it.

I was mostly emphasizing the truth in the old saying about "if you want something done right."

"If you want something done right then get an old graybeard machinist to do it for you because you'll probably fuck it up."

You will figure it out and be cruising soon mayn door closes another one opens

Yet you keep taking it back to them, OP. Why?

>rebuilding a ford 302
>have no problems because the wealth of information on the internet about doing this is second only to the chevy 350

Because they sure as he'll aren't charging me to fix their mistakes. I can't imagine them paying a competition shop to fix their work.

After they fix it. Destroy them on Yelp and Google.

Ratings has really given power to the customers. I guarantee they'll call you and bitch about the rating afterwards.

>mfw not building your car from scratch and mining the iron ore yourself

Yep. I've done that in the past to some extent. For some reason this is a case where I just want to forget about them as soon as possible.

it's just really strange that they've gone to shit instantly. A family friend has used them for almost a decade and never had any complaints, but about a week before they finished my engine (for the first time) they started their streak of fucking up a sleeve in his toyota motor. Ended up buying him a whole new block

Could've had some experienced workers quit or move on.

seems to be a common story where a workshop says they are "experts" with 20 years experience but they do substandard work

A shop is as only good as their workers. If you treat/pay them like crap and have a high turnover, it doesn't matter how long the shop has been around.

I hate working on cars but I do everything myself (just did a transmission and today is control arms) because mechanics are faggots.

"Professional" only means when they ruin your car they can force you to pay for it and then point to the say and say "Sonny, who's the professional here?"

Damn fucking this. I fucking hate working on cars but I do all the work myself exclusively because a long time ago I got fed up of paying someone for me just to have to fix their fuckups. At least if I were to ever fuckups I would have all that capital left over from the shops labour and markups to make it right.

When he said "rebuild" and "shop" I assumed he meant machine shop. If he took it to a mechanic then I am not surprised he is running into issues.

Hell many mechanics that do "engine rebuilds" generally just pull the engine, split it apart and send the bits to a machine shop for checks and actual work

20 years experience*

*all employee experience combined, 12 employees

I'm in the same boat. I got a 351w.

Hahaha okay guys so here's an update! I just spent the last hour tearing apart the rockershaft that they put back together wrong and, I don't want to take the pictures off my dslr right now, but every single fucking hole on the rocker shaft has tons of metal shavings in it from their machine work.

I can't believe it. It makes me want to tear down the other rocker shaft and clean that one out too. It makes me want to tear down the entire engine that they assembled. Nd yes, this IS a machine shop. They're not mechanics, they're machinists. I knew they were lazy as fuck to put it back together with two locating dowels RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, but to leave it full of metal shavings....

NEVER use Portland engine builders in Oregon.

*that is never use Portland engine rebuldiers. The autocorrect on my phone is almost as stupid as them. The second time it tried to change "rebuilders" to "evildoers" hahaha

That sucks ass opee. But FUCK that engine is pure sex

Get a junkyard engine. Chrysler is the spiritual heir to AMC Nash, go with that new Hemi.

Thanks. The paint is en-66 that was used on later amc motors. The original paint was was a bit lighter.

The next project I do will hopefully be a drag car with some crazy modern engine swapped into it.

Sorry for your troubles OP

OK, you should probably stop right there. Document and notate what you've already got and then find a professional for an independent inspection and written report with photos of the remainder. You start a lawsuit and take that report, along with your prior findings, to court and get your money back along with the report fees and your billable time you've lost due to their incompetence.

You could be like Rob Spaghetti and pay $30k for an engine rebuild, engine eats itself on startup, then the shop wouldn't honor the warranty lol

Fuk

>the best
>largest shop

You can't have both.

Large machine shops tend to be like mass rebuilders, as in total dogshit work. My first engine suffered such a fate 10k miles and the bearings wore through. I contacted the shop for a build sheet and found they were half what they needed to bne but was just out of warranty so i couldn't do shit. doubt they would have honored it anyway.

So everyone fot your sake, stay the fuck away from Wayne automotive of riverside.

Is it just me or does it seem like Oregon and Washington not have very many quality tuners/builders? At least not even close to California.

This.
You've found the largest shop local, mate.

Now find the shop where some guy has three of these sitting in the corner and one on a stand.

The only exceptional service that I can think of in around here would be Oregon Cam Grinding

Lucking the fuck out. Hit my 289 with a long soak in some old penetrating fluid, rubbed the cylinders with emery paper and got it to turn over with a breaker bar. Its just surface rust but the engines been pulled apart before because i flipped it and the rods and caps are stamped and out of order.
Also installed new door handles and antenna on the falcon today, just gotta wait til i can get help with the front and rear glass.