Engine Builder in SoCal

[SteveL]

TG is in gardena.near where the 110 hits the 91

 

[bronco italiano]

If your willing to travel to NorCal, my engine builder is B & R machine in Stockton. He just did Jim Creels 351w for his wife's bronco. He has been a machinist for over 50 Years mainly Ford/Chevy/Pontiac/Buick/Olds. Old school that knows what he is doing. Very reasonable as most of the money is in parts. His machine work is awesome. Only downside is he is a three person show so you have to wait in line, but well worth the wait.

 

[DirtDonk]

I always felt like the advantage of a three man show is, pretty much every hand knows what the other hand is doing. And if not, one can ask the other pretty easily!

One thing I forgot to mention Jeremy, is the clutch bracket hole. If yours is a manual transmission, the newer blocks don’t have that hole.
Not an insurmountable issue either, as there are not only parts available to get the job done, but you can also drill and tap your own hole if you need to. At least on some of the blocks.

And Molesworth, what part of the area are you in specifically? I would say just keep watching this thread and see what other suggestions come up.

 

[Molesworth1991]

I always felt like the advantage of a three man show is, pretty much every hand knows what the other hand is doing. And if not, one can ask the other pretty easily!

One thing I forgot to mention Jeremy, is the clutch bracket hole. If yours is a manual transmission, the newer blocks don’t have that hole.
Not an insurmountable issue either, as there are not only parts available to get the job done, but you can also drill and tap your own hole if you need to. At least on some of the blocks.

And Molesworth, what part of the area are you in specifically? I would say just keep watching this thread and see what other suggestions come up.

Appreciate the help. I just moved to Venice beach, I bought a fairly done up 351w off a guy it had the following

Redecked with .040 bore at 13:1 compression
Aluminium performer heads
Chromoly comp cams push rods, comp cams ARP studs
Kieth black pistons
Trick flow double roller timing chain -

List goes on…. I was trying to tune engine the other day and noticed zero vacuum, fairly tight to turn over, and metal on dip stick. Put a camera down the distributor port and the cam shaft is completely ruined. I was so angry after spending 8months doing a full ground up build on my 74 to install a trashed engine.

Hoping I can reuse some of these parts and the internals less the cam etc are good to re use. I hear TG do great work.

 

[ntsqd]

JGM built my yet to be installed 408. Seems to specialize in Fords from what I saw in the delivery area. Recommended.

661.257.0101
28130 Ave Crocker, Santa Clarita, CA 91355

 

[DirtDonk]

I was trying to tune engine the other day and noticed zero vacuum, fairly tight to turn over, and metal on dip stick. Put a camera down the distributor port and the cam shaft is completely ruined.

Wow! Extremely frustrating I can imagine!
Sorry to hear that. I would think most of the stuff is reusable, but you won’t know till you tear it apart.
What exactly was wrong with the cam? Was it the gear chewed up from a mismatched distributor gear perhaps? Or are the cam lobes wiped out?
Guessing “just” the gear, because you looked through the distributor bore.
Is it a flat tappet cam, or roller?

 

[jeremywatco]

I always felt like the advantage of a three man show is, pretty much every hand knows what the other hand is doing. And if not, one can ask the other pretty easily!

One thing I forgot to mention Jeremy, is the clutch bracket hole. If yours is a manual transmission, the newer blocks don’t have that hole.
Not an insurmountable issue either, as there are not only parts available to get the job done, but you can also drill and tap your own hole if you need to. At least on some of the blocks.

And Molesworth, what part of the area are you in specifically? I would say just keep watching this thread and see what other suggestions come up.

Thanks! Mine has a C4 and Dana 20. Both are out for rebuilds as well right now.

I ended up buying that ATK engine should be here in a week or two. I think I will eat the core deposit and keep my core. Who knows.. maybe some day I will find a reasonable local builder and rebuilt it for this or another project.

Once it arrives I'll figure out what is needed to mount it up. For sure the oil pan.. may need to move over my existing pertronix dizzy as well.. the photos look like the HEI dizzy it comes with is pretty tall and will hit my hood. Pretty sure I can mount my C4 right to the 50oz flexplate it comes with.

 

[DirtDonk]

Yes. As long as it’s 164T flywheel/flex plate it should mount up just fine and the starter should work just fine.
Wouldn’t hurt to count the teeth anyway!

Is it a roller cam engine? If so, make sure that whatever distributor you use as a compatible gear. Yes, HEI distributors are massive and often get in the way.

 

[jeremywatco]

Its a flat tappet engine.. so should be ok

 

[DirtDonk]

Sounds good. Let’s become an important aspect of engine building for many years.
Did you say this is a new engine that you’re firing up? You’re familiar with initial cam break-in procedures? Or does ATK do the cam break in for you?

 

[jeremywatco]

Its a crate engine from ATK. I'm supposedly getting instructions with break-in info.. but any info you have would be great

 

[SteveL]

Its a crate engine from ATK. I'm supposedly getting instructions with break-in info.. but any info you have would be great

Zinc additive for break in.

 

[bronco italiano]

Its a flat tappet engine.. so should be ok

I would not use a flat tappet cam as many are failing, even with proper oil/break in. In fact, some HR cams are failing too these days.

 

[DirtDonk]

I am interested to hear what ATK says, with regard to break-in. But we can definitely run it down here as well.
Post up what the instructions have to say when you get the engine.