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Posted By Discussion Topic: Engine overhaul/rebuild -- page: 1 2     EWATERS 08-06-2010 @ 1:15 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 65 Joined: Dec 2009 Can anyone provide an estimate regarding a reasonable time to complete an engine overhaul? My 1950 Ford had a 6-cyl engine which hadn't run since ca 1967. upon removal by a local garage it was found to have a frozen piston which had to be pressed out. The engine block was sent to a machine shop for cylinder boring and a sleeve for the cylinder with a damaged wall surface. The car has been at the garage for 6 months and the engine was sent for machining approximately 2 months ago. Each time I check I am told another week maybe 2; this has been going on for the last several months. My question is, am i being impatient? How long is a reasonble time to accomplish such a task? I am beginning to think I am being strung-along for motives I am unable to understand. Any words of wisdom for my options at this point; I don't want to wait for months and/or years only to find out my time was being wasted. Do I need to try to reposess my car and a collection of misc. parts to find someone else to get the engine reassembled and reinstalled. I wouild like to drive the vihicle before I fet too old to know what is happening. Thank for taking the time to read my tale of woe; any encouragerment will be appreciated. lightflyer1 08-06-2010 @ 2:09 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 107 Joined: Oct 2009 It is relative. If the work is unique in some way or parts are hard to come by and such it could take a long time. You really need to have a talk with the garage and machine shop. If you can't get answers from them that satisfy you, get it all back. My buddys flathead was done in a few weeks plus one for shipping. No way it should take 6 months unless there is something else going on or can't find a part. EWATERS 08-06-2010 @ 3:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 65 Joined: Dec 2009 Thanks. All the necessary parts are available except the cylinder sleeve. I don't think it should take so long to obtain or machine a sleeve to the needed specifications. 51f1 08-07-2010 @ 6:32 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 573 Joined: Oct 2009 A month would be a long time to rebuild an engine. Richard EWATERS 08-07-2010 @ 10:53 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 65 Joined: Dec 2009 I agree, hence my posting. Thanks for taking the time to respond. supereal 08-07-2010 @ 11:04 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 As the operator of a large machine shop, I can tell you that there is no "standard" time to get the job done. We operate with a backlog of several months, depending upon the season, and old car work is not a priority. We don't know what the job will entail until the engine is out and completely disassembled and inspected. Then, the owner will be given an estimate of what will be required and an approximate cost. We usually suggest that the owner then secure the necessary parts if we are to proceed, and have them delivered to us to reduce delays. Only then can the job be scheduled with some assurance of a delivery date. Old car work can, and usually does, require a great deal of machine work such as boring/sleeving, crank grinding, valve seat replacement, etc. If anyone gives you a hard and fast completion time before doing the above, it is likely they haven't done much, if any, of this type of work. This message was edited by supereal on 8-7-10 @ 12:40 PM EWATERS 08-07-2010 @ 1:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 65 Joined: Dec 2009 Supereal, thanks for your input; I was hoping to hear from someone with machine-shop experience and insight. The engine has been disassembled and only the parts needing attention were forwarded by the garage mechanic. I would think, in the interests of good customer-relations, that a completion target date could be provided to give me some light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel of uncertainty. Having no previous experience to guide me I can only rely on the integrity of the mechanical service provider; a potentially tenuous position to be in. Alas, this too shall pass and I shall someday drive this restored Ford. supereal 08-08-2010 @ 10:42 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Keep at it, as driving your old car will make it all worth while. Experience with these old engines is fading away along with us old timers, now that almost 60 years has passed since the last flatheads were made, and nearly 80 years since the first ones. Anyone seeking major engine work should consult their member roster, if they are Club members, and contact those in your area for recommendations of reliable shops. One of the reasons it is difficult to provide a completion target date is that finding parts of good quality can be time consuming, often taking months. Anyone laying out the amount of money required to produce a first class rebuild has the right to expect a reliable, lasting outcome. Redoing a failed job can erase all, and possibly more, than the income generated in the first place. We see our share of botched repairs, many to just get the car running so it can be sold. We sometimes do our best service by recommending to a prospective customer that their engine doesn't warrant rebuilding due to excess wear or other defects. TomO 08-09-2010 @ 8:18 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7244 Joined: Oct 2009 Most automotive machine shops that do antique engine work also do work for garages and and parts houses. They will put their steady customers ahead of your once in a lifetime job. If the machine shop is reliable and has a lot of experience with the older engines, be patient. If you get impatient, they may just give your work to an apprentice. Tom supereal 08-09-2010 @ 12:10 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 Right, Tom. Frequent customers usually get preference because they help pay the bills. Many shops won't touch antiques because they have no reference material, and flat rate books are long gone for old vehicles, so it is difficult to estimate the actual amount of time required for any specific job. This isn't to downgrade the importance of old cars. Machine work must be precise, and simply setting up equipment such as boring bars, hones, and crank grinders, balancers and polishers soaks up lots of time, and as said, "time is money". Anyone seeking a rebuild needs to have a "heart to heart" talk with the shop to understand how the process works, and how they can minimize the cost by stripping the block and running down necessary parts.

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