Had to break down my newly fresh rebuilt 327 I could not turn the engine over by hand very hard to turn when I could. Took heads off found rust on surface of both heads (I'll post pics) there's now way they would have sealed and they were only torqued to 50# "pressure check showed lose of pressure in both heads" Then I pulled oil pan took one rod cap off (noticed it had no assembly oil or lube when assembled) found scratches on rod bearing's looked at crank and noticed three/four little "U" markes on the crank matched up to the marks on bearings. What it looks like is machinest did not use bolt covers on rod bolts when he assembled the Rod's onto the crank in so doing caused "U" marks. I took the other pistons out of engine and found four more journals with "U" marks on crank journals and some with straight marks on other crank journals and rod bearings with same scratch marks, no oil or assemble lube on any rod bearing's, the Rod's were torqued to 45#. After taking all pistons out of the engine I was hoping the engine would turn over freely but it did not and turned just as hard as before. It would turn just a little one way then stopped and I'd try and turn it the other way and same thing just a little bit then stopped. I have not taken off the main bearing caps yet but I think most likely they are with out oil or assemble lube as well and not sure yet what the main bolts are torqued down to yet. I called machine shop and the manager told me the man is on vacation for a week and told me to call and talk with him when he gets back. This is the same engine I talked about before and when in the beginning I was telling the machinest I wanted the block to be machined down and he never did it and the same man I asked when he surfaced my head's how much did he take off he couldn't remember! And when I asked him after the engine was completed what was the reading on the plastagauge for the crank and rods he's words were "I never use those I've been doing this type of work for thirty years and never used them in the past and have never had a engine come back yet" When I picked up my engine he told me he already set up the cam an lifter's no worries you won't have to do it, Well my rocker arm bolts did not have any tension on them I could turn them off with a 1/4" drive rachet they were so lose. I'm not sure why he didn't tell me I needed new rocker bolt's maybe he forgot?? Every time I asked him to do something on my engine he'd say I can save you lots of money if I do it this way!! Afterwards I'd found out he didn't do what I wanted him to do by then the engine was completed. I told him I wanted all new guides in both heads "he nurrolled all the guides instead" he wanted to use the old valve's and I said no I wanted all new one's and wanted SS one's, He did put all new valve's in but not SS one's like I wanted (I just found this out after taking the heads off) and like I said the guide work he told me about after the engine was completely together. He was supposed to buff the crank and clean it up, "he said no need to turn it mic's out okay" Well that was not done eather (you will see by the pictures, You can see the high lines between the rod wear marks they are still dark from not being buffed off). And my soft plugs were not put in deep enough (look at pics of soft plugs before and after, I fixed them with a tool my Father made me years ago, my Father was a machinest and Forman for fourty years) Now I've got almost $2000 into my engine long block and heads and can not use it and the manager "wants me to talk with the machinest" when he gets back from vacation... "And let him do what" if they decide to "FIX" the problems mess up way more again next time?? ... 1Nimrod
What a nightmare! It would seem to me that the obviously poor quality work done by the machinist is the responsibility of the company that worked on your engine. Obviously incompetent. They owe you a new 327. Start here. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...engine.TRS0&_nkw=327+chevy+engine&_sacat=6000 and here https://www.google.com/search?q=327.....69i57j0l5.6727j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Sucks, but it sounds like you had some red flags right off the bat. If you and the machine shop aren't on the same page with a game plan, get a different one. I'd ask for the money back and get a new machine shop. Pretty hard to screw up a small block Chevy unless you're grossly incompetent, which it sounds like these guys are.
I'd be taking that mess to the "manager" and have him manage it. There is no way I'd accept any more work from his "machinist".
Dang. Lots of red flags. My engine assembled by high school kids has over 22k on it Always give someone an honest attempt to fix the issue but I would be nervous given the attitude of this builder. Look at receipts to see what you were charged compared to what you have. You paid for an engine that will run but didn’t get one.
19Fordy; It took me almost two years to save up money to get my engine rebuilt (I'm on disability not liking it but it happened) and money is very tight, now I may never get my engine in my truck( my goal was so my grandson could use it for graduation) for who knows when? Very upsetting but not sure what I can really do but maybe put myself right back in that same machine shop because I have to let them try and FIX there screw ups... 1Nimrod
Your beef should be with the manager. HE is the one responsible for what goes on in the business. I would tell him that I was going to the BBB and file a complaint and then take him to small claims court or lawsuit. They owe you either a proper engine rebuild by another machinist that is competent or pay restitution for your losses.
Like Doublepumper said you need to go in and talk to the manager or even better, the owner in person with evidence in hand. Be polite but insist on a solution. You paid your hard earned money to get the work done right and it sounds like they blew it.
Wow, that sounds terrible. The world is full of incompetent idiots. BBB doesn't have any balls, my experience is as a business owner is that BBB is an extortion racket. Find the best lawyer in your town. If they fucked up this bad, this isn't going to be a fairy tale solution, with everyone patting each other on the back, and dancing off into the sunset. Don't take baby steps. Cold, calm menacing promises are more effective IMHO, than arguing in the parking lot. This sounds really bad, respond accordingly. Take a buddy with you, ask around for other's experiences, go for their throat. You got screwed. No halfway stuff. To hell with their original guy.... you're done with him. Good luck.
And this is exactly why I assembly all of my motors. I get the machine work done and grab my torque wrench and plasti gauge and go for it. I mix napa engine honey with lubriplate grease and smear it on everything. Never had the valve covers off any engine I built under 100,000 miles at which point I recheck valves. And I build them tight. Break them in by cruising the main drag, let temp hit 210 pull into car wash, hose down to 160 and do it again. Spend an entire evening that way. Next day I drive it as hard as I plan on. Worked in over 7 motors all with over 100,000.
I might be wrong but it looks to me he sunk those valves into the head, they should be sitting up higher. If they are sunk he just killed the airflow.
I agree with all the above... The manager past me off to the "machinest" which is on vacation supposedly right now. I'm Not at all very interested in letting him have another try at fixing my 327. All the RED FLAGS came after my engine was completed and I asked questions when I went to pick up my engine and was hoping he was BSing me about not using plastigauge on the crank but I guess he wasn't BSing, the part about trying to save me money was not my ideal it was his and I told him I wanted it done right not just getting by for a couple of K's miles. So I didn't know about the cheesey head work till I took it apart... It's hard enough to find a good 327 now a days and this one had a nice virgen Forged crank in it all HD O Rod's and a CE block now the crank is most likely going to be turned down to FIX his screw ups... 1Nimrod
Manager is responsible, guy who did the work isn't going to be the one responsible for making it (you) right. Can't imagine a business that the manager tell you to talk to his employee, shop is responsible, not the employee.
Please tell me you don't live in my neck of the woods. If you do please PM me the name of the shop so I don't stumble into the same bucket of "stuff". Condolences on your losses and hoping you get your money back.
1Nimrod that stinks about your engine. I agree that it seems odd your shop manager wants you to wait until the machinist is back from vacation? That seems really odd. I don't have any advice for you but I hope you can get it straightened out. Correct. BBB is a private business, they have no legal authority, basically you pay them money for a good review and you hang their shingle in your window. It's a scam, they won't help.
I sympathize with you. What they should do is pay the bill on another machine shop of your choosing to get you another block and all new internal parts. Machined as you want with all the parts you want . Or tell them you want your money in full back plus a rebuildable block and assembly.
Is the manager the owner of the "machine" shop? Contact the owner if he's not. Also, contact a lawyer. A nice letter on an attorney's letterhead may get you some satisfaction. It has worked for me in the past.
Hermanpullersgarage; I'm in Michigan that's all I can tell you because I don't want them getting me for a smear job. I think you can understand what I mean!! 1Nimrod
I know you don't want to stay with the company that already ruined your engine but: Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. They will do the very minimum to repair their mistakes and will rush it to get you out the door ASAP. The quality of the work will not improve. They need to buy you a factory rebuilt crate engine. Don't let them touch it again. You will never feel comfortable. Yes, you're on a tight budget but don't make the same mistake twice. Gather your evidence, get a certified engine builder and certified auto vocational teacher as your experts and take the builder to small claims court.
Well you are between a rock and a hard place here. No way in hell I would ever give these clowns another shot at this engine, No way. So what can you do? The crank certainly looks like it will need to be turned before it is returned to service. The heads and the knurling will not fly as far as I am concerned. He also ground the hell out of those valve seats, that and the fact you didn't get the valves you told him to use is another problem. So as a matter of fact everything he did is suspect. The question remains "What can you do?" My take and what I would do is first I wouldn't wait one more minute for this ass hat to get back from vacation. I would go to the owner NOW. Show him what is what and if he is not willing to do Something like return all of you money " ALL OF IT" I would get a lawyer and take him to court. In all probability this is going to cost you if you can even find a lawyer to take the case, and that is a big "IF". Not enough money for most lawyers and most of them always want a big pay-day or they are not willing to help at all. There is small claims court but that is restrictive in most states, check your local laws. I would raise some hell about it no matter what. Don't get you anything other than a warm feeling but it sure would make me feel better. Every day you wait to do anything is time wasted and it will just go away as far as they are concerned. Camp out in there store until they do some thing, or until you do something. Time is not your friend here...
10Fordy; I've have a friend that has a 350 short block that was built by the same place the same time my 327 was in the shop and he's having trouble with his soft plugs leaking it started leaking right after his first trip around the block and now he has to pull out the engine to fix his soft plugs we both are not happy at all with the so called Quality Work... Thanks to everyone for your support and advice it's much appreciated... 1Nimrod
have you checked the crank journal sizes yourself yet? also check to make sure an incorrect bearing has been used
I would.. Make a list of every deficiency Take pix Go to a real machine shop and find out what it will take to fix each issue... Take list to manager If he won't make it right file a claim in small claims court Small claims court can go up to several thousand $$$ depends on the state ....like Animal house "don't get mad get even"
Just looked up to $3000 in small claims ct in michigan....this too shall pass...think ahead to when you are cruising in your 327! All a bad memory at some future point.
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