Trouble with Engine machine shops

[Morgan Flowers]

Does anyone else have trouble getting machine work done on engines in a timely manner? A crankshaft for my John Deere 2010 has been at the machine shop for almost 4 weeks. When I called him before I took it in, he said he would be able to look at it in a couple days. I've checked back with him several times and he keeps putting me off. He does excellent work but is backed up about a month. Just wondering what experiences others have... Thanks for the replies!

 

[showcrop]

Around here it depends on the time of year, summer, fall, not so busy, winter spring most busy. It's the people getting rebuilt for next race season.

 

[Nebraska Kirk]

My local automotive machine shop is staffed by just one guy, he does top notch work and consequently has work backed up 3-4 weeks. Whenever stop by, there is always blocks, heads, cranks and complete engines all over.

 

[Anonymous-0]

If its a machine shop that is known to do great work they will almost always have a backup of work.

 

[Goose]

I had BIG problems a number of years ago with a NAPA machine shop. One time I had a crankshaft turned, and I built the engine all the way to installing the harmonic balancer. I then found a bolt broken off in the end of the shaft. I'd torn the engine down myself, and there most certainly was NOT a bolt broken off in the crankshaft. I took it back and they gave me another crank with no explanations.

Then another time I had a block bored. When I torqued the main bearing caps, the crank locked up. The block needed to be align bored. Now, it was a tired, but running, engine when I tore it down, and there was no way the block should have needed align boring. They had all sorts of stories, and I wound up paying them to align bore the block.

I finally figured out the guy was saving all the choice parts for his racing buddies and switching junk back to other customers. I continued to do business there, 'cause it was handy and they did do good work, but whenever I took something there for machine work, I took a center punch and made a mark where they couldn't find it--and I told them so. That way I'd know if I got my own parts back.

Most recent problem is if you take a block to have it bored, they want it hot tanked and squeaky clean BEFORE you bring it in so they don't have to get their hands dirty handling it. My thought on that is I'll power wash a block before I take it in, but the time to hot tank it is after it's bored to clean all the shavings out.

Then too, I've been trained that you don't ever do any machine work on a block without the main bearing caps torqued in place. So you take a block in to have it bored and you get the main caps back in a separate box.

Didn't mean to turn this into a rant of my own, but nowadays with most engines outliving the vehicle they're in, I think automotive machine work is a dying art. Haven't gone into a tractor engine in years, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

 

[Gun guru]

I run a machine shop, (not for machining crankshafts) but for special machines. I also job some of the work out to larger shops. A good shop will almost always have a backlog of work. If you wanted it done quickly you should have paid an expedite fee. The labor rate is then 1.5 times over the regular rate, or higher. 4 weeks is a standard turnaround time for most places.

 

[Billy NY]

I had the same thing happen, good friend was into drag racing locally, always working on something, recommended his machinist at a local shop, to do the work on a chevy 350, out of a '78 corvette I was rebuilding. Nothing really special about the car or motor, though I thought even in those years they had steel cranks, as it was a corvette. Someone else had overbuilt and really screwed up this motor, 12:1 compression, dome top pistons, ridiculous high lift cam, roller rockers 750 holley double pumper, and they did not even pin the studs in the head, and so on... would hardly run on regular gas. So, I told him, I just want it done over, right, nothing to radical, but better than stock as best can be done.

Trans was out, I painted the frame, did all the u joints, time to bolt the trans to the motor, set it in there, started assembling things, and there you have it 2 broken bolts where the power steering pump fastens to the block, already mounted, crap, had to find an extra long drill bit, center punch, and ez-out, with little room got both those out, cleaned up the threads and finished it, ran good. S.O.B. took my block and I ended up with this one, remembering long after, wait a minute, I had no broken bolts. It just did not dawn on me, was trying to finish it up, was moving out of state, told my buddy about it, he said he stopped using this guy, same kind of problems.

 

[Dean]

Obviously the world has changed.

When I was in high school I worked at a local auto parts store having its own machine shop. The shop ground valves/seats, bored blocks, surfaced bolcks and heads, rebuilt engines, turned drums, relined clutches/brake shoes and even rebuilt pressure plates. Crankshafts were sent to the main store about 25 miles away where the crankshaft grinder was.

Nearly everything was turned around within 3 days, (engine rebuilds within 5 days). Crankshafts were almost always turned around within 5 working days even after sending out to the main store and returning to the local store.

Times change.

Dean

 

[Gun guru]

How many guys worked in that machine shop?
How is it possible to turn around everything in that short of time?
How many guys didnt have machine work?

It would be very difficult for me to keep 4 machinists working 40+ hours per week with a schedule that tight.

 

[NCWayne]

Like others have said a good machine shop will usually have a backlog of work in normal times. With the economy the way it is right now, and with it actually starting to recover in parts of the coutry, there are alot more companies out there that have running their equipment longer than they did in the past. Because of this they are having to do more repairs such as engine rebuilds to keep those machiens running until they can afford to buy new. That alone can account for alot of an engine shpo's backlog.

It appears that all you took them was a crank and there were probably a dozen other people that brought them in the block, the head, the crank, etc, etc, all needing work and they were promised out in a specific time also. Unfortunately all it takes is one problem with one of their machine tools, a unexpected problem with a part, etc to throw everything several days behind schedule. Once that first problem happens everything cascades from there and being the 'one part' guy your gonna be at the bottom of the pile as they are less concerned with your $50 repair than with the other dozen $500 repairs for their multiple repeat customers. Not saying that's the right or the best business practice but it is normal for many places. With that said another thing that may be keeping you from getting your parts done is the fact that your calling to check on them so often. They probably already have several of their "big" customers on their backs because they are behind and your just getting in line to b!tch at them too. Because of that b!tching many shops will all but back burner your parts just because they feel your annoying them with your 'constant calling'. Basically they have work to do and it's not wasting time on the phone explaining why they haven't done your work yet...because they are on the phone explaining why they haven't done someone elses work yet.....and on and on....

In the end I understand your frustration and given the circumstances it's probably justified give what you were told before you took the part in. I ran into problems with a machine shop I've used for years back toward the end of '10. In my case I understood the delay caused by their main machining tool being down but what I couldn't handle was them telling me parts were done and then finding out two weeks later that the part hadn't been touched. Further when they did check the head, that I had already told the machines owner was complete, they discovered cracks that weren't repairable. Then I had to call the customer and tell him that not only was the part not complete, but that he needed a new head to the tune of around $2300. That was not a good day.

In your case you don't appear to be in desperate need of the engine, just antsy to get it rebuilt. That being the case my suggestion would be to lay off a bit and not call for at least a full week. Basically give them time to 'cool off' and maybe get caught up. Then simply stop by for a visit one day when your out and about. I guarantee you'll find out more of what's going on face to face than you will over the phone and probably get better results too. Tell he guy in charge you had been told a couple of days and it's now been 5 weeks or whatever and ask what's going on. Based on the answer, you are then in a much better position with them than you are over the phone to tell them they lost your business and simply pick up your crank and take it somewhere else, or give them one last chance to get it done in the timely manner they promised.
Beyond that all I can say is Good Luck.

 

[Dean]

One, plus the helper, me.

Note: They did not accept every job that came in the door and would occassionally send some jobs to the main store (bigger shop with 3 or 4 workers) when things all hit at one time.

Dean

 

[Gun guru]

What does an Engine machine shop place charge for an hourly rate?
What are they charging you for the crankshaft to be ground?
What do they charge for resurfacing heads, engine blocks? Boring a block?
Does the machine shop tell you up front what the cost is or do you sweat it out for a while till it is done.

 

[fixerupper]

Does the shop service the auto and farm dealer shops too? They're the customers the machine shops want to keep. I've done business with one machine shop for forty years so obviously they know me well but my infrequent jobs are set aside until they have the big customers satisfied. If they have to choose between my once-in-two-years business and the Deere dealer they'll keep the Deere dealer. Jim

 

[Morgan Flowers]

To clarify, I am in college and just had a month long break that is ending this week, so I was hoping to get the tractor back together by then... I have called a couple times to see where I was in line. I was nice and don't think I was being annoying (hopefully they didn't take it that way lol). On this crank, he is charging I believe $230. He quoted this price before I took the crank in. This shop is the closest to me and the only one that I know of remotely close to my small town.

I guess my biggest rant is that he didn't tell me it would be a month before he could look at it when I took it in to him. When I first called him he said he would get it done in the next couple days. So if he was this far behind he should've told me it would be a month before he could look lol..

And you are probably right about the dealerships getting first priority since he is about 1/4 mile away from the local deere dealership. Guess this is the price you pay when you can't do the work yourself.

 

[Slowpoke]

Getting someone elses parts is nothing new. Years ago I took a 57 Chevy wagon in to have the engine rebuilt. When I got it back it had a beat up radiator, a beat up air cleaner with the snorkle facing the wrong way, the manifold was rusted and severly pitted, and a few days later the driveshaft universal failed. Someone let a couple of needle bearings fall over but bolted it together anyway. When I complained, they said it was my parts and the universal was worn out
Not much I could do...

 

[WeirdDeere]

I've run into the same thing myself at two different machine shops, it's very frustrating. One block boring and sleeving job took a good year. Admittedly there was some waiting for parts and it was a big job, but still took forever, at least it was very good work.

Brandon

 

[S.Crum]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news guys but this is only going to get worse. In this day and age the traditional machine shop as we have known it is gone. The old guy that knew how to tweek the old machine to get the desired results has retired or died. The new guy only knows how to punch numbers into a $100,000 CNC interface. Big problem that the small shop couldn't afford the CNC. The small shop has closed. Compound that with the fact that in most cases modern engines are rarely rebuilt at the local level. a new or factory rebuilt short or long block is ordered in. The small shop loses out on that work. NO WORK, NO SHOP. The larger shops are surviving with a backlog of work in the "rebuildable" parts business ie; tractors, industrial equipment etc. but the smaller jobs (hobby/toy tractors,older cars and trucks) that were a part of the small shop's business are not enough to keep it in business. Think about that when you brag about saving 50 bucks by buying a rebuilt shortblock online rather than paying a local "small shop" to do it.

 

[Billy Shafer]

If he does excellent work. That is your problem. He most likely is the only one people trust around there. Plus most machine shops have gone under. I know of five around my part of Texas that have closed up.

We have one starter/alternator shop around here.Four towns and he is the only one left. He does excellent work and people will wait weeks to have some thing done. If you need it in a hurry.Such as farm or police and medical. There jobs come first. People understand that and are willing to wait. Because they know his work.