machine shop cant align bore block

[gregaba]

Thanks for the back up referral for Charles Eller.
I haven't called him yet today as I want to pick up my block and see where I am on it.
Both of the machine shops I have used are race shops with good recommendations but I think the problem is that I am not a regular customer.
I am looking for a shop I can take all my work to.
They take care of the customer who spends the most money with them and put everyone else off and really don't care if they do quality work or not.
They have lost out because I do 4 or 5 engines a year and am just looking for someone who can do the quality work and not have to drive 4 hours both ways to get it done.
I was going to have them balance my engine and redo the new aluminum heads I have but now someone else will get the work.
The money wasn't a problem, I don't mind paying for good work done in a timely manner.
We used to have a great machine shop here owned buy a tool maker. He could fix about anything and was reasonable but disappeared about 10 years ago.
I am probably spoiled because of his great work.
As far as the main caps I will order a new set and go from there. I was looking for some Pro Grams last night but couldn't find any on the net.
I have several sets of used ones in the shop and will go about trying to find some where the parting lines match up but if not I guess I will order the Milodon set of 4 bolt caps or the ones from t meyer if he has any..
The block I have is a 69 and the caps I bought have the same casting numbers as my old ones did but still not sure if they are the right ones.
The first shop was just incompetent and since it is only 40 miles from me I have made sure all my mechanic friends have heard about them.
I called T meyer and he will call me back today.
I hope I answered everyone's questions but might have missed some.
Greg
 

[BigBlueIron]

There are very few reliable reference points these days and certainly not "social media".  Around here it's just like food - some crappy looking shops turn out A+ work while some bright and clean, up to date places screw people over horribly.

This is the absolute truth.

[67xr7cat]

Regarding the caps they all technically will work it is that the block and caps get machined together is where the problem comes in. Can always take metal away, but not so easy to add metal... Now are some caps made from nodular iron that where used on some hp stuff, but not sure can tell by casting numbers. Only difference is the nodular caps are stronger. If you can get some new caps the whole deal is a lot simpler other than cost. The tmeyer caps arestronger too.

[gregaba]

I am still waiting for t meyer to call back.
I hope he has the caps in production.
I didn't want to go to the extra expense because this is just a mild street build but I find that the more I go on this the more money I spend on power upgrades.
I guess I can go ahead and build a marginally streetable car as I have a lot of other cars to drive.
Greg

[Heo]

If a shop lost my caps! Simple they had to get me another 428 block with caps

[gregaba]

Hi Heo
I tried but no go. They have a big sign on the wall that says Not responsible for lost or stolen part's.
Not only did they lose my caps but my new Hays aluminum flywheel, new Comp cam springs, locks and retainers, and ATI rattler vibration damper.
My attorney said we could take them to court but would lose because of the sign.
Greg 

[jayb]

I am still waiting for t meyer to call back.
I hope he has the caps in production.

Greg

Tim is not yet in production on those caps, but he is working on it.  In fact I sent him a crossbolted cap and a #5 cap to look at and model last week.  He does have his 351C caps done, and they look great - Jay

[gregaba]

Good to know.
 I don't have to have everything together this year.
I won't be finished with my Ranchero until August or September so there is no real hurry on it. I would like to to have my engine together this year so I can concentrate on the body work this winter and have everything ready to go together next spring.
Glad I started on the engine this year because I would hate to have these problems crop up when I am ready to put the car together.
Greg

[Falcon67]

Tim is pulling metal rabbits out of his hat up there for sure. 

[hwoods]

Hi Heo
I tried but no go. They have a big sign on the wall that says Not responsible for lost or stolen part's.
Not only did they lose my caps but my new Hays aluminum flywheel, new Comp cam springs, locks and retainers, and ATI rattler vibration damper.
My attorney said we could take them to court but would lose because of the sign.
Greg

sounds like a license to steal.  if I put that on a sweatshirt can I rob a bank?

[fekbmax]

I got a set of pro stock engineering aluminum cross bolt main caps, #2' #3, #4. Never been used.
If your intrested. 

[gregaba]

Hi Keith
How much and how do you get paid.
You can pm me if you want to.
Greg

[gregaba]

I am not up to date on these new aluminum main caps.
Will they be good for a street engine with may be 8 or 10 trips to the strip a year?

Greg

[fekbmax]

I have never used aluminum caps, I got them in a lot of PSE parts and they just been setting around. I know of one set that's being used in a pro street type mustang with a 427 marine block and the PSE caps. Car sees maybe 250 miles a year. No issues so far. Other than that I cant speak as to how good or bad they are. They were mostly used in the drag race world. I'm just letting you know they are available. 

Link to classified.
http://fepower.net/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=7017.0

[67428GT500]

Keith have you ever done an align bore and hone job? I have and facing the thrust surface is part of it, but used caps can pose a problem if they are off as not enough material to remove. Same problem with mis registration at the parting lines as everything come out of the caps. You don't want to be getting into the block side.

Machine shop can be a hard business to make money and not everyone wants to fix someone else's mess. The blame here is the shop that lost the caps and they should have made things right. In this case you need to find caps that are close or use new ones, otherwise your wasting a lot of time and risking screwing up the block.

You might have read the first response to his query. Charles Machine just completed the work on my new FE block. It states that the block was offset bored, align bored and square decked. Yes, I am VERY familiar with the process. There are TWO different thrust bearing widths on the FE.
I doubt the material would have been an issue. It doesn't take two months to assess the suitability and condition of five main caps for the job.  I rarely find any production shop/rebuilder that knows anything about the FE.  I have had the same issue here in NE Texas since I relocated from So Ca. There are a couple of great head people but I have only found one machinist who really knows his way around blocks and has all the machinery in house to get them done.  Few are worth their salt when it comes to early Fords, especially the FE.
I absolutely find fault with a shop that SITS on a job for two months then tells you they can't get it done. Both jobs I had done were assessed before the block was left with the machine shop. There is no culpability on their part for a previous shop's incompetence.

Charles Machine took in the job I just had done on 28 May and it was done on 04 June. 
We have some great builders/machinist that participate on this forum.
They are generally informative, helpful and very capable.  The poster is within driving distance, so I recommended someone here who I have had do work that was competent, timely and fair. This is the second time this gentleman has tried to use a local shop and was screwed around and waited a ridiculous amount of time for a job which prompted him to pull his parts and take them elsewhere.