Machine Shop Etiqutte?

[70spider]

I feel like machine shops know the have you by the"@#&*". I finally found a machine shop to do some block work for me and I was satisfied with the online reviews and my face to face meeting with them. However, It has been 7 weeks since I dropped the block off. When I dropped it off he said it would be a couple of weeks before he could get started on it. So after 5 weeks I called him and he said he got backed up and would get to it in a couple of days, that was 2 weeks ago. I am afraid to call him again but I am concerned why it takes machine shops so long to get something done. My cylinder head took 3 months to get done, from another source. I think they know they have the upper hand and being the customer I have to accept the lethargy.

[124JOE]

stop in there with money in hand
ask them if its ready or should i take it with me?

money talks BS walks

[RRoller123]

In the construction trade we used to call this "salting the job". Some folks would take a deposit, start, take on way more work than they could ever complete during the promised timeframe, and then stretch it all out to fill in the inevitable voids caused by delays, permitting, rain, etc. Thereby ensuring a full workload at all times. I only had myself, so it was pretty easy to estimate the workload and I didn't need to do this to get by.... But I helped a friend do some work (Grecian column curved porch, indoor contoured golf green, redwood wine room) etc. on a $10mil (so far) home that had been in progress for 3 years running, and the owners had timeframe clauses written in. It started to get pretty ugly. Glad to be just a sub, build it, install it, get out asap.

[klweimer]

Agreed. My machinist did the block in about 3 weeks. Head in about 2.

[aj81spider]

My experience is that most machine shops are small businesses run by guys who may be great at what they do, but who aren't very good at "business." I plan for calling them regularly (and I assume its going to take longer than they say). If you don't call they work on the stuff from the guy that is calling.

Sometimes it helps to give them a deadline ("I need to have my car back together for a show in July") and then you have an excuse for ramping up the calls as the deadline approaches.

I'd call and get a new date, then call a little before the date "to see how it's going." You can be polite and non-confrontational in your calls, but you need to call regularly.

[70spider]

My experience is that most machine shops are small businesses run by guys who may be great at what they do, but who aren't very good at "business."

That pretty much sums up what I witnessed when I dropped the block off, it was a huge place with tons of parts on the shelves and there were only 2 people working. If I do not hear from them next week I'll call them again. I hate to burn this bridge because he was very familiar with the Fiat motor.

[fiat218]

I would just tell them you need it

[vandor]

I think the call that you need it because you are trying to make a meet or a show is the best course. A lot of machine shops have closed, so the few that remain are usually very busy.

[Turbofiat124]

I feel like machine shops know the have you by the"@#&*". I finally found a machine shop to do some block work for me and I was satisfied with the online reviews and my face to face meeting with them. However, It has been 7 weeks since I dropped the block off. When I dropped it off he said it would be a couple of weeks before he could get started on it. So after 5 weeks I called him and he said he got backed up and would get to it in a couple of days, that was 2 weeks ago. I am afraid to call him again but I am concerned why it takes machine shops so long to get something done. My cylinder head took 3 months to get done, from another source. I think they know they have the upper hand and being the customer I have to accept the lethargy.

I know exactly what you mean.

I dropped off a Fiat DOHC cylinder head to this local machine shop about 10 years ago. Long story short, they kept putting it on the back burner and giving me the run around. I'd call about every couple of weeks and ask, "How's my cylinder head coming along?". Then after awhile I'd drive by and pay them a visit and ask them in person. Finally after about 6 months I said, "Just give me my cylinder head back and I'll take it to someone else". In the meantime they had taken it apart and lost at least one piece to it. The dipstick bracket.

Word has it they had a contract with the local BMW dealership so any small fries that brings in something get's last priority. I also find allot of local machine shops don't like oddball stuff. They would rather do small block Chevy heads all day long.

The machine shop eventually went out of business and a new company owns them. Ironically they were called "Quick Way Machine shop"!

I took it to another machine shop. They really screwed it up. Now it leaks more oil than what it did before!

I finally called a guy I knew in Atlanta and asked if he could help me. He had one setup for me in one week so we did a head exchange. I had to drive 300 miles down there to pick it up though but it turned out OK.

I had another local but smaller shop resurface a turbo for me. Actually it was a Garrett T3 from a Volvo 240 with a beveled inlet and outlet flanges which used no gaskets. I had them "convert" it to flat mating surfaces to fit exhaust manifold and downpipe on my 124 Spider.

It took them about a month to get around to doing it but I said, "Well go ahead and do it".

Anymore now if I need to resurface anything within and 8X10 area, I take a piece of glass from a picture frame and tape a sheet of 220 grit sandpaper over it and spray it down with Steel Ink and do it myself.

[70spider]

I also find allot of local machine shops don't like oddball stuff. They would rather do small block Chevy heads all day long.

This is why I had to find a place 140 miles away, no one local would do it or their reviews were bad.

[narfire]

Man, that sucks. I guess I'm rather fortunate here. In a town of 5000 people I have a choice of two that will machine heads & re-grind valve seats, Penticton 32,000, again two shops and will re-bore and Kelowna has two as well. All have great references. fairly quick turnarounds if I remember when I had my engine re-bored a number of years ago.
Hope things go better in the future.
Chris

[70spider]

Well, more than a week has passed and no phone call to let me know the status of the block. I will call tomorrow to see where he is at on it, if no progress I'll just go and pick it up. It looks like I can not find a shop within 200 miles to work on the block, so I will go to plan "B": pulling the 1438 and checking bearing clearances and cylinder specs, if ok then hone the cylinders myself and figure out who can press-fit my pistons, use the port and polished big valved 1608 head. It should be running by the end of the summer, I hope. Thanks for all the support.

[ScotcH]

Jeebus, what are you guys having done to these blocks?!?! Maybe we're lucky here in Ottawa, but I've worked with 3 machine shops so far, and the SLOWEST was 2 weeks turnaround. This is for boring and honing, a line bore, crank polish, sizing rods and mains, etc. For just simple prep for reassembly, 2 days. Mind you this is our BMW race engines, but if anything, that should be more complicated.

[vandor]

How far away are you from Wichita? I know a couple Fiat ppl in Wichita, I bet they know of a decent machine shop.

[70spider]

How far away are you from Wichita?

160 miles
However at this point the Pesto fund is dry. I can't get anything done at the moment but when I can I'll get back with you. Thanks