Recommendation for machine shop

[Special]

Hi guys !
I am looking for a reputable machine shop to grind the crankshaft for a reasonable price.
And what is a reasonable price for this kind of job now days ?
Looking for someone in Los Angeles , San Fernando Valley area.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[kenncarp]

Im not familiar with any machine shops in California, because i'm from Arkansas haha, but I do know something about grinding cranks on 124's. My 124, with its fully stock 2.0, had its crank ground in its past life, and I didn't think it would be a problem. During my motor overhaul, I found that the bearings weren't in the best shape, and upon talking with my Fiat motor builder friend, he told me ground cranks are trash. The 124 crank has some sort of zinc coating from factory, and when ground, the coating is taken away, and the bearing journals of the crank become quite soft, reducing its life dramatically. So in my opinion, I think you would be better off finding a used crank in good shape, then grinding it!! Just my 2 cents

[SeattleSpider]

Nice looking TC Special. Would love to see more pictures of it!

[Special]

Im not familiar with any machine shops in California, because i'm from Arkansas haha, but I do know something about grinding cranks on 124's. My 124, with its fully stock 2.0, had its crank ground in its past life, and I didn't think it would be a problem. During my motor overhaul, I found that the bearings weren't in the best shape, and upon talking with my Fiat motor builder friend, he told me ground cranks are trash. The 124 crank has some sort of zinc coating from factory, and when ground, the coating is taken away, and the bearing journals of the crank become quite soft, reducing its life dramatically. So in my opinion, I think you would be better off finding a used crank in good shape, then grinding it!! Just my 2 cents

Never heard of this , but it can be true.
Unfortunately , I don't have a good used crank , so grinding will be the only option for me.

[Special]

Nice looking TC Special. Would love to see more pictures of it!

Thank you.
Sadly photobucket ate all of my pictures .
I recently moved all pictures to imgur and I will be slowly restoring my threads on all forums .
You can check some restored pictures here - http://www.fiatspider.com/f15/viewtopic ... 30&t=30089

[SeattleSpider]

Wow! I went and checked out your other postings and . . . wow! You have done a really nice job.

I have to say I am partial to the earlier pictures with the old interior: It takes me back. I had a '71 Special in college. Was a great car - loved how it handled. I don't remember it having a twin-cam though. Did the '74 come with that or did you upgrade.

I don't know what else to say except that you clearly love the car and have put a lot of work and care into it. It shows.

[Special]

Thank you for appreciating my hard work.
74 came with 1.6 twin cam engine , 71 probably had 1.4 pushrod engine.
My 73 wagon has 1.4 as well.

[chrisg]

oooh...a '73 wagon too? cool!

[Special]

I am working on putting it back on the road.

[chrisg]

nice! was this a somewhat recent acquisition in CA? It looks a lot like one - including the impression on the LR door/quarter - I spoke to a gentleman about last May. If that's the one & you are not going to use the roof rack, I have a friend w/ a wagon who would probably be interested in the rack.

as you may note from my sig, I have a '74 sedan. I also have a '73 wagon, though it is currently located remotely. I tend to keep a close eye on any 124 wagon that shows up for sale anywhere in the US.

on topic....I am 99% sure only the 2L crank has the hardening treatment that would imply you would not want to regrind it. if you haven't done so already, may I recommend also posting on the forum at mirafiori.com (https://www.mirafiori.com/forum/index.php) (sign up if you're not already a member) as there are many of us there who have & are familiar with lots of different 124 variants & their details.

[Special]

Yes , I bought it recently.
Trying to bring it back to euro specs.
Definitely I will not be using the roof rack .
I just don't know yet what I'll do with it.
I have to research what it worth and maybe I'll try to exchange it for some parts.

Recently I spoke to an owner of Italian car repair shop and he told me he's been grinding Fiat cranks for 39 years without any issues. He said yes - they are hardened , but when you grind it , you only remove 0.01" - 0.03" and the hardening goes deeper then that. So it should be fine.

[chrisg]

Nice score! I spoke with the seller and considered that car. It’s nice to see it’s getting back on the road. Seller thought the 1438 was good, if I recall, but who knows?

I do not have personal experience grinding a 2L crank. I have been lucky to have avoided the need with the many parts I have always had around. So, I can’t & shouldn’t imply expertise there...only pointing out what is known in case there were a question. Mira is definitely a good resource, especially for someone who has some non-“sport” 124s in their garage! Good luck with it.

[Nut124]

Yes , I bought it recently.
Trying to bring it back to euro specs.
Definitely I will not be using the roof rack .
I just don't know yet what I'll do with it.
I have to research what it worth and maybe I'll try to exchange it for some parts.

Recently I spoke to an owner of Italian car repair shop and he told me he's been grinding Fiat cranks for 39 years without any issues. He said yes - they are hardened , but when you grind it , you only remove 0.01" - 0.03" and the hardening goes deeper then that. So it should be fine.

10 to 30 thou sounds like quite a bit. 1 to 3 thou?

[chrisg]

please report back how it turns out.

Other than potentially losing some time/money on machine work & a few parts, seems like the worst case is simply sourcing another 2L short block donor, which ought not be very difficult nor expensive, especially in California.

[Special]

10 to 30 thou sounds like quite a bit. 1 to 3 thou?

Just look at the available bearing sizes - https://autoricambi.us/collections/engine/bearings