KAD36 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 In order that more lift and possible duration to be achieved from a cam core with less of each, the regrinder starts by decreasing the cam lobes' "base circle" of the cam, the part of the lobe when the valve is closed. Willis - would that be true of a fresh blank also? Know on an existing profile they do steal some material from the heel (base as you were saying). Beemon - sorry about the damage. Will be interesting to see what caused it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 38 minutes ago, 1956322 said: I'm not so sure the block you pictured is any better off.. Now that one on Craigslist that's a steal... That's what the original block in my car looked like. 56 minutes ago, MrEarl said: don't snooze on this https://boise.craigslist.org/pts/6155259909.html Lamar, thanks for the heads up. Block and heads for $375. We leave tomorrow at 10 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1956322 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 I have a good feeling about that Craigslist block good luck man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 One last photo for the day, what do you guys think of my hot rod hood scoop? It's kinda hard to see out the windshield but that means it goes faster, right? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 7 hours ago, Beemon said: That's what the original block in my car looked like. Lamar, thanks for the heads up. Block and heads for $375. We leave tomorrow at 10 Great, they had only been up for a few hours so maybe the Buick Angels are looking out for you. But actually I kind of read the ad that the heads and tranny were incl in the $100 is why I said not to snooze. My naivety showing thru again. I only hope the heads are for sure good, did the seller sound confident that they were? So how far are you having to drive for them? who is "we"? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 (edited) 14 minutes ago, MrEarl said: Great, they had only been up for a few hours so maybe the Buick Angels are looking out for you. But actually I kind of read the ad that the heads and tranny were incl in the $100 is why I said not to snooze. My naivety showing thru again. I only hope the heads are for sure good, did the seller sound confident that they were? So how far are you having to drive for them? who is "we"? The block was just the $100. He has three sets of heads, I took down my casting numbers but he said only one set is complete and the other two are bare heads. He sounded pretty confident with them. His 56 Buick came with the 322 in the engine in the car plus the extra 322 block, extra Dynaflow and the sets of heads. He said he's doing an LS swap ( ) and that's where the second Dynaflow is coming from, but he sold the running 322 to his brother for his 55 Buick. The drive is a 7.5 hour drive from my location to Idaho. We have to go through the Oregon border. We decided it would be best to jump on this and then take the block to the new machinist since our gut is telling us the block is toast. We is my father, who was a welder for Boeing for 20 years who will be checking the heads for any cracks while we are there with his 3 spray cans, and my girlfriend whom shares the same days off as me and is expecting me to give her some time. Lol. And of course everyone on the board in spirit. I am having trouble sleeping tonight, we leave in an hour and a half and I should be in bed but this whole thing has me in knots. I talk about all the time people taking advantage of others in the hobby and in the last year I knew something was wrong with the engine. It's just, when I pulled those heads... well, I didn't want to be right. And boy was I right. I was silly to think a PCV system would help, because it was never going to with the gouges those wrist pins put in the block. I can't get my money back, and I'm not going to jail over this, but my dad and I are going to be making large signs for the weekly cruise in and we'll have my cylinder block on display after this. Small world, but the machinist I'm going to now was referred to me by a guy running a really nice classic car shop who is best friends with the owner whom my old machinist now works for. He told me to go down there with the block and explain to the owner what happened, the old machinist is sure to loose his job, and many more after this. I am not to be trifled with, especially for $4700 down the drain. He will most likely be living off social security for the rest of his life after I'm done with him. By the way, I figure since I'll be doing this up right, completely fresh and hopefully without any issues beyond this point, I'm going to stop throwing gimmicks at the new engine to save it or "make it run better" because hopefully I won't have to. Maybe my WCFB ran like garbage because the engine was garbage? Who knows, I guess I'll find out in 3 years. Edited June 1, 2017 by Beemon (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 6 hours ago, Beemon said: One last photo for the day, what do you guys think of my hot rod hood scoop? It's kinda hard to see out the windshield but that means it goes faster, right? That should help in the aerodynamics but may actually give negative air flow to the carb(s). Willis can probably enlighten us on that. Just call the right lane so you can see the Christmas tree and start off with your wheels pointed straight down the track, you'll be alright. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 8 minutes ago, Beemon said: The block was just the $100. He has three sets of heads, I took down my casting numbers but he said only one set is complete and the other two are bare heads. He sounded pretty confident with them. His 56 Buick came with the 322 in the engine in the car plus the extra 322 block, extra Dynaflow and the sets of heads. He said he's doing an LS swap ( ) and that's where the second Dynaflow is coming from, but he sold the running 322 to his brother for his 55 Buick. The drive is a 7.5 hour drive from my location to Idaho. We have to go through the Oregon border. We is my father, who was a welder for Boeing for 20 years who will be checking the heads for any cracks while we are there with his 3 spray cans, and my girlfriend whom shares the same days off as me and is expecting me to give her some time. Lol. And of course everyone on the board in spirit. I am having trouble sleeping tonight, we leave in an hour and a half and I should be in bed but this whole thing has me in knots. I talk about all the time people taking advantage of others in the hobby and in the last year I knew something was wrong with the engine. It's just, when I pulled those heads... well, I didn't want to be right. And boy was I right. I was silly to think a PCV system would help, because it was never going to with the gouges those wrist pins put in the block. I can't get my money back, and I'm not going to jail over this, but my dad and I are going to be making large signs for the weekly cruise in and we'll have my cylinder block on display after this. Small world, but the machinist I'm going to now was referred to me by a guy running a really nice classic car shop who is best friends with the owner whom my old machinist now works for. He told me to go down there with the block and explain to the owner what happened, the old machinist is sure to loose his job, and many more after this. I am not to be trifled with, especially for $4700 down the drain. He will most likely be living off social security for the rest of his life after I'm done with him. By the way, I figure since I'll be doing this up right, completely fresh and hopefully without any issues beyond this point, I'm going to stop throwing gimmicks at the new engine to save it or "make it run better" because hopefully I won't have to. Maybe my WCFB ran like garbage because the engine was garbage? Who knows, I guess I'll find out in 3 years. Dang I was hoping it was closer, but then I was never that good in geography. Good luck and happy trails! ?? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Safe travel, good luck! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 The machinist may just be incompetent, but should not ever touch another engine of any kind. BUT: For less than $100 file in small claims court and get a judgment. Let him keep working until you are paid. Don't reuse any of the parts in the old engine. My convertible has a reground cam with higher lift and duration and measured 0.025" smaller on the base circle...runs fine. I was expecting to use custom pushrods, but not needed. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 7 minutes ago, old-tank said: The machinist may just be incompetent, but should not ever touch another engine of any kind. BUT: For less than $100 file in small claims court and get a judgment. Let him keep working until you are paid. This is a good idea, although there is no debtor's prison, so you may or may not get your money back. Be very careful about what you put on your signs against this guy. Keep it strictly to the quality of work and nothing personal or emotional as you do not want to be the center of a defamation suit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 2 minutes ago, old-tank said: Don't reuse any of the parts in the old engine. What about the crank and the cam? All the lifters look fine and have a circle track still on the bottom. The Pistons are garbage, I'm guessing the wrist pin journal probably looks like an oval. I found my noisy lifter, too. I forgot to post a picture of it but it's a SBC push rod with a 364/401/425 spring retainer. What about valves? Can they be cleaned? I'm just watching the $$$ roll Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 37 minutes ago, Beemon said: What about the crank and the cam? All the lifters look fine and have a circle track still on the bottom. The Pistons are garbage, I'm guessing the wrist pin journal probably looks like an oval. I found my noisy lifter, too. I forgot to post a picture of it but it's a SBC push rod with a 364/401/425 spring retainer. What about valves? Can they be cleaned? I'm just watching the $$$ roll I think Willie means anything that machinist worked on, machined, or replaced would be suspect. If it's verified new, or in spec, maybe it's usable! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Makes sense, sorry for being silly. Only running on 3 hours of sleep 3 hours into a 7 hour trip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 3 hours ago, Beemon said: What about valves? Some might be usable, as long as the stems are not too short. The stem height above the head will determine. If a valve came from a seat with recession the stem will possibly be too short for the new application. I have a whole collection of short ones. I also noticed that the exhaust valves are flat top...56 used tulip top valves supposedly for better flow. Low compression head gaskets were used making the low compression situation worse. If the cam passes inspection, just replace the lifters...the lifter bore alignment to the camshaft might be different. Crank may be good unless it was (incorrectly) internally balanced. Connecting rods are surely bad. I had an engine destroyed due to shoddy work by a machinist associated with a local CarQuest parts store...they paid over 6K after being served with small claims papers. I saw the machinist working a another shop that I was dropping another engine at. I told the owner not to let John near my stuff and after happily telling my story he 'left that shop'. Sounds like you found a good place, the let them only do the machine work and inspection. Assemble it yourself and check everything...trust but verify! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosage Chavis Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Hope all is well for you on this trip Ben. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 (edited) Ben - GET SOME SLEEP! Be safe. And when you get back, I like the idea of small claims court. As stated by Matthew, be very careful with the signs; court is much better. Willie - those short valves are used with high-lift cams You can probably sell them as racing parts on Ebay for big money! Jon. Edited June 1, 2017 by carbking (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 12 minutes ago, carbking said: Willie - those short valves are used with high-lift cams You can probably sell them as racing parts on Ebay for big money! Yeah, just like my collection of sagging worn out suspension springs...sell as lowering kits. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAD36 Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 47 minutes ago, old-tank said: Yeah, just like my collection of sagging worn out suspension springs...sell as lowering kits. ...my collection of used spark plugs as "fits 55 Buick" used spark plugs. Whoops. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 Picked up the block and two heads. Numbers matched 56. We just stopped in at the first rest stop in Oregon. The block looks good, really clean and taken care of. Hoping to hone .006"! Probably will go back to .030" if I'm being realistic. Heads look good, too. Two burned exhaust valves but the seat looks good. Still have to pull the block in the car, but we're going to take the block to the old machinist and ask nicely for the $5000 first before we go to court. No signs. We'll get her running right and healthy. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Hood reverse angle . . . Many '67+ Mustang owners shimmed the rear of the hood upward for better underhood cooling, but it was only less than an inch, usually. Using a new cam blank would not have the decreased base circle. Thanks for the information, Old-Tank, on your reground cam. Beemon, be careful about the wording on any signs. You might take the opposite approach, asking people to look to see what things look like and who did the motor. Don't need the threat of a defamatation of character lawsuit in the middle of all of this activity. Considering that piston pins for press-fit pistons are supplied loose in the box with the individual piston. You might ask for verification that that's how yours came and what might have happened that they didn't apparently fit right. If he admits they didn't fit right and he thought they might still work, that's just another situation where things should have stopped until the situation was fixed, not proceeding with the assembly of the short block. How is the fit on the connecting rod/piston pin interface? Just curious. Key thing is that the issue might be laid off on the pistons' maker in the process. ALL of this can build evidence on your side for any future litigation, so build a tight case. Remember, too, that even if you are awarded "damages", they will still have to be paid. The old saying "Can't get blood out of a turnip" might apply. Judgments can be assessed and liens can be levied, but don't expect to get paid when the final gavel sounds. You might force him out of the engine building arena, but it's possible that he has other skills he could use to help support himself (and his family, if applicable). Somebody of his age, trying to live only on Social Security, might also trigger availability of Food Stamps or other social programs, for a decent quality of life. It might well be that as the work was done at his shop, that he owned, that is now closed. it might be a losing battle . . . all things considered. That might be the reality of the situation, unfortunately. Key thing might be that IF he knowingly did a poor job, or knew it would not reasonably hold up, that might prove "intent". Build your case factually and unemotionally! NOT to diminish the relative importance of the amount of money paid for the work, at this time in your life! As for spiffing things up or "making it better" . . . just request an OEM-level rebuild to OEM specs and such. There might be some OEM-level (for 1956) parts which might have been upgraded over the years, which is fine. If you start talking "restoration" or "high performance", prices have been observed to increase, just as at salvage yards when you might ask for a GS455 molding that also fits a normal Skylark, prices can vary as to the perceived desirability of the part (with the GS455 part being more expensive than an everyday Skylark part). After it's all done, a shakedown tour to Buick Gardens might be in order, to thank Mr. Earl for his "long distance match-making"! Once you get back, have a leisurely warm soak in the tub, some relaxing warm beverage (just a little), and curl up for a restful sleep! Then awake to the new day and future adventures yet to come! NTX5467 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 A shakedown run to Buick Gardens would be fun, however I don't think I'd have time for a drive any time soon... Just got back in to town. 11:51. Tomorrow at 8 we start on the block in the car. And then the fun begins. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC-car-guy Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 3 hours ago, Beemon said: A shakedown run to Buick Gardens would be fun..... Lucky for you there are few 56s in Buick gardens, so you wouldn't get shook down too bad. Ha ha ha. But the hospitality there is A1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1953mack Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 (edited) On 5/31/2017 at 6:20 PM, Beemon said: V Quote Could you explain (again?) what I am looking at just below the red arrow? Looks to me like some sort of a rubber expansion plug that plugged the road-draft tube hole used for engine ventilation purposes. I'll sit back and listen before any further comments. Thanks. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint" Edited June 2, 2017 by 1953mack (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 2 hours ago, 1953mack said: On 5/31/2017 at 6:20 PM, Beemon said: V Quote Could you explain (again?) what I am looking at just below the red arrow? Looks to me like some sort of a rubber expansion plug that plugged the road-draft tube hole used for engine ventilation purposes. I'll sit back and listen before any further comments. Thanks. It was previously described as part of a PVC system to deal with blowby...as it turns out he was just "micturating in the wind" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 (edited) What Old Tank said. I plugged the road draft tube and installed a PCV system - you can see it on the other page I believe. Here are my findings today. The new machinist is closing shop and moving to the Washington/Idaho border, only 45 minutes from where I'll be going to school. He's bringing his business with him, guys were telling him they'd meet him half way. But in all his years of machining, he has never seen a job like this and he says I have a strong case. Basically he didn't heat treat the wrist pins. I can push them back and forth with little effort. Aluminum expands under heat, so you can only imagine what it's doing in there. I'll give you a hint, it's free floating... He also bushed the connecting rod and made it a free floating connecting rod. I'm not sure if that's how they were from the factory, but I was under the assumption that free floating connecting rods need an oiling hole up top as they move so it doesn't wear down the wrist pin. Also all my bearings are shot. He said he'd hone one cylinder .006" and see if it cleans up to .040" but doubtful. We didn't get a bore gauge on it and he didn't want a written consent. He said what I need to do is go to court, say "this is how it's supposed to be done per the shop manual, this is how it is" and I'll be given the case. He has 30 days to pay after that, and if he doesn't then it goes to the Superior Court where his bank account/income will be garnished, or personal assets seized. Either way, I'm going to bleed this bastard dry until I get my $5000. In the mean time, I'll continue sourcing parts out for my build. I'm basically going to follow Ken's lead. SBC-3 cam, journals ground down, new valve geometry, etc, with my new block. This one, we're going to make a planter's box out of and put it in my grandfather's front lawn so we can remember it for what it was. On top of all this, I have an unknown push rod that's longer than stock, a smaller ball and thicker shaft. Also he machined down my guides and added these seals on them... among a slew of other things. Tomorrow I pull the timing cover since he bought a new chain for it. Also pistons are stamped PST040A, on the dome it says 030 under the carbon... its hard to see, but I saw a 3... well, it wasn't a 4 or 6 anyways. I'm assuming EGGE? Also I didn't take any pictures of the rocker arms, but they were rounded on the exhaust valves. The exhaust valves are taller in the heads than the intake valves, from the hardened seat depth. The new machinist had to grind off the burr caused by the rocker hammering to get it out of the head. They are in just as bad of shape as my originals were when I dropped them off, but the bill of sale said they were new rocker arms. Here's some pics: Edited June 3, 2017 by Beemon (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 (edited) On a side note, the machinist held up a 350 connecting rod to my original connecting rod and they were nearly identical. Can I use them? Also, the machinist was surprised after seeing the damage that I drove the car to his shop. He said if it was a small block Chev, it would have blown up when I took it to 4200 RPM at 95MPH coming back from Washington State University orientation. I told him it's not a sbc, it's a Buick Nailhead. With all that carbon buildup, my compression was still 120PSI. Here's a pic of the worst day of my life: Dad told me to smile but I couldn't, only scowl. We never went down to talk to the guy that destroyed my engine. We're just going to file the claim so he can be served with a surprise. If he wants to settle during mediation, the cost is $10,000. Otherwise, we'll see him in court. (PS, the grief beard was getting old, so I shaved tonight) Edited June 3, 2017 by Beemon (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 SBC Connecting rods? I wouldn't. Those ones in the pictures look like custom aftermarket rods. You might be able to use them, but no advantage really that I can think of. Maybe get new rod bolts, ARP if theyre available. If you are going to spring for any custom parts in this (you shouldn't have to), get pistons! Arias or something. You would have to know the actual deck height and you would have to CC the heads, because they will ask. Then you could have any compression ratio you want. Pick your cam first, because if it has more overlap you might need more compression. You also might be able to get the pistons lighter than stock, and probably modern-design rings, maybe lighter pins, and any style of pin retention you want. I don't know if its worth it, but along with rebalancing it might make a difference you could actually notice. Fancy rods wont be noticed again once you put the oil pan on. If they're heavier, and they might be, its actually worse. Only use custom rods in engines that have weak rods that might break at random, or that run to crazy high rpm. The Buick rods look forged to me, and forged is what you want. I don't think nailheads had weak rods. I don't ever remember seeing one that broke a rod back in the day. Someone here will know for sure. And speaking of compression, its unwise to believe compression ratio numbers in books or piston catalogs. If you care about the compression ratio, measure! Many American engines will be found to have a higher deck than the book says they should, and this lowers compression. I'm not sure if its sloppiness or maybe the factory intentionally leaves a little more metal for future remachining of the deck. Maybe Buick didn't, but you wont know unless you check it. Know how far off it is (if at all) and take it into account when ordering pistons. The volume of the combustion chambers is also often bigger than the book says it should be. It also gets a little bigger with every valve grind. Measure, and take that into account as well. Most cars of the 50s used steel shim head gaskets. Thicker gaskets are supplied today usually, and that also lowers compression. The compression ratio in most factory service manuals is somewhere between optimism and an outright lie. I'll bet a majority of them are half a point or more below what the book says. And one more thing about compression, I HIGHLY recommend you build this with a compression ratio that will be happy on cheap 87 octane ethanol-tainted fuel. It really is necessary for a daily driver, unless you are independently wealthy and never take it out of town. I once tried to daily drive an 11.25:1 (allegedly) Cadillac 472. Of course I couldn't afford to feed it premium, which wasn't good enough anyway, let alone the aviation gas or race fuel it really needed. I set it up to burn 87 octane to get me to work. I ran the timing retarded and recurved the distributor. I had it running acceptably, and not rattling itself to death, at least if I kept my foot out of it, but it was WAY down on power, exhaust ran hot, etc. A little too much compression is way worse than too little. If its too high you will be doing the sort of stuff I was doing with that Cadillac. No fun in that. If the compression is perfect but right on the hairy edge, then every time you get a load of slightly worse gas, you will be running to the trunk for a distributor wrench to back it off a couple of degrees to stop the pinging before it destroys your new engine. If the compression is a little bit too low, then your horsepower will be a bit down over what it could be, but you get to run ideal timing and fuel curves, and probably wont have to mess around with things much once its initially sorted out, and it will run great. Choose wisely. So I take it those loose pins destroyed the cylinder bores, and is that a broken valvespring? Did it drop the valve? Full floating pins need some sort of retainer in a groove in the piston pin bore to keep them in position. I don't see that. Thats absolutely crazy if he built it that way. If the pins are retained by the rods there shouldn't be bushings. I know it looks horrible in there, but most of the other things are not out of the ordinary. When something goes wrong early in an engines life, and you have to open it, it looks horrible. Most people never see it because nothing went wrong. New engines that aren't broken in yet burn oil, and yes, there will be carbon. Hone marks are a sign of a young engine. It takes a while for a soft aluminum piston to wipe those off. Those bearings look fine to me in the pics, but if the machinist says they're bad, they're bad. He can measure them. Is the valvetrain adjustable? If its not you will most likely have to mix and match some pushrod lengths to get the lifter preload right. Of course the ball has to be the right size o_O . Keep after this, and always prioritize the Buick over the old machinist and what happened in the past. Don't let that distract you from your goals. You are absolutely on the right track by doing it yourself this time. You will have this done sooner than you think. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAD36 Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Beemon - if the cam is still in the car record how the cam is timed so when you put the SBC-3 cam in you can match up the timing - obviously count the teeth for both too. When I tried to put the 401 gearset on the 322 cam (only because the 401 gear set was lower cost) it did not accommodate the rivets that help hold the cam gear to the cam, and I don't recall if the crank gear bolted up to the 322 crank. You can get 401 cam and crank gears at any local parts store - my input would be get a set and lay out both cam and crank gears from both engines side by side and what you don't use just take back. When you dial in the cam you'll know right away from the spec sheet if you are off a tooth or properly timed. Agree 100% on the compression discussion above. My milled heads partially compensated for the LC gaskets and reduced dome volume of the rebuilders choice pistons, even so I ended up below my 150psi design point for cylinder pressure. That could also be due to cam timing - not blaming it but it has an effect. A plus of the lower pressure is the engine will accelerate well into freeway traffic with no pinging on 87 octane. Sorry about the damage, folks advice here is on target. Remember - act rather than react. Stay polite, even tempo and factual. It will take you farther in times of adversity. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 See if your new machinist can recommend another who will go with you to court to testify. It could be he, himself, except it may sound odd if he trashes someone who he subsequently hired. Note: Not many courts will accept a written statement from a witness. It may be important to ask your jurisdiction what the rules of evidence are before you build your case. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 I agree with KD's last paragraph. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 Valve guide seals are not used on a nailhead with stock rocker assemblies since they don't shower much oil. I had to use them on mine with rebuilt assemblies. The variable height of the valve stems is another mistake: valve stem height is 1.525 to 1.550 measured (in inches) from valve cover rail to valve stem tip; share with your machinist since many do not have this into. Also share the valve stem clearance in guide: 0.0025 inlet; 0.0030 exhaust...chivvy engines with smaller valve stems are much closer. Get a set of 56 pushrods so they all match...they will be tubular with a ball on the end (no hole). All of mine when checked had a large buildup of carbon on the back of the intake valves (nature of the beast?). L1040-8 is a piston set for 54-55 from Egge; 56 would be L1083-8; 54-55 pistons with 56 heads will be lower compression. Lots material removed from the rods to balance. You need different rods anyway, but check the crank to be sure it can be properly balanced before committing to use. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 Bloo, I asked about the connecting rods because mine have been weakened where they took metal off the side and he bushed the top of the connecting rod wrong. I need to find new ones. Also LOTS of metal went through my engine, that's why the bearings have so many grooves in it. While I was in his shop, he picked up a heavy nitrous engine connecting rod with 10,000 miles on the clock and the bearing was completely clean and smooth. You can see from the pictures of the wrist pin where it was wearing down the cylinder. The guy had to have known about it when he put the engine together. It's gross negligence and incompetence. Honestly I really think if I don't get the $5000 from the old machinist, I'm just going to give up on the hobby because I can't afford this, especially with going to school in two months, and it will forever haunt me. All I'm focusing on right now is the court case, and we file on Wednesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 On 6/1/2017 at 7:52 AM, MrEarl said: I can't get my money back, and I'm not going to jail over this, but my dad and I are going to be making large signs My Grandfather felt cheated by a garage near our shop long after I left to pursue another career. He told me he had backed his truck up to a phone pole near the garage and nailed a sign that said "XXX Garage is a Crook". I said "He's just going to put a ladder up and pull it down." My Grandfather had a real big smile when he told me "That's when he will find the dirty coat of grease I put on the back." You are young. Make it a point to learn and become proficient at pool. The ability to plan the next shot is severely lacking in today's education and culture. A good pool player has a lifetime advantage. Bernie 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said: You are young. Make it a point to learn and become proficient at pool. The ability to plan the next shot is severely lacking in today's education and culture. A good pool player has a lifetime advantage. Bernie As always, Bernie has good advice. Ben 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 16 hours ago, Beemon said: We never went down to talk to the guy that destroyed my engine. We're just going to file the claim so he can be served with a surprise. When you go to file, they will ask if you had requested payment. If your answer is 'no' they will probably turn you around to get it done. When you see him be polite but firm, and put on a tie (it intimidates them). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 15 minutes ago, old-tank said: When you go to file, they will ask if you had requested payment. If your answer is 'no' they will probably turn you around to get it done. You need documentation that you requested payment, usually certified-return-receipt letter and/or email. To forestall the delays in getting an unclaimed return-receipt letter back (up to six weeks),I usually use this as the first paragraph of my letter: "This letter is written as two originals, both signed and mailed the same date, and sent separately via First Class U.S. Mail." Be sure to do an original signature on both copies. If/when the unclaimed certified letter comes back to you as unclaimed, DO NOT OPEN IT and it becomes one piece of your evidence, along with your photocopy of the letter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted June 3, 2017 Share Posted June 3, 2017 contrary to what it says in Bernies post above, MrEarl did not say that. and since I am seeing the mention of lawyers here I just want to clarify that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beemon Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, old-tank said: When you go to file, they will ask if you had requested payment. If your answer is 'no' they will probably turn you around to get it done. When you see him be polite but firm, and put on a tie (it intimidates them). 1 hour ago, Grimy said: You need documentation that you requested payment, usually certified-return-receipt letter and/or email. To forestall the delays in getting an unclaimed return-receipt letter back (up to six weeks),I usually use this as the first paragraph of my letter: "This letter is written as two originals, both signed and mailed the same date, and sent separately via First Class U.S. Mail." Be sure to do an original signature on both copies. If/when the unclaimed certified letter comes back to you as unclaimed, DO NOT OPEN IT and it becomes one piece of your evidence, along with your photocopy of the letter. I'm a little confused. Requested payment, as in go up to him and ask him for the money? If so, I never did that. So if I don't ask him for the money, then my trial will most likely be expedited? Should I ask him for the money first then or just let it be and serve him? Also this is the last bit of evidence for my case, I think: The cam gear is also deeply scarred. You can see it in the first photo, where the chain slap has worn down the gear. I knew this was going to be bad because he bought a new chain on the bill of sale, but it's just one more thing. Edited June 4, 2017 by Beemon (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted June 4, 2017 Share Posted June 4, 2017 I can't speak for WA, but in CA you have to prove that you made a demand--presumably otherwise you're wasting the court's time, in the very unlikely case the defendant says, "well if he had asked, I would have paid him at least some of it.". Unless it's in writing, you can't prove you made a demand. It's worth a preliminary trip to your local small claims court office. They should have a punch list on a flyer--or check online. In your demand letter, you should give him x number of days (I'd say 10, but check your local requirement) to pay in full or enter into a written agreement. You have to let that time go by before you file. That's the beauty of the two letters--the clock starts two days from when you mail them, even if he doesn't pick the certified letter up at all. AND write on the envelopes in large letters, ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED. Only if he has moved, you get the new address on a photocopy of the face of the envelope and the USPS collects about a buck from you for the service. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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