Poll, Who assembles their own engine?

[Unchained]

1) Do you assemble your own engine?
2) If you had an engine shop assemble for you did you have any problems or was it totally trouble free ?
3) If you assemble your own engine did you have any problems or was it trouble free?
Oh yeah,
For me no. 1 yes almost always, I enjoy the challenge.
no. 2 When I did have someone else assemble one time I had some oil leaks and minor issues.
no. 3 When I assembled it myself it took me a few trys to get the copper head gaskets to seal. No probs with rotating assembly though.
Tank slot
Mark
[This message has been edited by Unchained (edited January 23, 2002).]

[schiada96]

1) yes
2) If I had the money I still wouldn't have anyone put it together for me that's half of the fun of boating is to do your stuff for yourself.
3)I didn't have any engine problems just tuning stuff.

[schiada96]

stupid smiley sorry

[Infomaniac]

Originally posted by schiada96:
1) yes
2) If I had the money I still wouldn't have anyone put it together for me that's half of the fun of boating is to do your stuff for yourself.
3)I didn't have any engine problems just tuning stuff.
This is my answer also. I have never bought an assembled engine. Even my first rebuild, I did myself. 22 years old small block Chevy.

[058]

1] yes and have built engines for other people. 2] Had only one engine built by a shop, had problems, they took care of it. 3] I have had a few problems with a couple of my engines. [last engine; flatten 2 cam lobes due to too much valve spring pressure] Latest project is a 855" Cummins MVT 400hp diesel engine.

[superdave013]

1. I've done some with some help of a friend. Now I'm doing one totaly by my self.
2. Yes, By a few shops. Had trouble with one shop and they didn't stand by shit.
Had some done by George @ Clay Smith. It ran great for a long time. I still have it.
3. Uh, I hope not but I'll let you know.
http://www.havasubarney.com/gallery/albums/album21/sd4.sized.jpg

[h2otboat]

1. Yes I assemble my own engines
2. No I have never had a shop assemble an engine for me. I use the money I would have paid someone, to buy better(usually more expensive)parts.
3. No no problems, just a matter of getting the tune up dialed in.

[Maverick]

Isn't that what boating IS? Any excuse for old "Hot rodders" to still practice the art?
Stated differently, when I recently paid someone to install a cam in my 502; after the first year I took the motor down to discovery that I didn't get the ultradyne cam I paid for....
Soooo, I built it myself and it performs much better now.
Sound familiar??

[77charger]

yes
no
my first assemblies were a learning experience a few sbcs but after a couple of tries i believe i have perfected it.I do all the work and instalations myself ex for stuff that needs to be machined.porting,boring,cam grinding.As for the rest its up to me.My current motor is a bbf 429 11-1 248@.50 cam .590 lift on a 108 center,Heads will be ported soon.and pump is being repaired now.

[BradP]

Assemble my own, I'm on my first own assmbly of a boat motor though.
Only had to assemble it twice so far (not counting pulling the heads)
I did it the smart way though it's my first performance motor self assmebled (I've done stock car motors before) so I put a Huffer on it so I could experience ALL the joy of performance boating. :-)
Runs great, now if I can just get it tuned right without melting another piston.
Nope wouldn't buy a pro built even though it is the smart thing to do, too much fun banging my knuckles.
On the machining I know some big bucks guys that turned me on to their connections for Da Kine machining

[wsm9808]

Yes, I build all my own motors, but I own an engine shop, so I guess you could say they are built by "a shop". Anyway, we have real good luck with the reliabilty of our motors. But, if you race/play hard something is going to break sooner or later.

[058]

If you don't break something you aren't running hard. Kinda like the old saying "if you are under control you aren't going fast enough."

[Boater Bill]

Odd man out here. I had my long blocks assembled. No initial problems, boat ran strong. Banged a couple rod bearings 1yr afterwards though, probably my fault. Their/My second try...? Hopefully will light it for the first time tomorrow.
058 I like your comment. I run my shit hard and often. I'm still learnin'!

[wsm9808]

Its funny how people will run the piss out of a boat and think nothing of it, but cringe at the thought of spinning their car motor up. One of the guys that works for me just put 4.56 gears in his GTO and has complained ever since about how hard it is on his motor turning 3200rpm going down the loop at 60. I finally asked him why he runs his jet boat all day at 3500 plus rpm and and never gives it a second thought, but freeks out at cruising for 2 minutes a day at 3200 in his car. I never got an answer but at least he got quite about the gears tearing up his motor. Shoot, that is half the fun of racing, when you tear it up you get to take what you learned and make it faster the next time.

[058]

3200 @ 60 mph?...with 4.56s? Damn he must be running a tall tire. When I ran 4.56s on the street I had to spin it 3700 just to stay with traffic.

[Flat Screwd]

Not only yes but hell yes! I can say that not all my motors raped the ape , but the ones that did raped the ape and her mother.
I cant do the machine work of course but the but the port work and combos are all me.
After all do you have sombody els father your child and then you raise it.
To me , all a mans hobbies are an extension of him self. Weather it be boats or cars or bikes or whatever . I'm more impressed by a guy that put effort into his ride than put money into it. After all if your going to drop 30gs into a 10g motor you could have built it 3 times.
And after you built it if it runs like shit or it leaks oil or you blow a rod though the block than thrust me you wont do that agian.
There's nothing worse than hearing a guy talk about the amount of money he spent on a piece of crap or talking smack about his builder , if you built it your self than you might be a little humbble.
Come on guys step up to the plate dont puss out. Intake-compresion-power-exhust.

[machinehead]

Find a machinist you are confident in.Get your own tools and mics to check everything.Ask questions when you have to .And when someone asks you who built your motor it will feel great to say me.

[Tinkerboater]

I always assemble my own motors. I send out the machine work to the specs. I want. I do the prep work on the parts. When I get them back I clean everything and bolt it togeather. The only problems I have had is with parts failure in the last 10 years. I have made mistakes in my younger days. I do a lot of bowl work on the heads and cc them. I valve notch the bores and check to make sure that the pistons are all .010 down in the bore. I also degree in the cam. I use a well known performance engine shop but I have been told that I am fussier than they are. So I do as much work as I can.

[nitro557]

i do my assembly and machine work ,the marina i work at lets us use all the tools and i used to work as a machinist and the owner of the shop lets me use it for my motors,ive built unblowngas up to blown and unblown nitro

[Unchained]

Tinkerboater, Who do you use for machine work? I have used More Power in Sparta and am real happy working with those guys. They won't dyno my engine though. I guess they can't go over 850hp or it blows it's mind.

[Mr. Bravo III]

Yeah, i did it myself. no problems at all.
never trust someone else ass' my stuff.
mr. Bravo III

[Tinkerboater]

Unchained I have been using Performance Enginearing for the last 20 years. They do good work and if I needed my parts back in a hurry they usually got them to me. They have built motors for some well known boats.

[Unchained]

Tinkerboater, I heard that they did good work and that's what counts. Does Dave W run that shop? I knew him from Autodie. I can honestly say that he is the biggest asshole I have ever met. But he does know how to build an engine.

[Tinkerboater]

I always dealt directly with the owner (mrs.) I knew her 1st husband before he died. They have a regular file on record for my work done over the years.

[waterbum]

Superdave,that looks like a picture of my stroker settin on the engine stand while I was degree'en the cam in.I took very simular pictures!Yes,I do all my own engine work, short of the machine work.When it comes back from the machine shop I go over all the specs just to make sure,I leave nothing to chance!The only problem I ever had was carburation.750cfm was too much for my stroker,wouldn't pull the vacuum secondaries open on an Edelbrock.Bum

[rrrr]

I built my first engine, a SBC, at 14 yrs old. I bought a flattie with a 427 FE in November. Haven't built an engine in years (decades?) but it's all coming back to me.
Found a good machine shop with a guy that knows about the FEs, and they are doing the machine work. Amazingly, after almost 40 years a cylinder hone was all it needed. The parts will be done tomorrow and I'll start reassembly.
I'm going to run it in the stock 2 X 4 configuration, kind of a resto thing. I did get a new cam from Clay Smith.
Problems? We'll see. So far so good. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif
[This message has been edited by rrrr (edited January 27, 2002).]

[mach1 454]

im 17 now and built my first engine (454 chevy) when i was 15 on my own.
It runs really good till this day even though i beat the hell out of it.
will never let a engineshop assemble my engine because thats my hobbie and it feels good knowing you built your own big block

[Unchained]

Good job Mach I, My son is 16 and he works with me on our boat engine. Did your dad or a relative teach you how to assemble an engine? For some reason we have to have loud heavy metal music going when working on the boat engine. It's fun.

[mach1 454]

Originally posted by Unchained:
Good job Mach I, My son is 16 and he works with me on our boat engine. Did your dad or a relative teach you how to assemble an engine? For some reason we have to have loud heavy metal music going when working on the boat engine. It's fun.
iv always been into engines and curiouse on how they work! until one day my nieghbore was giving away a buick V6. i asked my dad if i could have it and he got it for me. i tore it down myself to see how an engine works and BAM my knowledge began there. so when a built my first engine (454chevy)i new how it worked and i read a book that told you EVERY single step and trick on building a engine. it gave me the tork specs etc. my neighbors thought i was a little kid having fun and that it would never run succesfully until me and my dad put it in my 1975 MACH1 and fired it up. all my nieghbors came out and were stoked and suprised to see it running. every since than my nieghbors come over when they have car trouble and i built my friend an engine for his howard wich also ran great. i usually listen to classic rock on arrow 931 when working on engines because it just completes working on an engine. later
mach1 454

[DEL51]

I have not assembled a complete engine except for a 5 hp briggs.I would have liked to but never had the tools,facilities,or experience.I respect anyone who assembles their own and may do one in the future.I have ported heads,installed all valvetrain parts and tuned carbs and timing.I have had one experience with a friends new 572 on my current engine builders dyno and learned a lot.If I had built my first blower motor I could have saved 6 grand in headaches assuming I did not make the same mistakes as this big name east cost builder.I had a job overseas for 11 years and wanted to spend my vacation time boating.the motor lasted 1 hour before valvetrain failure.I found a local builder that has a good rep and stuck with him. my loyalty to him has been reciprocated and the prices and service fit my," now," modest income. I am considering a smallblock for my blazer and would like to try my first build on this.I am considering a efi setup.Maybe an older tuned port injection from a camaro or vette if their out there.

[DetroitJim]

Definitely there are supposed professional engine builders that sell you a screwed up mess, been there, never do it again. But some shops are worth going to. There used to be twice as many in Detroit as there is now, most are gone or changed hands. Some of the best:
Sterling is now the undisputed top dog.
Gianino Racing Engines: Sam was one of the best ever.
Diamond Racing Engines: Meticulous beyond reason.
Jomar: They make still make stud girdles to this day.
Booth & Arons: Still around.
Crankshaft Craftsmen: Scary neighborhood but perfect every time.
Lots more around I never tried.
Dumbass smiley, wrong one!
[This message has been edited by DetroitJim (edited January 30, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by DetroitJim (edited January 30, 2002).]
[This message has been edited by DetroitJim (edited January 30, 2002).]

[not guilty]

Of coarse I build my own engines,everytime it blows up I build another.Gettin really good at having on the hook & out in about an hour!Trial & error is really fun , but kind of expensive on BB FORDS.Wife says leave tre goodies out this time and just put the damn thing together.BAAAAAHHHHHHHH.........NG