The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 machine shop in South

Anyone recommend a good engine machine shop in the south for my 216. Prefer to take to someone that knows 216 rather than watching over them.

Are you looking for a full rebuild, or a "freshen-up? Very few people know how to properly fit and adjust Babbit connecting rods, as the most common approach is to bore the rods for replacement bearings. I like to use standard bore 235 aluminum pistons, which involves a .060" overbore, ending up 224 cubic inches, and a lighter weight rotating assembly which is much kinder to the rod bearings.

Currently, I'm working on putting a 235 rotating assembly in a 216 block, which eliminates the Babbit rods and adds a pressurized crankshaft. The engine will look exactly like a 216 from the outside.
Jerry

Its a full rebuild. 1 & 6 pistons were seized from water/rust so boring cylinders oversize and I don’t know what else.

I’m asking because of the babbit bearings. So again looking for recommendations of actual experience with an engine machine shop in South doing a 216.

Thanks
Mike

I found out about 60 years ago that the way to get Babbit rods right was to do it myself. Use Prussian Blue and a 3-cornered scraper to fit the Babbit bearing material to the shaft, and shim stock to set the clearance. I taught dozens of high school auto mechanics students to do it. It's not "rocket surgery"! Most of the machinists who know how to do it right are like me- - - - -retired!
Jerry

I cant make a recommendation, even for around these parts. I agree with Jerry, there are just not that many machinists with 216 experience around. So you may have to ride buckshot a little bit no matter where you take it. Haggerty did a 216 rebuild, posted articles and a couple of you tube videos that I thought were pretty well done and very interesting. You might consider going through the videos just to see if you can pick up something he4lpful.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/videos/behind-the-scenes-of-our-chevy-216-stovebolt-redline-rebuild/

Mike, I just watched that video- - - -they're cheating with bored-out rods and insert bearings. That's OK, I guess, but those bearings haven't been made new in many years, and the supply of them is drying up rapidly. The machinist who has been grinding all my crankshafts since the late 1980's says that the only size that's readily available is .030" undersize. 20 under is virtually impossible to find, and the supply of 10's isn't a lot better. I've been boring the rods to fit Perkins Diesel bearings, which are available in standard diameter and several undersizes, but the crankshaft has to be ground to fit the bearing ID, about .060" under standard for the 216 crankshaft. That shouldn't be a problem, as the bearings don't care what size they are as long as the oil clearance is right. NASCAR engines are turning 9K RPM with a rod bearing size of 1.850" and they're only 3/4" wide!
Jerry

Ok. I’ve poured babbit bearings, done machining, used prussian and dykem blue, plastigage.
Was just looking for a shop.
Thanks all.

Mikey, the guys are somewhat hesitant to provide recommendations because of hard feelings if your experience was not as good as their experience. Machine shops that are willing to tackle these old engines are getting few and far between. Sorry you found no help here.

PM sent.

Did you find a place to go? I know everyone always says EGGE or whatever but California is a ways a way even from me in Oklahoma. I would think a place like Oklahoma would have a place as this practice would be more prevalent here in Farm Country because of old tractors. I want to keep my 216 but would like having the full oil pressure.

I just acquired an aiming fixture for the spray-oiler nozzles in the oil pan. (Thanks, Evan!) That's a very important part of doing a quality rebuild of a Babbit rod engine, or one that has been converted to insert bearings, since the rod oiling is the same for either one. The owner of the place where I bought one of my crankshaft grinders, King's Crankshaft in North Carolina, tells me that he would be able to drill a 216 crankshaft for internal oiling of the rod bearings, but the first one he does would involve a pretty considerable programming charge for his CNC equipment. Since he makes most of his living whittling NASCAR crankshafts out of solid billets of steel, I'm sure he would be able to do a good job!
Jerry

A bit west from you but Piranial's Antique Engines in Denton, Texas is beyond compare but VERY expensive. Dennis is the consummate perfectionist so his work is well paid for. Do a search to see options offered.

Evan,

Thanks for the pointer. I'm not far from Piranio's, but hadn't run into their work. Looks like a lot of vintage flathead stuff, but certainly relevant "technology."

Here's the website, Jerry: Piranio's Antique Automotive.

Thanks, again, Evan.

Doug

Got a local place, been around long time, does a lot of old tractor engines. Had a good feeling because as soon as I told him what I had he said he doesn't do babbet bearings. He will clean, and mic everything, I can mic as well. I think it will need boring as #1 & #6 were rusted seized. I can do she shimming. So I will know in a couple weeks, he is backed up. Will use EGGE, know them from years ago building racing engines.

TUTS 59 sent me a suggesting, trying to stay kinda local.

Where in "GA" are you, and exactly what do you need done? I've got approximately 100 Babbit rods stockpiled, some reconditioned, others "good used" condition, and at least one set of brand new, never run WW II surplus rods, still in heavy canvas and Cosmoline wrappings. I've been collecting them for eventual conversion to Perkins Diesel rod bearings and custom grinding of the crankshaft to fit the bearings.
Jerry