Block Prep FYI 3.4

[mongo]

I have my 3.4 in the shop right now for cleaning, bore and hone. I stopped by to talk to my machinist and he informed me he may not be able to complete the work. Turns out his old boring machine hits the webbing in the block in the middle cylinders so it cannot reach the bottom of the bore. He knows another machinist who has a different machine that should be able to do the job. This is just an FYI for you guys that may use an older machine shop with older machines....

[geoffinbc]

Interesting. Had no problems with the machine shop I used. He had all Sunnen equipment

[mongo]

The first time I got invited into this shop was when I found out about the problem boring my block. Previously, I could only catch glimpses of the shop through open doors and saw immaculately clean floors and work surfaces (a good sign) as well as the cleaned parts currently being worked on. I could tell everything in there was older equipment but it wasn't until I was in there that I saw how old. I guarantee some of his machines did duty on model T blocks! As long as it is maintained well, and his equipment was, a bore is a bore and it is the micrometer that tells the quality of the work done and not the brand or year the machine was made. That being said, newer equipment tends to be more versatile and wouldn't have had this problem on my block. I've had him do several other blocks before but apparently this is the first one with a clearance issue....

[geoffinbc]

Agreed. Some newer equipment will band aid a shitty operator or completely eliminate the dependence on one. But a good machinist can use any machine as long as the bearings are tight and the slides are true.