Talked To a Machinist Shop Today...

talked to a machinist shop today... told them some of the issues I was having... what they expected from me and what my goals were for the engine. My biggest concern is if they are familiar with buick engines. thier website Pacific Engine and Machine | WELCOME didnt have promising pictures of an engine that I could identify. They quoted me between 2500 and 2900 for a rebuild and for a valve job. It could vary depending on what the inside of the engine looks like on the inside. Ive seen good reviews online, but anyone with a computer and an email can place a review. They are the only local machine shop in the area with good reviews (there are probably more, but the further north you go, the more expinsive *hit gets).

Does 2500 sound like a reasonable rate?
what should I ask for them to do?
What are your opinons?
what should the block be honed to? and what sized pistons should I use?
anything I should look for? parts, what I should have the shop do? what I should do myself? wanted to consult you before yanking the powerplant out. (BTW I was thinking of a serpentine setup?) Ive talked to Matt, and hes been helping me out alot.

It be a little while before I could take the engine In, but its definetley doable within the next 5 months (getting my priorities straight first school, work, and moving into my own place)

any thoughts would be great.:smile:
BTW matt if your reading this, i found a parts MC at the junkyard. Gonna go pull some parts tommorow If theyre open

Haterade your Input is not neccesary...

Cool get the parts if you can. The more you can do yourself the more you save. $2500 is too much you can get an engine trade in with warranty. get over the idea of someone who knows buicks. if someone rebuilt a motor they know how to check specs and compare them to the book. I know everyone is going to get mad at me for saying that. but he is looking for a buick specialty shop. Specialty shops charge more, something you don’t need. For around $1500 you can get a rebuilt engine swap. (they take your old core and give you a rebuilt motor.) When I pulled the engine in my blazer I got a rebuilt engine ready to go all I had to do was throw the intake, acc,and exhaust manifold up. It was a dd so I need the car and could not wait to do a rebuild myself. Got the engine that AM by late night I had the old one out. Swapped out the parts I need to and put the engine in the next day. Had to do it on a weekend so I had a car to get me to work. try to find a place that does engine trade in. I had to do it and it didn’t cost much more than a rebuild. Don’t try to make it a race car just get it back together. Honestly, I could pull my engine in a half a day. Their not hard to pull. Make sure you take the starter out. I had the starter hang up on the motor mount and it was a pain. I would just pull the engine and trans as a unit its easier at least for me. Start by taking a lot of pictures so you remember where everything went. Pull the wires, then hoses, then get the ac compressor off and hang it to the side, then power steering pump. Take the fuel lines off the pump its near the frame easy to disconnect. Then get the trans member loose get your cheery picker on it and remove the motor mount bolts only two. I may has skipped some stuff like trans lines and the exhaust which you already have off.

Yes... Ive talked to Ken and Merle. Merle told me about the shop he took his 4.1 to, but he told me that his was pretty much a no limits build, and that rates would easily run me more than the car would ever be worth. Waterhouse Closed thier doors about 2 years ago and Centerline (sorry Matt) was real *****y, and ive heard nothing but complaints. (BTW he thinks its disgusting technology and told me to go LS1 which he has sitting at home, or just go with a buick 350) I will however send him a PM about a machine shop. GN northwest doesnt know anything about my car so they are out of the question. That brings up a good point, I never did ask them about tear down. If I could get the engine out, I could bag any bolts and nuts from parts. When I get into it like you stated, ill go from there to see/ask what I need... Ill post back in a few weeks.:smile:

I plan on taping and labeling the wire looms when I pull the engine. That 350 trans is such a PITA. Would I get a NA 3.8 or a Turbo 3.8 Is the big question that came across my mind when you said that. The A/C compressor and smog are coming off and not coming back on. You DONT want to know how my friends pull engines. Fuel Lines are pretty simple. Alot of things are sort of helter skelter, but Ive noticed that the majority of them go in the same direction and I can put two and two together. Luckily charlie sent me a wiring diagram awhile ago.

A word of caution on the "bring your own parts to the party idea"....
Many shops will:
A. Offer NO WARRANTY, if you choose and supply the parts.
B. May mark up the labor to cover the loss of profit on the parts.

Your choice.....

Where are you located?

Bringing your own parts is cool except you dont know if they used what you brought. I ran into that before.
Exchange engines are out on these engines I had a marshall engine ended up having a na crank in it Auto zone engines dont offer a turbo crank either they ordered two engines and they both had na cranks in them.
Check parts for sale. Someone was selling a complete drivetrain for 2500.
2500 is not that bad for complete rebuild depending what they are including cam ,pistons ,balancing,valves.springs,
I know alot of shops dont work on buick engines but alot of info can be passed along from builders on this site that know these engines.
Good luck

Tacoma... 40 miles south of seattle...

you bring up a good point and thats what I was talking about. AZ isint gonna give you a good engine, and odds are a rebuild shop ising going to have the proper parts for the engine. I was going to mark the parts that I brought in, like i was going to lightly awl the heads with a mark or symbol on each of the heads. Ive been looking throught the parts sections and CL for parts. and its pretty slim. I did however find a complete Top end HA setup, but Id personally rather stick with the C/T setup. Alot of the engine parts are fine ie turbo, heads, intake, pulleys, pumps, ect. But the age has definetley caught up.

Just take your motor to a local mchine shop its just a 3.8 turbo motor not John forces engine your making this way to hard.

thank you... i have been saying this all along.

get any local machine shop. if you have to drive then drive. here Automotive Remanufactured Engines - Eagle Engine Sales, Inc. this is the place i used for my blazer motor. Automotive Engines Warranty - Eagle Engine Sales, Inc. i dont know if they ship Distribution Centers - Eagle Engine Sales, Inc. but you can see. it may cost you more than its worth to ship a motor out.

Pick your machine shop carefully. These engines are not small block chevy's. I know over 20 machine shops in the chicago area and I would only suggest two of them with a buick v6 and probably one of them would have it done in less than two months. I have seen alot of machine shops do poor work from align honing to boring without a deck plate. Its fine untill you put the engine back in and it blows up in a day or less. Even reman engines are being built in Mexico for most of the aftermarket I got an Atk engine two years ago knocked on start up. The second engine they sent had valve stuck in guide I ended up fixing that one myself. I sure there is alot of people on this site that will tell you the same thing about builders for the buick engines. I live in chicago and I will probably go to Lonnie from Extreme for mine and I think he is in Ohio. Trust me when I tell you These are not small blocks be careful

I really wish GN northwest would do it... Save me alot of trouble... in the SEA/TAC metro area there are about 5 machine shops, 1 closed down, 1 seems like they may be able to do the job, and the rest Ive heard complaints from customers with the most basic of ford 300 inline engines and honda engines. I called AZ just to see what they would say, and they looked at me like I was asking them for the holy graile.

thats the plan... I already started dissasembling some minor electrical connections and vac lines.

Sorry to get off topic but while we have small block chevys on our heads. Charlie do you have any small block chevy tricks? Any thing that is not normally known? right now i bought a set of casting # 3782461X heads. i also have other heads too but if you know chevy heads then you know what theses are. some dumb guy had them on craigslist for $50 his post was " i have some old chevy heads $50 takes them or i am going to give them to the scrapers." lol dont worry i am not swaping my buick to a small block chevy. its for another car

i will send you a email later what do you want me to send you? i posted the casting number. cant believe what i got for $50. do you want pics?
have you ever worked on a 69 Camaro before charlie? know any tips on them.
i am starting on the 12 bolt right now but soon moving on to other things. :biggrin: