I recently learned that the main NAPA warehouse/building on Wherle does block assemblies, and with relatively quick turnaround/completion. Guy at work with a boosted civic says he took his block and all parts for it to them, and for $500 they cleaned it up, and put it all together for him.
I have NO INTENTION of learning how to do such intricate work on my car…the smallest mistake would prove very costly and my whole build could be shot…not worth risking for the sake of being able to say i did it myself.
I know there have been other threads about machine shops that do bore/hone work and such, but most of the ones i’ve seen/heard about specialize in domestic V8’s for the most part…i want a shop that has worked on and is comfortable with the quality of their work with import motors…especially ones that aren’t quite as typical as the everyday civic.
Basically i’m looking to take my empty block to a place, with the crank, all bearings, rods, rod bolts, pistons/rings, etc in hand…and say here ya go…make it perfect, make it as good as new.
Kyle (2TurboZ) did tell me of a place in Hamburg…but i deleted the text with the name of it :picard:
Also, any guesstimates on pricing for such work would be appreciated.
I went to that napa for a block cleaning and check for cracks and shit. had it back in a day or two. I know some other peeps who brough their shit their as well, not for assemply. but for same thing I brought mine in for. Prices were good turnaround time good too.
While I have never had NAPA assemble a block…I did happen to have them screw up a simple flywheel resurce job. Granted, this was an isolated incicent…but I guess my point would be that shit work can come from anywhere. If they’re assmebling, will they provide any guarantee or warrantee on their work???
they’re good for part processing, but i have no idea about their assembly work. Nor do i have any idea why you’re trusting something that you feel is so crucial to someone else - not that it’s particularly hard to do or anything…
i have no way of/don’t know what to look for when checking cylinder walls to see what kinda work needs to be done to the block prior to putting the new pistons in, i’m not doing a stock build…aftermarket pistons, so some bore work might need to be done…and that is particularly hard considering i don’t have the tools/knowledge.
And even with the assembly once i got the block all cleaned up…i’d be too terrified of making a dumb small mistake…i’d rather find a place that will do it and guarantee it for the peace of mind.
Again, they are good for their part processing - which i think you;re referring to as cleaning it up (bore hone, tank, flux, etc)
Again, I do not know about their assemblymen.
If they guarantee it that’ll give you piece of mind? They cannot guarantee the motor will not fail, only that they will repair it if the failure is there fault.
And, i certainly recommend that you select your parts & rings, and provide them to the shop.
I think this is the most important part. Find a shop that will back it’s work and you should feel 100% confident in taking your parts there. I’m not talking about 3 years/30,000 miles warantee, but a guarantee that upon startup you’ll have good compression, no leaks, etc.
I wish I could offer up shops/people that can do this, but I haven’t had to deal with any of this while living in WNY:(
Nik, i’m definitely planning on buying all parts myself…there’s a few Z only parts shops/sites i order off that have put together a package that is everything i need…Weisco pistons/rings, new rod bolts, all bearings, pumps, gaskets, etc…all OEM except for the pistons since stock pistons aren’t forged and wouldn’t hold up for what i have planned.
If it really is that simple, as some of you are saying, to do assembly…any links to sites that give a good breakdown on how to do so, what to be careful of, the do’s and do not’s of the process…etc…
And Viper, didn’t you have tons of problems with your tib though? Not trying to be a dick, but i thought that was a constant project/money pit for you…
Come on now, surely you remember how not complex it was once inside when I had my engine torn apart in that garage.
Napa will probably do a fine job. However if you do decide to do it, get a repair manual that covers teardown, and has the tolerances. Take your time, keep it clean, keep it organized use the table I have on the wall and write down what everything is so it doesn’t get mixed up. Have the block and rotating assemblies checked at a shop and go from there. April is coming fast if you want to use that hoist.
you’re going to need to get your cylinder walls bored because aftermarket are not the same. and i hope u bought a little bit oversized pistons as well (if you have them already)
u can just pm mike(inno), or pm me and i can tell u what he told me, but i have 2 less cylinders.
Napa does great work w/ assembly from what i have seen, but I use them strictly for machine work. If you do take it to NAPA talk to Tom B. at the machine shop. He is very knowledgable.
If I were to have a performance engine assembled, I would talk to Mike at Innovative hands down.
And 90NA300ZX, didn’t you have tons of problems with your 300zx though? Not trying to be a dick, but i thought that was a constant project/money pit for you…
