Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

[Scott O.]

Hi,
Car is 1978 L-82
Any recommendations for a Machine Shop in Bay Area? Looking for a old style not a production type shop that can hot tank aluminum intake and do a performance valve job with mild porting per this forum. Need someone who will follow my requests and NOT bead blast everything!
Thanks, Scott

[Mike T.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Scott - In what particular part of the Bay Area are you looking? I lived in the North Bay for 36 years and have a number of friends with personal shops out at Sears Point (never did like the name 'Infineon' and not so keen on the new name 'Sonoma Raceway') who will have some good recommendations for machine shops but it would help to know which part of the SF Bay Area you're leaning towards.

[Scott O.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Mike
i actually live south of Gilroy. Anywhere from Monterey to Napa to Sacramento will work. I'm not in a rush yet, just getting ideas for down the road.
Thanks, Scott

[Joe L.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Mike
i actually live south of Gilroy. Anywhere from Monterey to Napa to Sacramento will work. I'm not in a rush yet, just getting ideas for down the road.
Thanks, Scott

Scott------


S&S Machine on Washington Bl. in San Leandro, CA. The best in the business.

By the way, you can't hot tank an aluminum manifold or other aluminum components. If you do, you'll end up with nothing. Aluminum is an amphoteric metal. That basically means it dissolves in both acid and base. Old fashioned hot tanks contain a highly caustic solution. It works fine for cast iron but not aluminum. I don't know if S&S has a hot tank anymore. Few, if any, shops in California these days will have one. Environmental regulations have pretty much done them in.

[Scott O.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Joe
I actually called S&S first before posting the question, they are so busy doing motors that they're not taking in any headwork at this time. Maybe in a couple of months, they could. You're absolutely correct in being the best if they have to turn away business because of the current workload. Fortunately I'm not in a hurry, so I'll check back with them in a few months.

Regarding hot tanking aluminum intakes, in the 80's I worked in European Car Shops. We had 2 Hot Tanks, one for ferrous based metals and another for aluminum/magnesium(don't know what chemicals were used) You're right those days are long gone.

As usual thanks for all your help answering everyone's questions.
Scott

[Joe L.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Joe
I actually called S&S first before posting the question, they are so busy doing motors that they're not taking in any headwork at this time. Maybe in a couple of months, they could. You're absolutely correct in being the best if they have to turn away business because of the current workload. Fortunately I'm not in a hurry, so I'll check back with them in a few months.

Regarding hot tanking aluminum intakes, in the 80's I worked in European Car Shops. We had 2 Hot Tanks, one for ferrous based metals and another for aluminum/magnesium(don't know what chemicals were used) You're right those days are long gone.

As usual thanks for all your help answering everyone's questions.
Scott

Scott------


I have never seen a hot tank for aluminum parts. I cannot imagine what sort of chemicals such a tank would use other than water and detergent.

[Scott O.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Joe
I Googled aluminum hot tanks and found various discussions. Some saying you can't and some to find someone that can.
The most interesting answer was to try an Automatic Tranmission Shop. However most likely as you stated it will be some type of detergent.
Even if I could remember the company's name that supplied and serviced the 2 different hot tanks, by now California probably shut them down.
I'll post before/after pictures if try I try a Transmission Shop. But based on this discussion will probably end using a lot of elbow grease. But absolutely no bead blasting for me!
Thanks again, Scott

[Mike T.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Scott - I got a reply from my racer friends from Sears Point and it turns out that their engine builder Dave Haver (his shop used to be down on Bayshore in SF but I believe he's since relocated down the peninsula) also uses S&S over in San Leandro. All three of the friends are very satisfied with their work. One of those friends won the Pinks All Out at Infineon in 2010.

[Scott O.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Mike
Thanks for the follow up!
looks like I have to wait until S&S has time for my heads.
Scott

[John C.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi,
Car is 1978 L-82
Any recommendations for a Machine Shop in Bay Area? Looking for a old style not a production type shop that can hot tank aluminum intake and do a performance valve job with mild porting per this forum. Need someone who will follow my requests and NOT bead blast everything!
Thanks, Scott

Bob Gromm has been doing it since the 1960's!

Gromm Racing Heads & Engines
664 Stockton Ave # J
San Jose, CA 95126

(408) 287-1301

.....and Marc at Campbell Auto Restoration can restore your intake manifold to factory finish.

http://www.campbellautorestoration.com/

[Scott O.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, John
I will check both of them out.
I have been wanting to check out Campbell Restorations Shop, seen several cars they did at local car shows.
Thanks, Scott

[Duke W.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Say hi to Marc for me and check out his Cosworth Vegas - the turbo and the former SCCA B-sedan (that almost won the SCCA Runnoffs years ago) that now has a ZL-1 big block.

I'm sure Marc can recommend a machine shop that can do proper restoration work. Raise the CR to the 10-10.5 range with some suitable KB pistons, but since you still have to get emission tested, internal mods such as massaging heads won't do much good with the highly restrictive single catalyst exhaust.

Duke

[Scott O.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Duke
Will say hi to Marc for you and check at the Cosworth Vegas.
Do you think a high flow Catalyic Converter would make enough difference to do some massaging?
Thanks, Scott

[Joe L.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Duke
Will say hi to Marc for you and check at the Cosworth Vegas.
Do you think a high flow Catalyic Converter would make enough difference to do some massaging?
Thanks, Scott

Scott------


I'm not sure that a high flow catalytic converter would be a smog-legal replacement in California. As a matter of fact, California requires that ALL replacement catalytic converters installed on vehicles in California meet OBD II standards. The converters have to be embossed to clearly indicate this and, I'm told, smog inspection stations are supposed to check for this. As a matter of fact and insane as it sounds, if you had an NOS catalytic converter for your car it would be illegal to install it for a California-registered car.

[Scott O.]

Re: Machine Shop recommendation Northern Cal BAY area

Hi, Joe
Good point, I have seen the converters listed for 49 States and can't ship to California. As I understand it, can't even convert to dual exhaust with 2 California Convertors.
Thanks, Scott