Write it off to paranoia or just having too many experiences w/ paying machine shops for "quality" work and not getting what I've paid for. Regardless, I hauled my "ready to assemble" 448 block done by another shop some years back in a different part of the same state (not close to me) over to the local shop that did the freshen-up work on my 452's block this summer. I asked them to give it the and double-check the work.

1. Check bore sizes, concentricity, and verify the hone job was actually done WITH torque plates (been burned on that one already).

2. Check the aluminum main cap installation to verify main bore sizing and concentricity.

3. Correct the CRAPPY chamfer job done on the top of the bores that looks like my 6-year old did it w/ a rat-tailed file.

4. Remove what's left of the old dipstick tube that's still stuck in the block.

There are actually a few more items on the list I provided w/ the block, but you get the idea. Until I find out what the story is on this, I'm not making any more moves towards building anything w/ this block.



EDIT: I'll also mention that I do own the tools required to do a good bit of this checking, but do this type of stuff so infrequently that I'm looking for an experienced hand to do the measurements.

Bad machine work is a bummer. Not only do you pay for the machine work, but sometimes the actual parts are ruined too. So you end up paying for everything multiple times over. I was lucky to find a good machine shop to work with years ago. It isn't a fancy shop but the guy takes his time and does it right.

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Not only do you pay for the machine work, but sometimes the actual parts are ruined too.

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Example: The block in question has already been bored .040" over since they said it didn't clean up at .030". And they've already done the install on the old-style aluminum main caps. If the bore work is crap, I'm still sitting on a set of .040" pistons, but the block "could" be taken out again. But what happens if they hosed the main cap installation? Does the block automatically become a boat anchor?

This stuff drives me effing nutz sometimes.

yea i know that feeling all to well myself. had a shop build my 340 years ago they charged my 320.00 for a comp cam and lifters and when i got the motor going ran like a pos..... took it apart and took the block over to another shop cylinder out of round and a few other things so im kinda funny now as to who does the work...

Went through that a couple years ago with "The best Mopar guy in Chicago".

1. Put one rod/piston into block-Piston stuck above deck .250". Guy ordered wrong pistons. Took 4 weeks to get right pistons.

2. Decked the block with the alignment dowels still in the block. Had to drill them out.

3. Went to install cam- Bearings so tight cam would not go in. (He had the cam specifically so he could fit the bearings)

Trust no one.

this is why i've invested in my own measuring equipment- been burned! i've found a hole in the wall one man shop who knows i double check his work, and he puts everything exactly where i want it. i love this guy!

nothing surprises me anymore. i just finished checking and correcting a block for another Moparts member. he already had the block to two other shops. the first one messed it up and by measuring things himself, he saw some disturbing things. he took it to a second shop to fix the first shops mistakes. to say he was disappointed when he got it back would be an understatement.
when i started checking things i found the cylinders were hour glass shaped as much as .0045" the decks (which were already cut twice) were off front to rear by .005 and side to side by almost .007" to make matters worse, they weren't machined 45 degrees to the crank centerline. what a mess.
it's amazing what shows up when you put a block in a CNC machining center. the nice thing is it sure makes things easier to correct.

Does anyone provide a check sheet with all measurements recorded after a machining job anymore?

I wouldn't trust Warren Johnson to give me a block without a check sheet that I could verify with my own tools before assembly.

my guy gave me 1

maybe to you but he asked a ? and I answered that ?

MY MOTOR WAS DONE by mendezmotorsports, he told me my motor would run 10.20's and the damn thing runs 9.80's. now i got to get certified and all that stuff