FEATURE ARTICLES

Engine Rebuild is Important Part of Classic Car Restoration

By John Gunnell

Classic car restoration work can generally be divided into three main areas of repairs: mechanical, body and interior. As you carry out a restoration, you take care of each of these systems and you wind up with a car that looks like new again. Dealing with the car's engine is a big part of mechanical restoration.

While some experts say that the cosmetic aspects of a restoration — the bodywork and upholstery — are the most difficult phases of a restoration, there is nothing easy about dealing with your car's engine

Most true classic car restorers are interested in rebuilding a car's original engine or finding an exact, period-correct replacement. Usually, the home restorer will "yank" the engine out of a car, disassemble it, take it to a machine shop for machining, find or order new parts, install the new parts after the machine shop is done, put the rebuilt engine back in the car and test and tune its operation.

There aren't many mail-order sources of authentic older engines, although there have been some companies that catalog Model T and Model A Ford engines and several shops offer mail order rebuilds of British sports car engines.

Promar Precision Engines, based in Paterson, New Jersey noted a nationwide resurgence of classic car restorations and started a program designed to meet the demand. The company sent representatives to car shows to promote the idea it could rebuild classic car engines shipped to it. Promar was already a remanufacturing company serving customers worldwide with a complete line of rebuilt and remanufactured engines, cylinder heads, crankshafts, engine restoration services and components. It tried to create a "mail order" business in doing older engines shipped to its New Jersey location.

Promar still offers the highly specialized service, but is not giving Classic Car Engine Rebuilding Services the same promotional push they got nine years ago. Shipping engines is expensive and that is a big reason that most hobbyists wind up yanking their engine and relying on local machine shops and rebuilders.

Removing an engine is a job most hobby restorers can do. It takes at least four to six hours strip accessories like the carburetor, generator, starter and fuel pump off an engine, carefully detach its electrical connections and plumbing, remove all fasteners that bolt it in the chassis and lift the engine safely out of a vehicle with a hoist. At a $75 an hour, shops will charge $300-$450 to do this job and the same to put the engine back again. It is a job anyone can do and doing it yourself will save you up to $900 on your total engine overhaul.

You'll remove the car's hood and any sheet metal that's in the way of the engine coming out. Then disconnect the wires, cables, fluid lines and linkages that go from car to engine. Your car's factory shop manual will list all steps to take an engine out. Follow the instructions in the manual carefully. As you work, take lots of digital photos and keep a book handy to jot down notes. Have zip-up food storage bags, index cards and a pen nearby. Each time you remove a part toss it in a bag, write a description of the part on the index card and put the card in the bag with the parts. If you think it will help, make sketches of how parts go.

As you move along, more and more parts will come off and the remaining parts will get easier to see. Eventually, you'll see how the engine mountings work and figure out how to remove them. At this point, you can move in with your engine hoist and lift the power plant out of the chassis. Some engines have lifting attachments to hook a hoist to, but often you'll have to put a sling around the block to lift it. Chains can cut into fresh engine paint, so think about a rope sling.

With the engine out, the restorer must decide who'll tear it down. This is a job requiring skill and experience. It is easy to break things like head bolts and manifold studs. If you have done the job before, you shouldn't have a problem, if it's your first time, get help. Special tools and equipment will be needed, starting with a stand to mount the engine on. If you take the engine to a professional rebuilder, they may be willing to do the teardown along with everything else. Cost wise, you are better off doing as much as you can yourself. A friend had a GTO engine done by a top shop and it lasted only a few months before he had to redo it himself. You'll get better results if you learn to do it and roll your sleeves up.

After the engine is torn down, take the pieces to the machine shop. Discuss what you need. They will know what's best. Do not cut any corners. For an obsolete motor, the shop may need help finding parts. The engine will be at the machine shop awhile, but you can keep very busy painting parts like the intake and exhaust manifolds, timing cover, air cleaner and valve cover(s) that didn't go to the machine shop. I like to rebuild everything while the engine is apart, so I send the carburetor(s), fuel pump, water pump and distributor out to specialists to be rebuilt. If it is going to be necessary to rebuild the instruments, I consider this part of the engine job. When the engine is done, you will need to have it hooked up to properly functioning gauges to test it.

What about "crate" engines? According to The New York Times (October 25, 2006) high-performance replacement engines for cars — known as "crate engines" — have become important revenue generators for American automakers. In his article, "Instant Horsepower In A Box, Delivered Straight to Your Hot Rod," Joe Siano showed that sales are growing steadily. Crate engines are used in "restoring" modified muscle cars and in building turnkey hot rods.

Siano said Chrysler sold $2 million worth of crate engines in 2004, $4.5 million in 2005 and $5 million in 2006. Automakers sell crate engines priced from $1,400 up to about $17,000. A hot rodder interviewed for the article said he purchased a 435-hp GM crate engine with a two-year warranty for $4,500 — about half what it would cost him to rebuild an old performance V-8.

Classic car restorers who use crate engines feel they improve old cars and increase their values, too. With their reliability and warranties, crate engines have helped create a new type of vehicle called a "Resto-Mod" � a car with mostly original appearance features that has some styling and many technological updates. Crate engines are also used in so-called "clone" cars. Craig Jackson, of Barrett-Jackson, said that crate-engined cars have brought over $200,000 at Scottsdale. Crate engines look great and can help create a very reliable car build. However, none are completely authentic as far as factory correctness goes.

Here is a list of sources of help for rebuilding vintage classic car engines and engine accessories.

ENGINE RESTORATION SOURCES

A & C Casting Rebuilders (casting repairs)
3560 Big Valley Rd., Unit A
Kelseyville, CA 95451
Toll free: 866-935-3227
Website: www.accastingrebuilders.com

Advanced Engine Rebuilding (engine rebuilding)
176 Main St.
Wareham, MA 02571
Phone: 508-295-2288

Benchwick Carburetor, Inc. (carburetor rebuilding)
2747 Glenwood Ave.
Youngstown, OH 44511
Phone: 330-782-3767
Website: www.carburetorohio.com

Casting Salvage Technologies (casting repairs)
Virginia
Toll free: 800-833-8814

CCS (carburetor rebuilding)
1020-A Princess St.
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: 910-232-5794
Toll free: 800-792-2077

Classic Carburetors (carburetor rebuilding)
3116 East Shea Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85028
Phone: 602-971-3300

Dale Manufacturing (harmonic balancer rebuilding)
3425 Fairhaven Ave. NE
Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-364-8685
Website: www.dalemfg.com

Damper Doctor (harmonic balancer rebuilding)
1055 Parkview Ave.
Redding, CAS 96001
Phone: 530-246-2984
Website: www.damperdoctor.com

Diesel Machine Service, Inc. (Machining)
9795 Lincoln St.
Amherst, WI 54406
Phone: 715-824-3966
Toll free: 800-236-3674

J & M Machine (engine rebuilding)
40 Mt. Vickery Rd.
Southborough, MA 01772
Ph: 508-460-0733
Website: www.jandm-machine.com

Joe Curto, Inc. (SU carburetor specialist)
22-09 126th St.
College Point, NY 11356
Phone: 718-762-SUSU
Fax: 718-762-6287
Website: www.joecurto.com

Daytona Cams (cam grinding)
Florida
Toll free: 800-505-2267
Fax: 386-258-1582
Website: www.camshafts.com

Daytona Parts Co. (Carburetor rebuilding)
1191 Turnbull Bay Rd.
New Symrna Beach, FL 32168
Phone: 386-427-7108
Website: www.daytonaparts.com

Delta Camshaft (cam grinding)
19838 Tacoma Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98402
Toll free: 800-562-5500
Website: www.deltacam.com

Effingham Regrinding, Inc. (rebabbitting)
Effingham, IL
Phone: 217-342-4186

Egge Machine Company (engine rebuilding)
11707 Slauson Avenue
Santa Fe Springs , CA 90670
Toll free: 866-534-EGGE
Email: info@egge.com

Engines by Schmitts
554 E. Butler Ave.
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: 215-348-4747

Jon W. Gateman & Son (casting repairs)
PO Box 413
Beatty, NV 89003
Cell: 775-764-0976

Harkin Machine Shop (rebabbitting/rebuilding)
903 43rd Street N.E.
Watertown, SD 57201
Phone: 605-886-7880

Hedworth Carburetors (custom rebuilding)
707 S. Missouri St.
Macon, MO 63552
Phone: 660-385-2536

Kar-Go Carburetors, Inc. (Carburetor rebuilding)
30952 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
Phone: 734-425-4590

Larry Isgro (Carburetor rebuilding)
1604 Argyle Rd
Wantaugh, NY 11795
Phone: 516-783-1041

Lawson Carburetor (carburetor rebuilding)
1109 N. Dort Hwy
Flint, MI 48506
Phone: 810-232-5881

Marx Parts (head gaskets, ignition)
7323 County Trunk N
Arpin, WI 54410
715-652-2405
Email: bob@marxparts.com

Ohio Pattern Co. (casting repairs)
Ohio
Phone: 614-875-9599

Precision Carburetor (Carburetor rebuilding)
287A Skidmores Rd.
Deer Park, NY 11729
Phone: 631-667-3854
Fax: 631-595-1059
Email: prpcarb@optonline.net

Promar Precision Engine Rebuilders, Inc. (engine rebuilding)
10 Peach Street,
Paterson New Jersey 07503
Phone: 973-684-1500
Toll free: 800-422-6022
Fax: 973-684-1212
Website: www.promarengine.com

Rick's Carburetor Repair
135 Blissville Rd.
PO Box 46
Hydeville, VT 06750
Phone: 802-265-3006
Email: robinric@over.net

The Babbitt Pot (babbitting)
1693 State Rt. 14
Fort Edward, NY 12828
Phone: 518-747-4277
Website: www.thebabbittpot.com

J & A Engines/Machine (engines and water pump rebuilding)
Washington
Phone: 509-434-8981
Toll free: 888-334-5811
Email: j_aengines@yahoo.com

Jim Taylor (SU carburetor and fuel pump rebuilding)
1222 Harned Dr.
Bartlesville, OK 74006
Phone: 918�333-3444

Terrill Machine, Inc. (fuel pump rebuilding)
1000 CR 454
DeLeon, TX 76444
Phone: 254-893-2610

Van Hook Vintage, LLC (SU and Weber carburetor rebuilding)
Pennsylvania
Phone: 215-262-8547
Website: www.vanhookvintage.com

Vintage Engine Machine Works (engine rebuilding)
5959 N. Government Way
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815
Phone: 208-651-1161

West Amity Machine Shop (engine rebuilding)
61 Toledio St.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Phone: 631-845-4604
Website: www.westamitymachine.com

Wyoming Carburetor Technology (carburetor rebuilding)
Phone: 307-672-7512
Website: www.wyocarb.com

Ace Alternator (starter and alternator rebuilding)
Wichita, Kan.
Phone: 239-821-6548 or 316-529-8854
Website: www.acewichita.com

Advance Distributors (distributor rebuilding-British cars a specialty)
1149 Quincy Street
Shakopee, MN 55379
Phone: 612-804 5543
Website: www.advancedistributors.com

British Car Part Restoration (SU electric fuel pump rebuilding)
E. Lawrie Rhoads
7 Knollwood Rd.
Medfield, MA 02052
Phone: 508-359-2077
Email: info@british-car-part-restoration.com"

Fondy Auto Electric (electrical part rebuilding)
765 Sullivan Drive
Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Phone: 920-922-9130
Toll Free: 800-236-2701
Fax: 920-922-1789
Email: info@fondyautoelectric.com

Burton R. Norton (distributor rebuilding)
0-1845 West Leonard
Grand Rapids, MI 49534
Phone: 616-677-1208
Fax: 616-677-1289
Email: burtonlnorton@yahoo.com

Philbin Rebuilt Products (distributor rebuilding; electric motor rebuilding)
28 N. Russell St.
Portland, OR 97227
Phone: 503-287-1718
Fax: 503-287-3144
Website: www.philbingroup.com

Precision Power, Inc. (starter and generator rebuilding)
630 Park Pl.
Lansing, MI 48912
Toll free: 800-794-5962
Fax: 517-371-1890
Website: www.precision-pwr.com

Bob Soucy Performance Automotive Ignition (distributor rebuilding)
Tennessee
Phone: 239-728-2810
Toll free: 800-556-1365

Wilton Auto Electric LLC (British car electrical restoration)
10 Stoney Brook Dr.
Wilton, NH 03086-5151
Phone: 603-654-9852
Email: wiltonae@comcast.net