27 replies to this topic

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Can anyone recommend a good engine machine shop in the Biggleswade/Hitchin/Shefford/Ampthill area of South Beds/North Herts?

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

I just got my first "like" from someone with no posts who now isn't a member.  Glad they appreciated the question.

[Cooperman]

When I lived in Langford I used to use C & F Ltd who are at Henlow Camp. They always did good work for me, but I now use Cambridge Rebores Ltd in Burwell, Cambs, as they are nearer and can do some things C & F can't do such as line boring and dynamic balancing.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Thanks, I've spotted C & F, good to have a recommendation for them.  Shame they're limited in what they can offer.  Burwell's a little further than I'd like to travel for such work.  I presume most machine shops are alright as they'd have no business if they weren't.

[KTS]

When I lived in Langford I used to use C & F Ltd who are at Henlow Camp. They always did good work for me, but I now use Cambridge Rebores Ltd in Burwell, Cambs, as they are nearer and can do some things C & F can't do such as line boring and dynamic balancing.

 

i was based at Henlow Camp in the early '90s and would often see (..and admire..) a very nice red cooper on the Bedford road.  i wonder if that was you ?

[Cooperman]

Hi KTS. It might have been me, but Chris Spennewyn has a Mini business halfway between Henlow Camp and Hitchin. He owns an ex-works rally car, CRX88B and often has other red/white minis in for repair and/or restoration. i liven in Shillington until 1997 then moved to Langford.

 

If you ware an RAF person you might remember Brian (can't recall he second name, but he was a  Flt.lt.) who bought my son's rally Cooper 'S' 970. It was white with a black roof and a fully prepared Group 2 FIA spec car. It was actually a 1967 998 Cooper with full 970 'S' engine, etc.

 

In the early 1960's I was a gliding instructor on 616 RAFVR Gliding School at Henlow.

[Spider]

I just got my first "like" from someone with no posts who now isn't a member.  Glad they appreciated the question.

 

Possibly a spammer.

 

Could you kindly send one of the moderators some info - ta

[Spider]

Thanks, I've spotted C & F, good to have a recommendation for them.  Shame they're limited in what they can offer.  Burwell's a little further than I'd like to travel for such work.  I presume most machine shops are alright as they'd have no business if they weren't.

 

My comment here isn't directed at these guys (I don't know them at all), but is a general comment as what grabbed my eye from your post was the assumption   " I presume most machine shops are alright as they'd have no business if they weren't."

 

Most machine shops will only do what you ask them to do and I'm sure they can do a reasonable job, but it's been my experience that you usually need to get specific to get the best from what they have to offer.

 

While most of us don't have a machine shop, it is very worthwhile reading up on the operations involved and getting a good understanding of them.

 

As one basic example, if you drop a block off with some pistons and ask for a bore and hone, that's all you will usually get. Yeah, sounds simple and obvious, but seldom is any block 'spot on' to start with and so 9 times out of 10, your fresh bore job will only follow the often crocked bores that the block had when you dropped it off. It might cost a little more, but why not have these errors, no matter how small, corrected as you go? Most machine shops generally don't bother doing this as a matter of course, because so much of their work is price driven. I don't see the point is spending money and effort in an attempt for a better engine in the hope that will perform well and have a respectable life, if it's 'foundations' are poor to start with, which will lead to the opposite.

 

I did a bit of a write up (or had a rant!) here;-

 

http://www.theminifo...gine-machining/

[DeadSquare]

"Accuracy takes time and time costs money".

 

I once had a precision workshop;  I had precision engineers from the fall out of the military aircraft industry.  It used to take them longer to "Take a bit off" than to work to the drawing, because they knew what they were aiming for.

 

The Coal Board had 1/8" tolerances on some items and some of their work was appalling because they could find no pride in it.

 

As Moke says, to get the best out of an engineer, you have to ask them to do their best.

 

 

Some of you may know the story of the lad who went off the do an engineering apprenticeship.  Come his first holiday he was telling the local blacksmith about how he was working to so many thou' and such and such a degree.

 

The blacksmith put down his hammer and said "Well don't come to me looking for a job, we works bang-on here"

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

 

Thanks, I've spotted C & F, good to have a recommendation for them.  Shame they're limited in what they can offer.  Burwell's a little further than I'd like to travel for such work.  I presume most machine shops are alright as they'd have no business if they weren't.

 

My comment here isn't directed at these guys (I don't know them at all), but is a general comment as what grabbed my eye from your post was the assumption   " I presume most machine shops are alright as they'd have no business if they weren't."

 

Most machine shops will only do what you ask them to do and I'm sure they can do a reasonable job, but it's been my experience that you usually need to get specific to get the best from what they have to offer.

 

While most of us don't have a machine shop, it is very worthwhile reading up on the operations involved and getting a good understanding of them.

 

I did a bit of a write up (or had a rant!) here;-

 

http://www.theminifo...gine-machining/

 

Thanks for the information again Mr Spider.  The link is particularly helpful.

 

Cooperman has recommended an establishment near to me but they don't do certain things like line boring.  In this case are they going to be able to check the block for squareness, i.e the deck in relation to the crankshaft centreline?

[Spider]

That's usually a fairly straightforward operation and I should think so, but, best ask as I have found a few shops here who can't or don't know how to.

 

When approaching anew machine shop, rather than tell them how to run their business, I ask how they go about boring a block. That's bread and butter for all shops. If I don't like what I hear, I don't leave them the job.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

What I should have asked is are they going to be able to check that the main bearing tunnel bores are lined up with each other if they don't have the capability to correct any mis-alignment?

 

As the condition, size and alignment of the tunnel bores seems to be the fundemental to everything else on the engine being correct I wonder if I should find a shop who can check and correct this aspect of the block?

[Cooperman]

I have to say that I have found the overall capabilities of Cambridge rebores to be far better than C & F, although since I move out the Cambs from Langford C & F has changed hands and I've not placed any work with them for a while.

 

If you look at Cambridge Rebores web site you will see how good they are. They did a Ford Pinto engine for me about a year ago for my son's RS2000 Escort and they really did a superb job. Give Colin there a ring. They also did a fantastic job on all the machining & balancing of a 998 Cooper for me.

 

To me it is worth the drive from the Shefford/Biggleswade area for a top job.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Anyone heard of T&L Engineering, Elstow, Bedford?  They do line boring.

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

To me it is worth the drive from the Shefford/Biggleswade area for a top job.

Yes I'd rather have a decent job done.  This is only a basic rebuild so I'd prefer somewhere local if possible.  In the future I'd like to build a really special engine and I'd travel more for that.  Rob Walker's on my radar for that - not much further in the other direction.