The Ford Barn

Peterooster · 02-06-2013, 07:22 PM

Dropped off my 32 four banger for new babbit in the mains, a little pricey, looks like about $1000.00. I cleaned the stripped block myself. The center main was .002" out of round, any thoughts. Pete

Walt Dupont--Me. · 02-06-2013, 08:07 PM

In hate to see that $1000 bucks Pete. There is a guy here in Me. that has done alot of As and Bs for me for $650.00 and I think that is high. I just had a 35 engine done by a guy in NH for $475.00 and a beautifull job. When I send a engine, the block is all bored, seat all ground, and crank all ground, and a new shim pack for the mains. Maybe your man has to do more than just pour and line bore. Walt

Peterooster · 02-06-2013, 08:19 PM

Pour and bore, there is very few shops that are close enough to drive to. This shop was the closet for me at 110 miles. Pete

Walt Dupont--Me. · 02-06-2013, 08:22 PM

Yea, I know what you mean Pete. These guys are getting few and far between. Walt

JM 35 Sedan · 02-06-2013, 08:29 PM

Schwalms (Ora Landis) does nice work but he is pricey. He poured the babbitt and did all the machine work for me on my '35 221 engine in my Avatar fordor sedan. He put the crank in place and I assembled everything else. The engine is running well with about 12k miles to date.

awelker · 02-06-2013, 09:07 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Ora does do really nice work. No babbitt but he did line bore, bore, and valve seat work on the 59AB flathead for my bellytank. Great attention to detail.

rgtharley · 02-06-2013, 10:00 PM

I had Ora do my 27 T motor a couple of years ago, and I had almost 3K into it before he was done. Now that I'm looking for someone to do my 35 engine, I don't think it will go to him. He does nice work, but as a machinist myself, I truly believe his rates are over priced. Several other prominent engine builders (who unfortunately don't do babbitt) have remarked that there just isn't that much labor into one of these engines. I do appreciate the level of detail that Ora puts into it, but I typically have done a lot of the work myself before I take things to shops like his. I remove studs, re-tap holes, etc. Any other suggestions for rebuilders in the Maryland area?

Thanks,
Bob T

32phil · 02-06-2013, 10:48 PM

Ora does great work, you get what you pay for. Great attention to detail and he stands behind everything he does. He did the Cragar B overhead for my sons car including the insert Mains & Crower rods. That was 15K including the Dan Price Overhead conversion and worth every penny. When we had a problem with the main seal leaking he stood behind it 100% even though the seal was defective from the vendor. This was a $20 seal and Ora replaced the seal & pan gaskets etc. including all the labor for free. Returned the engine to us ready to go. He also did the B in my pick up, another top notch job.

jkeesey · 02-07-2013, 12:06 AM

I've had him do several engines for our shop over the years and he is expensive. A closer shop to Jersey for you would have been Reds Motor Machine, I believe they are called, in Delaware. Schwalms stands behind most of their work but not all of it.

02-06-2013, 07:22 PM	#1
Peterooster Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Brunswick NJ Posts: 74	Went to Schwalms today Dropped off my 32 four banger for new babbit in the mains, a little pricey, looks like about $1000.00. I cleaned the stripped block myself. The center main was .002" out of round, any thoughts. Pete

02-06-2013, 08:07 PM	#2
Walt Dupont--Me. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gardiner Me. Posts: 4,200	Re: Went to Schwalms today In hate to see that $1000 bucks Pete. There is a guy here in Me. that has done alot of As and Bs for me for $650.00 and I think that is high. I just had a 35 engine done by a guy in NH for $475.00 and a beautifull job. When I send a engine, the block is all bored, seat all ground, and crank all ground, and a new shim pack for the mains. Maybe your man has to do more than just pour and line bore. Walt

02-06-2013, 08:19 PM	#3
Peterooster Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: North Brunswick NJ Posts: 74	Re: Went to Schwalms today Pour and bore, there is very few shops that are close enough to drive to. This shop was the closet for me at 110 miles. Pete

02-06-2013, 08:22 PM	#4
Walt Dupont--Me. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gardiner Me. Posts: 4,200	Re: Went to Schwalms today Yea, I know what you mean Pete. These guys are getting few and far between. Walt

02-06-2013, 08:29 PM	#5
JM 35 Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Near Rising Sun, Maryland Posts: 10,858	Re: Went to Schwalms today Schwalms (Ora Landis) does nice work but he is pricey. He poured the babbitt and did all the machine work for me on my '35 221 engine in my Avatar fordor sedan. He put the crank in place and I assembled everything else. The engine is running well with about 12k miles to date. __________________ *John* *"Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts". Albert Einstein* Last edited by JM 35 Sedan; 02-06-2013 at 08:43 PM.

02-06-2013, 09:07 PM	#6
awelker Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Berrysburg, PA Posts: 49	Re: Went to Schwalms today Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Ora does do really nice work. No babbitt but he did line bore, bore, and valve seat work on the 59AB flathead for my bellytank. Great attention to detail. __________________ www.vonwelker.com https://www.flickr.com/photos/vonwelker/albums Home of the Blonde Bitch Bellytank

02-06-2013, 10:00 PM	#7
rgtharley Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Windsor, MD Posts: 139	Re: Went to Schwalms today I had Ora do my 27 T motor a couple of years ago, and I had almost 3K into it before he was done. Now that I'm looking for someone to do my 35 engine, I don't think it will go to him. He does nice work, but as a machinist myself, I truly believe his rates are over priced. Several other prominent engine builders (who unfortunately don't do babbitt) have remarked that there just isn't that much labor into one of these engines. I do appreciate the level of detail that Ora puts into it, but I typically have done a lot of the work myself before I take things to shops like his. I remove studs, re-tap holes, etc. Any other suggestions for rebuilders in the Maryland area? Thanks, Bob T

02-06-2013, 10:48 PM	#8
32phil Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Montgomery, NY & Port St. Lucie Florida Posts: 935	Re: Went to Schwalms today Ora does great work, you get what you pay for. Great attention to detail and he stands behind everything he does. He did the Cragar B overhead for my sons car including the insert Mains & Crower rods. That was 15K including the Dan Price Overhead conversion and worth every penny. When we had a problem with the main seal leaking he stood behind it 100% even though the seal was defective from the vendor. This was a $20 seal and Ora replaced the seal & pan gaskets etc. including all the labor for free. Returned the engine to us ready to go. He also did the B in my pick up, another top notch job. __________________ Early Ford Lock & Key Service http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46583

02-07-2013, 12:06 AM	#9
jkeesey Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Glenmoore Pa Posts: 1,644	Re: Went to Schwalms today I've had him do several engines for our shop over the years and he is expensive. A closer shop to Jersey for you would have been Reds Motor Machine, I believe they are called, in Delaware. Schwalms stands behind most of their work but not all of it.