Pac NW machine shop recommendations?

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Duke G
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Pac NW machine shop recommendations?

Post by Duke G » Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:54 pm

Now that Don Hall's has finally closed it's doors for good, does anybody have any recommendations for a VW knowledgeable shop for head and case work?

Cheers,

Duke

'78 Westy "Kermit"

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ruckman101
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Post by ruckman101 » Sun Aug 15, 2010 12:17 am

Good question. Does Halsey have a machine shop, or do they farm it out. Ashley could have saved me $5 on the job Halsey did on my flywheel through his bulk discount. Or at least that's what he told me.

Where's he going now?



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Bleyseng
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Post by Bleyseng » Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:56 am

Seattle still had Nortwest Connecting Rod with Jerry, but I don't use him for my type4 head work...everything else is fine.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
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dtrumbo
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Post by dtrumbo » Mon Aug 16, 2010 6:39 am

Bleyseng wrote:Seattle still had Nortwest Connecting Rod with Jerry, but I don't use him for my type4 head work...everything else is fine.
Tell me more. I'm considering getting my Type 4 heads reworked and had planned to inquire with Jerry. Should I just send them to Adrian and call it done?
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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Kubelwagen
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Post by Kubelwagen » Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:20 am

Hans Foreign Auto might be a place to inquire. They can't do it in house, but Hans has been around for ages and would know. He's at NE Glisan and....about 72 or so I think.

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Bleyseng
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Post by Bleyseng » Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:40 am

dtrumbo wrote:
Bleyseng wrote:Seattle still had Nortwest Connecting Rod with Jerry, but I don't use him for my type4 head work...everything else is fine.
Tell me more. I'm considering getting my Type 4 heads reworked and had planned to inquire with Jerry. Should I just send them to Adrian and call it done?
yes, send them to Adrian and call it done. I know of a few dropped seats from Jerrys type 4 heads, that is the only knock on him...
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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Randy in Maine
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Post by Randy in Maine » Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:31 pm

Jerry did the engine rthat came in my bus using stock AMC heads. I would also just send them to Adrian and be done with it. Take those improved heads over to Jerry.

NW Connecting rod actually did a decent job on the engine though. Still runs and is currently in the "79 project bus".
79 VW Bus

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dtrumbo
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Post by dtrumbo » Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:11 pm

Thanks guys. So the consensus is Adrian for the head work and Jerry for any necessary case machining, etc.

Ideally, if water were money, I'd just rebuild the engine and be done. However, with water not being money AND the shortage of main bearings, I'm trying to hold off on a rebuild as long as practical. Other than time wasted, am I insane to have the heads done this fall to help with my lame #1 cylinder and then do the rest of the rebuild if/when bearings become available again? I really don't see I have a choice, but I appreciate all the free two-cents.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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Bleyseng
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Post by Bleyseng » Wed Aug 18, 2010 7:52 am

Jerry had a stash of main bearings so see what he has.. Also, Automobile Atlanta has gotten a 100 sets of mains in plus they have a bunch of oversizes in stock...
Has your case been cut to first oversize (.025)? Should be stamped on the case...
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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dtrumbo
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Post by dtrumbo » Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:20 am

Bleyseng wrote:Jerry had a stash of main bearings so see what he has.. Also, Automobile Atlanta has gotten a 100 sets of mains in plus they have a bunch of oversizes in stock...
Has your case been cut to first oversize (.025)? Should be stamped on the case...
This sorta answers my next question. I just assumed in order to know what bearings I would need, I would have to remove the engine, disassemble it and have it measured to determine whether it had been cut previously. This was a slippery slope I didn't really want to go down since I didn't want to go through all that only to discover the bearings I needed were unavailable.

Is there a common area on the case where I might find the stamp? If so, what type of numbers should I be looking for? This would be a MUCH better way to go than my scenario above. Thanks Geoff.

BTW, I apologize to Duke for hijacking his thread. At least it's all for the greater good of sharing knowledge.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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Bleyseng
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Post by Bleyseng » Wed Aug 18, 2010 5:25 pm

usually the stamping is on a nice flat surface but the tin needs to be off to see it.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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Sylvester
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Post by Sylvester » Wed Aug 18, 2010 5:42 pm

Bleyseng wrote:Also, Automobile Atlanta has gotten a 100 sets of mains in plus they have a bunch of oversizes in stock..
Just miles from me, hmmmmm.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Amskeptic
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Post by Amskeptic » Thu Aug 19, 2010 3:28 pm

Bleyseng wrote:usually the stamping is on a nice flat surface but the tin needs to be off to see it.
Which tin?

I have seen oversize etchings up at the top of the case near the factory stamps for the case halves, or on top of the case near #3.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
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Bleyseng
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Post by Bleyseng » Fri Aug 20, 2010 3:39 am

Ok, usually I have seen the stamping on the flat spot under the dizzy clamp or on the flat spot near where the Throttle body is. That back spot is where a lot of engine numbers are stamped for 914's or 412's.
I don't have a pic..
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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dtrumbo
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Post by dtrumbo » Fri Aug 20, 2010 5:00 am

Bleyseng wrote:I don't have a pic..
No problem, the descriptions are sufficient. I'll take a look this afternoon.
- Dick

1970 Transporter. 2015cc, dual Weber IDF 40's
1978 Riviera Camper. Bone stock GE 2.0L F.I.
1979 Super Beetle convertible.

... as it turns out, it was the coil!

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