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Engine Building Garages
- Thread starter 93l3008
- Start date
Last time I was over at a shop that specifically built engines I didn't see much in the way of particular organization. There were two halves though, the machining side and the assembly side. The assembly side's rolling doors looked better weather sealed too. It more looked like there were individual stations with tables or stands and some larger or more common tools laid out at each, with less common tools not needed at individual stations in a toolbox against the wall. I would guess that six engines could be worked on at a time. Instead of individual hoists, there were two I-beams on the ceiling with chain hoists that could be slid along.
When I built my motor at home, I had one table set up for assembling pistons and rods and one table set up for the gaskets, metal parts, and other kits. The heads then went on to the pistons table once they were in the motor.
When I built my motor at home, I had one table set up for assembling pistons and rods and one table set up for the gaskets, metal parts, and other kits. The heads then went on to the pistons table once they were in the motor.
der affe?
My engine building section of my garage is sandwiched in between storage, the wife's car, the kegerator, and everything else. My workbench for tools is an old stool. I have this dream that once everything comes back from the machine shop nice and clean that I'll build it in an organized clean area of the garage, but I doubt it
My engine building section of my garage is sandwiched in between storage, the wife's car, the kegerator, and everything else. My workbench for tools is an old stool. I have this dream that once everything comes back from the machine shop nice and clean that I'll build it in an organized clean area of the garage, but I doubt it
ptschram
Well-known member
I do engine assembly in my machine shop. It's typically cleaner than the general shop space, but it's not yet lit as well.
It's about 24 X 20 and is well heated by a kero-sun style heater whereas the general shop area is heated by diesel fueled salamanders.
The biggest difference to me is the cleanliness as I want my engine assembly area to be MUCH cleaner than my general shop area. I don't even have a door that enters the machine shop directly to the rest of the shop.
I'm not concerned over what little grinding I do in the machine shop as it's limited to the occasional drill-bit grinding or lathe bit grinding,not the incessant wire-brushing, grinding and sanding I do, especially if I'm doing fab work like building a roll-cage or the like.
It's about 24 X 20 and is well heated by a kero-sun style heater whereas the general shop area is heated by diesel fueled salamanders.
The biggest difference to me is the cleanliness as I want my engine assembly area to be MUCH cleaner than my general shop area. I don't even have a door that enters the machine shop directly to the rest of the shop.
I'm not concerned over what little grinding I do in the machine shop as it's limited to the occasional drill-bit grinding or lathe bit grinding,not the incessant wire-brushing, grinding and sanding I do, especially if I'm doing fab work like building a roll-cage or the like.
trbomax
Well-known member
If you plan on doing much of it you will need to build a clean room inside your shop. I'm working on that but my "clean room" will also have to be my office and the area for the mills and lathes,no grinding equipment though.
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I do quite a few engines and transmissions, however, I would not call it a engine specific shop. That said, cleanliness is the key, you don't want **** strewn everywhere and metal shavings all over the place. I keep the shop as clean as possible and clean up every night prior to closing up shop.
My engine/transmission assembly area is at the opposite side of the shop than my welding/machining/fabrication section. It is not seperated by any kind of barrier but the shop was designed to have those two areas at the two extremes.
Also, when I have an engine or transmission that I am building for a client there is no machining or fabrications scheduled for that time period.
Mike.
My engine/transmission assembly area is at the opposite side of the shop than my welding/machining/fabrication section. It is not seperated by any kind of barrier but the shop was designed to have those two areas at the two extremes.
Also, when I have an engine or transmission that I am building for a client there is no machining or fabrications scheduled for that time period.
Mike.
K'ledgeBldr
Well-known member
Years ago I worked for a guy rebuilding GM's R-4 and DA-6 A/C compressors (Superior to the "factory" new versions). We built a "clean room"- it was approx. 8' wide and 18' long. Insulated and A/C'd. I had a bench on each wall spanning the length- one was for assembly, the other was component storage staged according to assembly sequence. Every component that went through any machining was washed and cleaned before being stored in the room. The assembly process started at one end of the assembly bench and finished at the other with several jigs, and containers that held parts along the way. Before a unit left the clean room it would be tested on another jig.
Pulleys and clutch plates were installed outside the clean room on an as needed basis because there were so many different combinations of electromagnets and pulleys.
It wasn't engine building but, I think it would be a good process to follow.
Or, you could do this-
http://www.gizmag.com/corvette-engine-build-experience/15868/
Pulleys and clutch plates were installed outside the clean room on an as needed basis because there were so many different combinations of electromagnets and pulleys.
It wasn't engine building but, I think it would be a good process to follow.
Or, you could do this-
http://www.gizmag.com/corvette-engine-build-experience/15868/
Falcon67
Well-known member
I'm planning for some of this too. I have a galvanized top bench for transmission work. I'll have 16 linear feet of wall backed bench top with room for a 2x6 mobile bench in the middle. The "clean" room is 11.5 x 24'. Main thing to have it plenty of staging area and a clean work table located close by to staging, work and tool box. Think "kitchen triangle". Make the benches a comfortable working height and for oily/greasy type work a metal top is best. Wood with a good paint job - epoxy or other petroleum resistant finish -maybe counter top- would be #2.
Yes, I'll take one air operated device that torques all the head bolts in one shot - to go, please.
It wasn't engine building but, I think it would be a good process to follow.
Or, you could do this-
http://www.gizmag.com/corvette-engine-build-experience/15868/
Yes, I'll take one air operated device that torques all the head bolts in one shot - to go, please.
Last edited:
evildky
Well-known member
I'm no builder but for teardowns and rebuilds of engines, transmissions, diffs, and whetever else I couldn't live without my teardown table, and it's on wheels so the engine can be dropped right on it
kirk.g
Well-known member
Are we talking a machine shop in a garage here?.....Kirk
Dragster Racer
Well-known member
I at least go through one motor every winter. I don't do anything real special for cleanlyness. I do put paper down on the benches, and cover everything overnight. I also make sure I do a decent cleaning of the shop before getting started...and no sweeping during the build, as that lifts a lot into the air. If in doubt, clean it before you put it together. I think some guys go overboard with the clean deal. No, you don't want dirt or metals in the fresh engine. But dust in light amounts affects nothing. I have never had any contaminant failures in my 8000 rpm small block, and I run an reuse everything just about forever because of my budget.
You do have to watch it when you are filing rings. That can be trouble if you aren't careful. Watch your clothing especially since you can drag filings over to the cylinders when you are fitting. If I do any porting, cleanup is better with a vacuum often times as long as you have a decent filter. Temperature can be important for sure. My old shop was not always heated, and my bearing measurements could change when the place heated up to room temperature. Just something to be aware of. I have always wanted to set up a nice engine building area, but for the one or two I do a year, it just isn't worth it. If I start picking up work from others, I will spend some time making the area professional. Having clean work bench area enough to set something down at any time is nice too.
You do have to watch it when you are filing rings. That can be trouble if you aren't careful. Watch your clothing especially since you can drag filings over to the cylinders when you are fitting. If I do any porting, cleanup is better with a vacuum often times as long as you have a decent filter. Temperature can be important for sure. My old shop was not always heated, and my bearing measurements could change when the place heated up to room temperature. Just something to be aware of. I have always wanted to set up a nice engine building area, but for the one or two I do a year, it just isn't worth it. If I start picking up work from others, I will spend some time making the area professional. Having clean work bench area enough to set something down at any time is nice too.
chadman
Well-known member
My garage isn't an engine building only garage but I do build engines in there. Like has been said, cleanliness is #1. Probably the best piece of advice I can give you for an engine building area is to have a steel topped workbench. It is very useful in both the tear down and assembly of your engines. During tear down you can set oily engine internals on it with no worry of the oil soaking into a wood top. Then when you have freshly cleaned and assembled cylinder heads, pistons & rods etc. you have a place to set them prior to assembly. You just srub down the steel surface and now you don't have to worry about wood particles or rag residue.
speed bump
Well-known member
I build engines in my living room.
ptschram
Well-known member
Are we talking a machine shop in a garage here?.....Kirk
My machine shop is in a "garage" attached to the side of my barn.
Completely separate from the main shop building and not used to park vehicles.
kirk.g
Well-known member
Im thinking that a machine shop in your garage is somewhere that you can machine engine parts,which is probably cost prohibitive and impractical for the average garage owner.Unless there are machines out there that you can aquire cheaply.But I think engine tear down and assembly is something much different......Kirk
I build engines in my living room.
I wish I had. That piston and rod assembly hitting the ground top-down probably wouldn't have required reordering the piston if I had.
ptschram
Well-known member
Im thinking that a machine shop in your garage is somewhere that you can machine engine parts,which is probably cost prohibitive and impractical for the average garage owner.Unless there are machines out there that you can aquire cheaply.But I think engine tear down and assembly is something much different......Kirk
I run a shop. I have a garage next to my shop that has a bunch of machine tools that I have acquired over the past 40+ years.
I wish I had. That piston and rod assembly hitting the ground top-down probably wouldn't have required reordering the piston if I had.
1 piston, I bet that wasn't cheap.
muibubbles
Well-known member
this thread is useless without pics!!! more pics!!!