I need to know of any and all engine builders for our buick motors in Ohio preferably in central and northeast area to build my 455, thanks :3gears:
Michaels racing engines in macedoina oh. knows buicks inside and out great guys very very good. 330-467-1661 is their phone number.
I wonder what ever happened to Earick Racing, in Ohio? I gave them my short block on which to do the machining and balancing. I was a little disappointed when I picked it up and found out that they just farmed the job out to somebody else. I paid a pretty penny, as well. They had no in-house machine shop. Had I known that, I would have gone elsewhere. I like to see the machines a machine shop uses, talk to the machinest, see how clean the place is, etc. Cheers, Craig Stangohr Aiken, SC
Earick racing in Newark near Columbus. They may not have their own machine shop but they know their Buicks. Did they make sure the short block was machined and balanced properly? www.wsx.net/ere
I don't know if they checked everything, but I seriously doubt it. They told me that their machinest is about 1 1/2 hours away, so they obviously were not physically present when the machining and balancing was done. They told me that they would "double check" every clearance, including not just fitting the camshaft into the block and spinning it, after installing the cam bearings, but actually measure the clearance between the cam bearings and cam journals. It wasn't until I got home, about 800 miles away, that I noticed that my T/A cam was still in its original container, with the original packing tape still sealing it. They hadn't even spun my cam to see if it would spin! So much for the promise to "double check" every clearance! I called Brian, and he said that they had used a different cam to perform the spin test. Well, so much for actually checking my own cam for spin and for clearance. I guess all Buick cams can be trusted to be machined identically, regardless of manufacturer. Just my experience. Hope other folks had better ones. --Craig Stangohr Aiken, SC
Performance Engineering In Ross Ohio.A state of the art shop for buick 455 & 350 & GN V six.They did a great job on my 455.AA one engine builder. Buick Bill
A Hines Racing Engines. Cincinnati Ohio. (513) 353-4900 They have been a high rated shop for all makes of engines for over 30 years. Buick Bill
Earick did mine two years ago,no problems with it. Used his in house 500/500 cam with ported Jim Burek heads. Forged pistons,stock rods, balanced assembly.performer intake, 800 Quadrajet. Good mild street motor, runs the same all the time, no fidling with it. Mike D.
For those considering Earick Racing.............Please feel free to contact me via PM. I will only answer PM's however after Brian has been given fair chance to render an incredible lapse in service to this Buick Community Customer. In all fairness to Brian and others considering his services...........the findings we found with just 400 miles on the engine after he did a complete $11,000+ rebuild (tranny included) that took over 14 months to do has taken me now thousands of dollars to repair his "workmanship"/not to mention the installation of faulty parts/unbalanced components and improper machine work in the engine. The tranny work he did has held up at this point with 400 street miles on the car........it was the major engine work/components that was found faulty. All is being systematically documented/repaired by a different reputable Buick Engine Builder, and Earick Racing will be given opportunity to render the situation "right". My hope is that all will be settled with fairness in mind and cordially............will keep the Forum posted on the hopeful positive outcome. Again..........any questions, please feel free to PM me.
Hi folks, The following comments are to be taken as a general guide to choosing an engine shop/builder. I have been a mechanic for 35 years, have owned my own repair shop, and have been a member of the Buick community for 25 years. I also have an M.B.A. from one of the top business schools in the country--The University of Illinois (1984). 1. Keep in mind that the "big names" and Buick heros of even several years ago may not be even a shadow of what they used to be. Look at Kenne-Bell, for example. Though they probably are still a viable enterprise, they are pretty much "dead" from a Buick point of view. How is Bulldog coming along with their blocks? 2. Any and all businesses go through cycles and have their normal "ups and downs." It is the ability to withstand and weather the "downs" the tests the mettle of any business. We can all probably name close to a dozen "big names" who used to service the Buick community that are no longer with us. ATR certainly comes to mind as one of the more-recent casualties. 3. Still, there are others who are still with us after a quarter of a century, or more. Gessler Head Porting, T/A, and AMP, come to mind. We should reward companies like these for their loyalty and service. 4. The first rule we were taught in business school is that "there are no friends in business." Unfortunately, that is more true than not. As such, no business can satisfy every single custumer 100% of the time. 5. There will be inevitable disagreements and misunderstandings. It is the willingness to TRY TO SATISFY AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE PROBLEMS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS, that separates a first-class company from all the rest. 6. It is still a "buyer-beware" world out there. As such, it is the responsability of the customer to thoroughly investigate any company in which the customer is planning to invest a large sum of time, energy, and money. 7. We can check the Better Business Bureau in the state where the business is located. We can also verify and VISIT the location of the business, and I would strongly encourage everyone to do so. Also, talk to as many people as possible who have had RECENT EXPERIENCE with the company. When a company starts to go downhill, as many of them have, quality and service are usually the first casualties. These companies usually live off their former reputation for a time, but eventually end up going under. Your goal is NOT to end up giving such a company any of your business when they are at the end, or close to the end, of their life cycle. I am lucky that I got the Bulldog heads that I paid for. Those that put up big money up front for the blocks will probably be regretting that decision, and this is unfortunate for everyone. 8. Most companies, including the aforementioned, have (or had) only one location. It is usually only large corporations that have a need for multiple venues. If a company states that they have various locations, I would ask for the address and phone number of each one. Then, I would check State records to see that the business is licensed to operate a business in each and every location. Finally, I would personally visit each location. You might be surprised that the "branch" of a business is really a buddy's garage, or the local machine shop to which a company "farms out" its machine work. If I take a cylinder head to my local Napa for a valve job, that does not make them part of my company/corporation. Not wanting to make this post too long, I will say, in closing, that I hope the advice given above may help one or two people make intelligent decisions in where to spend their money. As Tim stated in his post, you can send me a private message if would like additional tips or advice, as I will not be responding in public to this post. Cheers, Craig Stangohr Aiken, SC
Tim, thanks for posting your experience with Earick Racing. I am certainly sorry to hear about your loss of time, money, and trust. Please post your results about what Brian does or does not do to try to rectify the proglems he has caused you, after you get everything straightened out with your current machine shop. Cheers, Craig Stangohr Aiken, SC
No Problem Craig.........The details/documentation of what we have found will be dealt with Brian/Earick Racing first. Engine Block, Heads and the Crank we had to replace were returned from the machine shop last week with a detailed correction list on what it took to redo them or replace. Many of you have PM'd me and I am sticking to what I said in my original post on this thread.........I am giving Brian first chance to rectify this situation.
Ya it's in the USA (best damn country on the planet) but the title read engine builders in Ohio. hence the reason noone mentioned AM&P. :spank:
Hey Bill, when did Performance Eng build your 455? We did mine there about 3 years ago, they do ALL machining in house (except turning the cranks). Did you break it in on their dyno too? I will have another 455 and a 350 on their dyno here shortly!:beers2:
Michaels builds some killer Buick motors. I use them all the time. Has dyno service also. Usually has a lot Buick parts in stock also.
Hi folks, from what I understand, AM and P will not just do the machine work for you, and have someone else assemble the engine. They will assemble complete engines, of course, but you'll have to check with them to see if they will assemble just a short block or a non-running (non-tested) long block. Have heard only good things about them, though. Cheers, Craig Stangohr Aiken, SC
I also used Michaels Racing Engines also. This was for a 350 Buick and that was over 10 years ago and mine has not lost a step and I have plenty of runs down the 1/4 mile.
Hi folks, I wish I had known about Michael's Racing engines. Due to Tim's negative experience with Earick Racing Engines, and my own negative experience, I am having to recheck everything, including the engine reciprocating balance. I will report back with my findings when the machine shop is done. They are a very reputable machine shop in Augutsa, Georgia, have been in business for years, and have a pretty impressive list of high-dollar customers. Cheers, Craig Stangohr Aiken, SC
