07/25/2026
A few pics of last week's jobs:
Diego disassembled, inspected, and estimated another air-cooled VW engine ... we've been rebuilding VW engines for 63 yrs. We know a thing or two about them :-)
Clint balanced another Big block Chevy 454 crank.
Tony, surfaces another cylinder head on our 75MPH T&S Machines and Tools, Inc. head surfacer. This machine uses either CBN (Cubic-Boron-Nitride, the 2nd hardest material known) or PCD (Poly-Crystalline Diamond) cutters to produce the proper surface finish and super-flat precision required for modern day engines.
We still work on quite a few classic cast iron British engines ...this Austin-Healey is getting machined for new cylinder sleeves.
Trivia: Healy was a body/chassis builder who partnered with many engine/powertrain manufacturers over the years: Riley-Healey, Nash-Healey, Austin-Healey, & Jensen-Healey. Only ~500 Nash-Healey models were built from 1950-54. They're the rarest of all Healey cars. About 6 yrs ago, we manufactured new reproduction suspension mounts for a 1953 Nash-Healey, which sold for ~$133k a year later. In the 1950's TV series, Superman, Clark Kent drove a Nash-Healey sportscar.)
POV: When you have your nose to the grindstone. Up close look at grinding a V8 crankshaft - our CG250Van Norman crank grind is a massive machine, weight a bit over 10,000 lbs. In the world of crank grinding, greater mass = precision and a chatter-free surface finish. Additionally, it's large 36" diameter grinding wheel also ensures proper journal geometry and surface finish...We are one of only a few shops in the area equipped to straighten, grind, polish & re-balancing crankshafts in-house.
