409 Machine Shops in the Mid-Atlantic

[BA-Man61]

Does anyone know of any reputable machine shops in the Mid-Atlantic area capable of properly boring a 409 block? I'm located in Central Maryland. Thanks in advance

[walkerheaders]

301-384-3595 burtonsville machine has all the 09 deck plates and everything for that. tell 'em 2-stroke sent ya. (Bob @ walker custom headers) see you at the golden gears cruise ins at home depot in frederick soon. goldengears.org
you can spot me, i have a red 63 SS 425

[Rockfish39]

301-384-3595 burtonsville machine has all the 09 deck plates and everything for that. tell 'em 2-stroke sent ya. (Bob @ walker custom headers) see you at the golden gears cruise ins at home depot in frederick soon. goldengears.org
you can spot me, i have a red 63 SS 425

Bob, Bob... ANCEINT technology !!! Todays Machining Centers wont mess with deck plates. A Rottler(sp?) boring machine centers off of the main lournals, and is ALOT more accurate.

Ive heard HORROR stories about deck plates and how they can literally ruin a "W" block. Curt H, Jack G and many others have recounted such stories to me when I was getting mine done...

BB Auto Machine
305 Industrial Ct SE
Leesburg, VA 20175
703-777-6868 This is the shop that (Jerry Walsh, I think???) owns
You Know, he's guy who races the white "Mr. 409" car (Purcellville, VA)

and ...

Sykes Warehouse
300 N Henry St
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-683-2818

These two shops are affiliated with one another some way, and they do top quality work!!!

Rock :cool:

[Smokey1963]

I don't mean to horn in on this thread but I was planning on asking the same question but for the Pennsylvania area. I am looking for a machine shop for my 409 and would like to have someplace that is within driving distance to maybe drop by as the work is being done.

I did have a guy in my hometown of Altoona that was a knowledgeable as any when it came to 409's and he just recently passed away before I was ready to have mine done.

Thanks
Ed

[dq409]

Rockfish, Can you tell us more about these problems and what they are and how they occure?

[Rockfish39]

Hey Jim,
Hope that life is treating you well!!! I cant answer the question in 'clinical' terms... When I was looking to have my block machine work done I was conversing with Ronnie Sykes (Sykes Warehouse), Jack Gibbs (409 Chevy Performance) and Curt Harvey (C-H Enterprises). ALL THREE of them told me that the old "deck plate" method was obsolete and not recommended.

REASON?? Their rationale all varied a little bit, but this is what all three had in common.

The deck plate does not guarentee that the boring bar will cut perpendicular to the crankshaft center line. In fact, Jack has seen several blocks that needed to be thrown away because the bores could not be trued afterwards.

A Rottler (sp?) centers on the mains and GUARENTEES perpendicular cuts.

I have mine done by Ronnie Sykes, and I was most happy with the results...

Rock :cool:

[Steve "wully bully"]

Ed,
Call Carl, my father-in-law, he can give you the number of the guy we use for our race 409's. His first name is Pete, couldn't spell the last name if I even remebered it. His shop is located in Pottstown, PA. Carl's number is 610-682-4380.
Steven

[59elcooldsuv]

Hey Jim,
The deck plate does not guarentee that the boring bar will cut perpendicular to the crankshaft center line. Rock :cool:

I had understood that perpendicularity had nothing to do with it. I had learned that a deck plates are for "distorting" the cylinder walls the same way that they are when the heads are bolted on.

I.e. When you torque down the head bolts they "pull" just a little on the walls of the block and pull the cylinder walls out of a true concentric cylinder with straight walls.

When you torque down the deck plates they pull the walls into the same distortion so that when you do the final hone, it is straight. when you remove the deckplates the cylinders may not measure exactly right from top to bottom, but after you bolt on the heads the cylinders will be straight again.

This was somewhat confirmed for me when my machinist was honing my block. I asked him if he was going to use the deck plate that he had bragged about. He said "I only have one, and using only one doesn't achieve the same effect. It only reshapes half the block, which does no good. Besides, for street use it doesn't make enough difference to matter." Of course, that leaves me wondering why he had boasted of having a deck plate.

Am I and my machinist completely off the mark about deck plates? I've never heard of them being used just for a true perpendicularity. I thought there was a diferent plate for that.

[59elcooldsuv]

By the way;

Has anyone considered adding a file section just for posting "reviews" of machinists, mechanics, or parts vendors that we have dealt with?

May be a quick search resource for anyone who is just looking for a garage. May be listed by state?

[dq409]

Oldsuv,,, Thoses were my though also ,,,

I was talking to my machinist and he told a story about this old racer who after machining his blocks (without torq plates) would install iron rings and run them a week then tear it down and install the moly rings.
His thoughts were the iron rings would cut the bores true ,,,,dq

[Rockfish39]

Randy,
AS I understand it, we are talking about two seperate issues here
What you explained (quite well I might add) are what TORQUE PLATES do...
Those are specifically used to replicate a cylinder head during HONING operations.

My block was bored on a Rottler (sp?) boring mill and honed on a Sussen CK-10 which is an entirely different machine.

The DECK PLATE that I was referring to is essentially a BORING machine tool adapter that bolted to the deck of the 409 block during boring operations. This adapter was needed if the boring bar was setup with the deck as its reference, and not the mains. Adapter was needed when using these older boring machines because a 409 does not have a 90deg deck like other V-8s do

Im sorry for any confusion...

Rock... :cool:

[59elcooldsuv]

I see....

Deck plate / Torque plate - I didn't realize they were 2 dif things.

come to think of it, I wasn't there when Chris bored my block. Maybe what he was bragging about having was the deck plate. I HAVE seen him bore other blocks and the machine he uses clamps the block right up to the underside of the "table".

Ya larns sumthin new ever day

[BA-Man61]

Thanks again for the response. I can always count on you guys!

[walkerheaders]

anyway, like i was saying.........
burtonsville performance machine has all the latest technology boring and honing equipment. and because the block is held by it's main bearing bores, being an angle deck makes no difference. Bub Whittaker and the guys over there have been doing 09s and stroker 09s since they were current powerplants and before we ever heard of one. yes, there are excellant shops scattered all over the country. but, you asked for the best one near you. they are the current shop of choice for the super stock guys. they certainly know what not to do.

call me when you can, i'm in the frederick yellow pages under walker custom headers