Need a Los Angeles shop that can rebuild engine.

[mbmast]

Hi. Can anybody recommend a shop in Los Angeles worthy of rebuilding my 2004 MM engine? I'm currently trying to get a quote from Coast Motor Supply in Los Angeles, but they are stuck at the moment trying to find a source for pistons. This issue is giving me the uneasy feeling that they have little experience with the Ford modular engines.

Thanks.

[RacerX]

If they are stuck finding pistons... run like hell!!! I'm sure someone will chime in that knows your area. Stock/OEM hypereutectic pistons and or forged pistons in all sorts of configurations can be had for the 4.6l DOHC engines all over the place.

[dohc324ci]

MMR

1187 Calle Suerte

Camarillo, CA 93012
info@modularmustangracing.com

[RacerX]

Duh! :D That's right, MMR is just in his area! Both our engines were built by MMR btw.

[mbmast]

Ok, thanks. I've got an inquiry out to MMR now.

[mbmast]

So MMR tells me that they're not set up to pull and reinstall the engine and suggest I find a local shop to do that and transport just the engine to them.

Any recommendations for local shops? I'm in the Agoura Hills (Southern Cal.) area. Anybody have an opinion on Steve's Auto Clinic in Northridge?

Thanks.

[REAL4WD]

Maybe contact Chris at ADTR. he might know a good shop as he is kinda close to Agoura Hills.

[dohc324ci]

I would post up on svtperformance.com or corral.net and other mustang boards to get actual references. Also look at your local mustang clubs as well. Good luck!

http://www.google.com/search?q=socal+mustang+club&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari

[Mike M]

When you get it out use MMR.

[mbmast]

I'm taking the car to Little People Customs Inc. in Ventura. They were highly recommended by MMR. They're pulling the engine, doing some tear down and then taking the long block to MMR. MMR will rebuilt, port & polish and put in forged aluminum pistons. Probably gonna drop the compression to 9.5:1. Then back to Little People Customs, who will install with a Reinhart Vortech kit. Not my first choice for a kit, but scrounging around for old Cobra parts and doing some fabrication didn't appeal to me, Kenny Bell has no kit and Trilogy, which had a great kit, dropped it.

[Mike M]

Sounds like a plan.

[mbmast]

The engine has been removed and is partially torn down. The timing chain guide consists of two metal shelves in a V configuration originating near the crankshaft and extending towards the top of the heads (where the camshafts are). Each shelf is about 10 inches long and maybe 1/2 inch wide. Attached to each shelf is a plastic (teflon?) strip; the same dimension as the shelf. The bottom loop of the timing chain rests on this plastic strip.

In my case, on one side, the plastic shelf came loose and had fallen completely into the oil pan. Yikes. This explains the fairly loud rattle I heard for the first 1/2 to 1 1/2 seconds after starting the engine. Worse, the timing chain was now able to come in direct contact with metal shelf, wearing it down and eventually grinding a 1 to 1 1/2 section of it nearly away (in that area, the shelf is maybe 1/8 inch wide instead of the normal 1/2 inch wide). Metal debris certainly went into the pan.

What is currently unknown is whether this debris contributed to my having spun a rod bearing. We'll probably know this once we remove and tear open the oil pump.