Engine Professional Restoration / Rebuild

[Lobo]

Wanting any feedback - good or bad - on Stotfold Engineers (Biggleswade) who, on paper, look v.good for a strip down, restoring & rebuild of my tired, but running, 50K 400F engine. I don't have the time (sadly), nor tooling for the work, but am looking for a one-stop service to 'zero time' the engine, including media blast & paint of block etc - top quality work only accepted.
Anyone with A1 recomendations pls note my address as Badingstoke area.
Cheers.

[gasman]

Hi LOBO
The best guy around for an engine rebuild? Well --there are one or two good guys on the forum, full of good info and help but if you have not got time yourself, Steve Lambley, he is in shrewsbury but worth the travel, the guy is ex honda, brilliant, nice guy, no bullshit just gets on with it,
regards neal

[Seamus]

Used stotfold for a few things. Valve guides and recutting seats. They are very good and a professional outfit. but get a quote in writing first as the costs can change. Their timescales are very fluid and can change, but having said that they are very good.
They do know what they are doing and produce a 1st class product. Have a look at their website.

[Lobo]

Thanks gasman, Seamus. Think I'll be using Stotfold - yep, it was their website that attracted me. I've been in touch, and (understandably) no hard quote possible due they've not seen the engine yet. But ball park figure of £1000-1500 + bits. Yikes. This is for a full resto though inc media blasting / paint etc. Will probably go ahead. Cheers,
Lobo

[UK Pete]

Phew!!!! 1.5k + bits , i suppose if you take a look at what you expect to earn a day then realise that labour no matter who it be, builder mechanic, office worker, we  all need to draw a wage to live,
Pete

[SteveD CB500K0]

How long do you spend rebuilding an engine?

That's only 10 man-days at £150 (cf £60-£90 per HOUR at a dealer)

[Lobo]

Pete, Steve... You don't need to make me feel worse!!!

BUT, I work abroad and am home too seldom. Furthermore, I'd be putting the bloody engine in the car day after day to take it here...then there...for the stuff I simply don't have the tools to tackle. To tool up would be an alternative...and a fortune. I really think this may be the cheaper option in terms of my time and visits / bills to individual specialities. 

Just had a quote of "about £600" to repaint my tank / Sidepanels for the 400F. Jeese. Won't be going there, but do fully expect that ultimate bill of approaching £500.

And sadly, yup, I know I'll never recover the funds....but it's not about that as we all know.
Although I have told Mrs L...."it's an investment love, trust me!" Ha!

Cheers,

[UK Pete]

Didn't want to make you feel bad Lobbo, if they are going to do the work dont have an open cheque book, get a solid quote from them and remeber you will need probably £500 upwards for parts as well
Pete

[SteveD CB500K0]

Me neither!

I was just asking how many hours those on here would spend rebuilding an engine. If you had to run it as a business (and make a living), I guess £1500 or 10 man days is not unreasonable.

[tom400f]

I'd agree with that Steve and that's how I read your post.

Lobo you are probably overestimating the tooling aspects - assuming this refers to just stripping and rebuilding the engine and not the blasting / painting which many would engage someone else to do. As a student I think I got my clutch out using a socket jemmied over a bent piece of coat hanger. Time and circumstances are something else though and it sounds like you've made the right decision.

[Lobo]

Aye,
Thanks Tom. I thought about that too...I have the basic socket sets, calipers, and so on... but TOO many times have been thwarted by "if only I had such & such"'. So I then go out & spend a heap on tools - which I only use....er...once.

I love DIY / hands on sh*t, and am very able. But I know my limitations, and all too often, having spent too many hours, and too much cash realise it'd have been cheaper / with a better result simply handing it to them that knows...

A tough decision... my missus is a nurse & I liken it to her doing open heart on the cat (rabbit Pete?) ! Possibly a good result, probably not! Leaving ya thinking, why didn't I just spend the dosh......!
Cheers...

[Bryanj]

If that money includes the media blasting and repaiting/polishing that would bring the labour cost down a bit but Honda only quote about 9 hours to replace a crankshaft and that includes removal/refitting so does seem steep.

I can totally strip a 400 in about 1-1.5 hors if it's brought to me out of the frame

[K2-K6]

I guess the question is if it fits with what you feel you can afford and the job is done well, then it's the right way to go.

I'll build and repair most things but used to have some car gearboxes rebuilt for me as I didn't have the tools or the spares to do it....the service this guy did was above anything that I could achieve at that time...and to me was worth every last penny.

Your circumstances seem to be leaning toward outscourcing it (modern management bo**cks speak) so if you are happy with references then ok......you could drop that much if you bought a new bike in one year anyway.

[Lobo]

All acknowledged....and would desperately prefer to do it myself, but time is the real issue. (I work in Asia and only get home 2/3 days PCM.
It's not only the engine being recon'd, but the gear box, clutch etc - I know many parts off the shelf and will drop in etc.
And I've got to re-iterate that I've stipulated a top class job versus 'just' a strip down & rebuild. I'm after a factory look engine, both inside & out. We're all following Pete's K0 restoration - its no breeze, and patently an awful lot of effort / man hours. Wish my engine would get the same detailing, but even if it gets 1/2 I'll be happy.

Trouble is, every bloody service you 'buy' these days seems extortionate, and when you 'simply' break it down into man-hrs it can all seem a huge rip-off. But from the other guys pov he's got rip-off heating bills, rental, employees wages / insurance, an accountant to try & keep the tax-man happy, everyone biting at his financial heels....it all simply adds up. We don't have those working at home solo in our workshops..
And then of course, you're simply paying for his knowledge / expertise..as folk pay us for ours.
Gawd...I sound to have switched camps!
Cheers.

[Bryanj]

I would happily strip, advise and rebuild BUT the part i Can not get into would be the blasting and repainting so it now becomes a split job which is not what you want