Specialised work

The work people seek out specifically

Not every job on an old engine is an overhaul. Some damage calls for its own procedure — and a workshop that has mastered it. Four of these we do regularly, including as individual commissions for other garages.

Crack stitching

Cracks in cast iron — cold-stitched instead of welded

Cast iron can only be welded to a limited extent: the heat warps the block and creates new stresses. In crack stitching, holes are drilled along the crack and a row of overlapping locks is set — cold, with no heat input.

The joint seals, the block stays dimensionally true, and the repair withstands operation. On water and oil passages, cylinder heads and engine housings.

Drilled and stitched line across the casting
Crack stitching
Repaired area after grinding
Afterwards

Re-sleeving

A new running surface for old cylinders

In re-sleeving, the worn or cracked cylinder bore is machined out and a new liner is fitted. The bore is then honed to size — to the clearance the pistons and engine need.

This preserves the original block, instead of having to search for a replacement engine whose condition nobody knows.

Camshaft replacement

Valve timing as intended

Worn lobes and bearing surfaces gradually alter the valve timing — the engine loses power and refinement long before it fails. We replace the camshaft, set up the valve train and adjust the timing to factory specification.

Where a shaft is no longer available, we examine remanufacture or reconditioning — talk to us.

One-off parts

Making what no longer exists

Bushes, spacers, covers, housing parts: when a part can no longer be found anywhere, we make it from a sample or to measurement. The basis is the old part — whatever its condition — or measurements taken on the engine.

Enquire about specialised work