Can anyone recommend a good rebuilder in the Sacramento/San Joaquin County area. I'm in Lodi, but I'm willing to drive a little distance if anyone close is really great at doing IH stuff. The engine being rebuilt is a 304, by the way. Thanks all.

there is a grate IH rebuilder (dont know where) that goes by the the name of Griffin racing (spelling)

Performance Machine in Manteca does good work.

Originally posted by Chief Yelling Alot
there is a grate IH rebuilder (dont know where) that goes by the the name of Griffin racing (spelling)

Gryphin Racing (http://www.gryphinracing.com) does great work, but they're no where near Sacramento.. more like Aurora (Denver) Colorado. ;)

But.. if you want an IH like no other.. ship it to Colorado. :D

If you want to make some power, Drop your heads off at Wes King Racing Heads. He is in Morada and does all the head work for this local legend (http://www.panella.com/)

He did the heads for my 550hp Chrysler 440 and 450 hp Ram Air III Poncho 400

Thanks guys. I'm gonna have to say that Colorado is a bit far for engine work (wish I could have them do it though). Old Scout, based on your recommendation I should take my block to the rebuilder in Manteca and the heads to the guy in Morada? Any reason why I wouldn't want to take the engine assembly to either Morada or Manteca. If they are both that good at doing the heads and block respectively, then I would split it up, but as a small business person, I hate to split the work like that. Is the Manteca shop cool with just rebuilding a block?

-I can't find Wes King in the book, do you have any contact info or an address? Thanks Old Scout.

Ohh yea splitting them up is not a problem. If the guys a Performance Machine ask were the heads went, telling them that there at Wes King's only tells them your serious about a nice engine!


What's your budget? Wes does awesome work and your engine will rev like no tomorrow, but it's not cheap as I would of liked! The Port and Polish will run ya about 300-400. Wes knows how to make big H.P. and he will flow test your heads and give you your CFM, port and head CC'c. Get your heads done first so you can get your block milled to a good compression ratio. I would take the block in at the same time and have it all (heads/block) hot tanked and magnafluxed for cracks. If anything comes up bad, dump it and move up to a 392! If it all checks out tell them to hold off untill you get your head CC's from Wes.

This still sounds like its in my budget, where is Wes King at or do you have a phone number, I can't seem to find him the yellow pages. If the 304 is in good shape, I think we'll stick with it. If not we might go up to a 345, but I don't think 392. This truck will be used for mild four wheeling, street, and towing a small trailer. No rockcrawling or mud, sad to say-at least for now:) .

Originally posted by mlogan24
This still sounds like its in my budget, where is Wes King at or do you have a phone number, I can't seem to find him the yellow pages. If the 304 is in good shape, I think we'll stick with it. If not we might go up to a 345, but I don't think 392. This truck will be used for mild four wheeling, street, and towing a small trailer. No rockcrawling or mud, sad to say-at least for now:) .

what does that have to do with ruling out a 392:question: :D :D


the 304 will be "peppy-er", less mass and will rev faster. the bigger motors will have more low-end grunt... but be a *little* doggy-er...

I can't find his biz card in the folder, I did find the head specs for my chrysler heads tho. :D

I'll drive oy there and see him today or tomarrow and get back to ya.

if your really gonna spend the rebuild time and money, I'd say go 392 right off .

you say your going to use it for towing...392 is a great towing motor.

they make awsome torque !

and to quote a classic quote

"there no replacment for displacment"

As Jerome would say, "Exxxactly"...
NRFD

392 would be cool, but we already have the 304 and like I said, light towing. If there is a problem with the 304 block or heads, then the biggest we will probably go will be a 345. Now, just because I want to stay with the smaller block does not mean that I won't try and build it for the best power possible with that block.

Old Scout, you happen to get the info on Wes King yet?

Originally posted by mlogan24
392 would be cool, but we already have the 304 and like I said, light towing. If there is a problem with the 304 block or heads, then the biggest we will probably go will be a 345. Now, just because I want to stay with the smaller block does not mean that I won't try and build it for the best power possible with that block.

Old Scout, you happen to get the info on Wes King yet?

The little 304 can make plenty of power for the average user...

I plan on dragging my junk down to RMIHR and running it on the chassis dyno this year (new "event").. maybe I can add a Dyno win to put next to my "Best Use of Plating" trophy from last year.. along with those dual Ugliest Truck awards those snobs in Seattle keep giving me. :flipoff2:

The estimates put my 304 at about 350hp/400lbs-ft.. but I'm anxious to see what the chassis dyno says at the rear wheels..

Maybe I'll be able to get two of my Scouts down.. and can put the 345 I built (about 8.5:1) against the 304 Gryphin built for me.. I think my 345 will lose, BTW. :D

Holy Cow! 350/400- you wouldn't mind sharing the build specs and which cam, pistons, lifters etc. you got to put out that kind of power? That's awesome, I hope it dynos where you expect.

Old Scout, you able to find out where Wes King is located at?

Thanks all!

Originally posted by mlogan24
Holy Cow! 350/400- you wouldn't mind sharing the build specs and which cam, pistons, lifters etc. you got to put out that kind of power? That's awesome, I hope it dynos where you expect.


You have to wait 'til John Comer kicks the bucket and then pry that info from his cold, dead hand.....
either that or buy one from him and completely disassmeble it and measure everything:D

Originally posted by TORC

You have to wait 'til John Comer kicks the bucket and then pry that info from his cold, dead hand.....
either that or buy one from him and completely disassmeble it and measure everything:D


yep, thats pretty much what it would take... unless you know him... then you get a *tease* of how its built.... but only a tease.


Its "signifigantly" modifid.....

Originally posted by TORC

You have to wait 'til John Comer kicks the bucket and then pry that info from his cold, dead hand.....
either that or buy one from him and completely disassmeble it and measure everything:D

:D TORC pretty much has it.. and what I do know, I'm sworn to secrecy.

The engine spent.. 9 months at Gryphin Racing.

Didn't hit the credit limit on my Gold Card.. but it wasn't far off.

And the warranty expired when I backed the Scout out of the Gryphin Automotive Services shop.

Still.. it runs like no 304 should. :D

Everyone was betting it wouldn't last a year.. I have two seasons on it now, heading into the third summer race season.

The motor like high octane fuel and when Comer timed it.. well, the balancer mark is off the timing cover scale at idle. If I wanted to pony up for the $4/gal 112 stuff I could run more advance, but I'm cheap.. and run 91oct pump fuel with some octane additive.

In contrast, my 345 slurps down 85octane cheap stuff and is happy with it - even if it doesn't make the numbers the 304 does.

Oh.. cam is an off the shelf Isky 262/262 grind.. same as in my 345. I didn't want to go with the 270/270 - I wanted some low end still.

It really comes to life over 2000rpm.. which is good. The GRT tranny and converter comes on at about the same point.

If I can just find a GUS modified 4bbl intake, or the time and know-how to build a sheetmetal one.. I might get the rest of the Revs out of it. The 500cfm 2bbl Holley stops feeding it fuel at about 5300rpm, which is still short of the 100 yard finish line..

All in all, I'm turning in consistent 7s flat times in the 100 yard drag. IMO, that's a little slow for what I should be doing.