Gunn Automotive Machine Shop

[jps8460]

Offset crank … stroker 2F? Did that ever end up happening?

Also, where was this guy located?

No, I didn’t end up doing it, mainly because the crank was perfect and didn’t need anything. I had a dream of using some different rods etc. didn’t seem worth the effort.

He was down in Denver at 1st and Lowell

Here’s the number I have, just checked and it looks like he’s still in business.

Doug’s Ballancing
(303) 922-7294

 

[DanS]

Jim:

I’d try this place. I haven’t used them, but I hear good things. Like they have many engines….

Many Engines very complete

Dan

 

[jps8460]

Jim:

I’d try this place. I haven’t used them, but I hear good things. Like they have many engines….

Many Engines very complete

Dan

That’s funny

 

[Toyjoeta]

I was just getting ready to start a thread asking for reputable machine shops, and happen across this thread, I’ve got a 2 f that I’m contemplating having rebuilt, going to give MHP a call, but anyone have a ballpark price of what a rebuild cost is? Pretty much just a bore and re-ring, #1 cylinder has a small chunk missing right above the first compression ring the rest look to be ok. I’m hoping bearings are good I have excellent oil pressure.
As for manifolds I recently had mine machined I brought them to redline and they have a shop they didn’t really disclose who but it cost $200 and had a quick turnaround and they turned out very nice if anybody is still looking for someone to machine manifolds.

 

[Cruisertrash]

Block work cost about $2000:
Cylinders 40 over
Crank 10 under
Top of block decked only enough to get it level
Acid bath cleaning
Freeze plug install
Cam bearing install
Machine flywheel
Rotating assembly balanced
Might be some other things I'm forgetting

Head work was another $700:
Acid bath cleaning
Surface manifold mating area
Surface bottom of head
Replace all valve stem seals
Replace valves only as necessary
Grind all valve seats

Parts & other work came to maybe $1500-1800, but take those numbers with a grain of salt. I'd have to go back and tally up my receipts. Everything I got was from Toyota or OE stuff not in Toyota boxes.
I got a NOS camshaft and had it ground by Delta in Oregon. They also resurfaced my lifters. ($350)
NOS 40 over Toyota pistons (+1.00mm)
Rings & bearings (OE parts, non-Toyota branded)
As much new OEM hardware as was available, including the somewhat expensive head bolts
New motor mounts
New fuel pump
New oil pump
New City Racer oil cooler
All gaskets & seals
Temp sender
Clutch & throwout bearing
Timing gears
Woodruff keys
Sand blasting on some parts (crank pulley, side cover, timing plate, timing cover, etc)
Oil, fuel, and air filters
Carb heat shield

Stuff below was rolled over from old engine because most of it was about a year old - I did a small refresh on the old motor. A few things were known good used parts as noted.
Water pump
Alternator & voltage regulator
PS pump (Saginaw) w/ bracket from @tancruiser
Oil sender (used, old)
Coolant & heater hoses, and clamps
Oil pan (still available)
Pushrods (used, old)
Belts
Distributor (Jim C rebuilt ~18 month ago)
Carb (Rebuilt by me ~1 year ago)

Total was probably in the neighborhood of $4000-4500. I did all the assembly and install, so there weren't any labor costs on that end.

Fluids weren't cheap and I didn't keep track of that. I used new Toyota red coolant diluted to 50/50. I ran break in oil for the first 20 minutes during the cam break in, dumped it and ran more break in oil from 0-100 miles for break in driving & ring seating. Then I ran high zinc Mobil 1 Classic 10w30 oil from 100-500 miles for further ring seating and dumped it again before putting in more Mobil 1 Classic for a full 3000 miles. I changed the filter with a YZDD3 Toyota filter every time I changed the oil. I worked with @madorbit to reproduce the timing gear oiler, so that was a "new" part. I have plenty more available if anybody needs them. My goal was to take no chances and attempt to build the motor as close to how Toyota would have done it in the factory so that I could have >250,000 mile reliability. There is a surprising amount of stuff still available from Toyota and I wanted to get stuff before it got discontinued. How long they'll keep making 2F parts is anybody's guess, so I got while the gettin' was good. I'm at about 5000 miles so far and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Rzeppa]

In 2012, I had MHP do the machine work and the head of my F and I did the assembly. My recollection is that they charged me ~2.5k for the machine work and the kit, which included gaskets, seals, new cam, new cam and crank gears, bearings, pistons, rings, lifters. They did the head which included new Chevy valves. I recall they changed out the cam bearings and freeze plugs. The kit did not include a new oil pump, but my old one was in spec. I think their turnaround was around a month or so.

 

[Cruisertrash]

Big asterisk:

It can certainly be done cheaper than the way I did it. The NOS pistons, the cam from Delta, etc, can all be skipped if the existing stuff is good. ITM also makes pistons for much cheaper than what I paid.

 

[jps8460]

Don’t want to keep putting salt in this wound, but just assembled a 2f bottom end where Gunn had really botched the cam bearing install. I took it to a great shop here in GJ and they reinstalled a new set of Toyota bearings with zero issues or need for scaving or resizing.

 

[Cruisertrash]

Don’t want to keep putting salt in this wound, but just assembled a 2f bottom end where Gunn had really botched the cam bearing install. I took it to a great shop here in GJ and they reinstalled a new set of Toyota bearings with zero issues or need for scaving or resizing.

Damn, cam bearings must not be their specialty. That was the part of the work they had the most trouble with on mine.

Photos??

 

[J Kimmel]

Don’t want to keep putting salt in this wound, but just assembled a 2f bottom end where Gunn had really botched the cam bearing install. I took it to a great shop here in GJ and they reinstalled a new set of Toyota bearings with zero issues or need for scaving or resizing.

What shop

 

[jps8460]

What shop

Top End Performance

 

[jps8460]

Damn, cam bearings must not be their specialty. That was the part of the work they had the most trouble with on mine.

Photos??

Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos. 1 bearing was untouched and properly installed. The rest were massaged in some fashion with the front bearing massaged for about 80% of its axial depth and left with a ridge. Oil clearances were all over the place. Most run of the mill engines don’t care about cam bearing clearance all that much but having a step like that is no good. In claimer 350’s we’d sometimes fit cam bearings by angle grinding a groove in the journals an old camshaft, send it home with a dead blow and spin it with a drill. Then lightly scotch brite the bearings. Hell some of those engines would run 30 nights and the cam bearings were not what killed them.

 

[wesintl]

I forgot about my cam bearings. I don’t have really any pics but I zoomed in on this one. It looks scotchbrited and has a score. The tool must be old or something… not sure why they have so much trouble with them



Before Xmas I took my fly wheel to Doug to turn. He did a great job and noted the step when I bought it in and had it in a day or two. Not sure how long he takes for full machine on a block and head.

 

[jps8460]

I forgot about my cam bearings. I don’t have really any pics but I zoomed in on this one. It looks scotchbrited and has a score. The tool must be old or something… not sure why they have so much trouble with them



Before Xmas I took my fly wheel to Doug to turn. He did a great job and noted the step when I bought it in and had it in a day or two. Not sure how long he takes for full machine on a block and head.

Definitely worked the surface a bit. That score to the oil hole is correct and should be there.

 

[wesintl]

Thx, I don’t remember what they were supposed to look like. I thought it was just the holes but it was a year and half ago

 

[Cruisertrash]

Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos. 1 bearing was untouched and properly installed. The rest were massaged in some fashion with the front bearing massaged for about 80% of its axial depth and left with a ridge. Oil clearances were all over the place. Most run of the mill engines don’t care about cam bearing clearance all that much but having a step like that is no good. In claimer 350’s we’d sometimes fit cam bearings by angle grinding a groove in the journals an old camshaft, send it home with a dead blow and spin it with a drill. Then lightly scotch brite the bearings. Hell some of those engines would run 30 nights and the cam bearings were not what killed them.

On the second round of cam bearings that Gunn did for me they also left me with a "step" in the ID of the #3 bearing (closer to the rear). Interesting. Larger ID towards the front, smaller ID towards the back, with the step right about in the middle.

If you go back to my first post you can see the rest of the general cam bearing carnage. It's like they turned a 6 year old loose with a tiny die grinder in a few spots. In other spots it seems like some sort of rotational cutter that wasn't calibrated to the correct center. And then of course the stepped #3 bearing (not shown) which had to be operator error, like they didn't push the cutting tool all the way through.

When I finally took the block to Area Machine for the third and final set of cam bearings they said they didn't need to put any tooling on them at all and that they were perfectly aligned as-is upon install. Gunn's excuse each time was that the IDs of the cam bearing bores weren't aligned, so they needed machining. If Area is to be trusted, then what Gunn is saying makes no sense. If Gunn is to be trusted that the bores aren't aligned and the bearings need machined, then why do such a miserable job of it? Gunn is in the wrong here either way - either about their initial inclination, or, even if their initial inclination was correct, they're in the wrong with how they performed the work.

 

[FJNos]

I was planning on taking my 1FZ to Gunn, but now I'm not so sure after reading this thread. MHP appears to have moved to Riverton WY, assuming this is the place you all are referring to http://www.mtnhiperf.com/home1. Any other recommendations for local shops on the front range?

 

[Cruisertrash]

Area Machine on Federal just north of 64th.

 

[jps8460]

If you want to ship it to Top end performance here in GJ Vance does great work and is familiar with these platforms. I’m down there once a week or so working on Toyota stuff.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Area Machine on Federal just north of 64th.

I’ll second Area Machine. We (Cruisers and Company) have been using them for the last two years. They are an old school, family run, machine shop. They do quality work. Cash is preferred.