<VV> Plastigage vs Micrometer

[Byron Comp]

All this talk about Plastigage vs Micrometer leads me to relate the latest about my '64 Monza Vert. When it started sounding loud after only 200 mi. I took it back to the engine shop for investigation & repair. That was the end of Jan. The owner/mech led me from one scenario to another: loose valves, broken rocker studs, bent push-rods etc. etc. Then he finally admitted that he'd never measured the crankshaft, AT ALL, before replacing ONLY A COUPLE main bearings with STANDARD sizes. This apparently resulted in all kinds of mischief in the engine, (I can only imagine) so this time he tore it down completely, sent the crankshaft out to be machined and then had to wait for "special made" oversized bearings, 0.0002, I think he said.
 
So for the past 2 months he's been telling me, "I'm workin' on it and I'll have it for ya soon." I'm moving out of state next week and insist he have it ready for me by Monday. (He's already missed two previous deadlines.) I've already told him I'm not paying for any of his time this go-'round, but I'm now thinking about withholding any payment, even for additional parts, until I've put about 500 mi. on it just to make sure. What say ye?
 
Oh, and one other thing; he told the VP of the local CORSA chapter, who I sicced onto him today, (who, by the way, is the one who recommended this guy in the first place) that when he first started on this engine two years + ago, that no machine shops in the area would touch that engine, forcing him to try to do it himself. Why would that be? Is something like that normal?
 
Thanks,
Byron (soon to be "back home again" in PA) Comp

'64 Monza Vert
Gainesville, FL
>
>Message: 5
>Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2012 07:21:49 -0700
>From: Daniel Monasterio <dmonasterio at hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: <VV> Micrometers vs. Plastiguage
>To: <roboman91324 at aol.com>, VirtualVairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>,
>    Bob Helt    <bobhelt at aol.com>
>Message-ID: <BAY167-W11C601B13E76C31342F268B0320 at phx.gbl>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>I use plastigage all times but, have a concern about both ways. If rotating member is resting on bearing ( 0 clearance ), the plastigage measures the total clearance, same as a micrometer... isn't it ?This means, at least to me, that, if plastigage and/or micrometer give a total clearance of, say, 0.002", in fact when rotating there is a clearance (or oil film around) of 0.001"... isn't ?
>Just trying to have this clear on my mind.
>Daniel Monasterio 
>
>
>
><< Yes, the Plastigage measures the clearance between the  rotating member and  the bearing while the micrometers measure and include the  clearance on 
>both sides.>>
>
>                        
>