I've followed this thread with closely, a lot of good stuff in it.
Here are some thoughts.
I wouldn't expect a first-time mechanic to complete the job in a
weekend, unless everything went perfectly (fat chance).
It should be mentioned that one can't buy rings and rod bearings for
the engine until it's apart and one can see what over and/or undersizes
are needed. Then try finding them on a weekend.
I'm wondering what the condition of the subject engine is at this
time. Does it run smoothly and smoke a bit or does it have a bad miss
from the "gitgo"? Does it leak coolant from the middle cylinders? How
about the oil pressure? How many miles since the last valve job? It
may need a lot more than a quick ring and rod bearing replacement.
You never know what the engine REALLY needs until you open it up. For
instance, if you have to ream the ridges to get the pistons out, it
needs to be rebored. You can hone it and put new rings in (the most
flexible you can get) but you can't expect them to last like doing it
right (I'll hear about this, I betcha).
Charley Robinson
'69 B
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