Allied Industrial Machine Services

Extremely displeased with this machine shop. I brought the cylinder head from a Yanmar 1gm10 diesel engine to them to have the pre-combustion chamber removed so that I could transfer it to the replacement head. I should have paid more attention to what the worker was doing, but I thought "surely these guys know everything about engines!" the hydraulic press was used in the wrong direction which destroyed the $183 part I was attempting to move onto the replacement head, instead of applying the press in the direction that would have removed the part it was applied to further jam it in which as more pressure was applied broke the part I needed removed. no offer to make it good just an awkward apology. If they had taken the time to examine it carefully or reference a diagram this could have been avoided, instead it went right to the hydraulic press and then the disaster occurred. It appeared to be a well run clean and organized machine shop but I wouldn't bring them complex or complicated jobs requiring attention to detail. I give them 5 stars for promptness as it only took three minutes to destroy my part.

The previous review makes no sense....we had nothing but great experiences with allied.

I sent a D16Z6 block and head there to be rebuilt. This was in July 11'. It was a stock motor. I dropped the short block and head off with factory Honda valve seals. Also, I left new factory honda hardware. Russell called stating that one of the cylinders in the block was scoured and needed to be bored 20 over. I had them order and install as well as new rod and main bearings. The whole ordeal took about a week and a half since there was a holiday during the time the order was placed and the work was being done. They charged me $1229.70 for the work. I recieved a 10% discount after asking since I work for a dealership which at that time sent them business. After installing the head with ARP head studs and all new items which are subject to wear, the engine had a bottom end knock once started. Very faint, but still there. Now of course oil was in the engine, filled to the correct level. I used a factory honda oil filter. Well after checking and adjusting the valves, which I'm glad I DID, because Russell said, they were already adjusted. According to what specs, is my question, because it surely wasn't to Hondas. Each time I changed the oil, there was an enormous amount of metal shavings on the drain plug. Also after the break in, the engine was consuming 1 qt of oil every 500 miles which eventually slowed down before the engine (windowed) or blew up with a hole in the back of the block next to the crankcase breather. I never got a chance to have any fun with the engine because it had that suttle knock that you could hear at idle but would go away when the engine revved. So I called Allied and talked to both Russell and Jim the owner. I informed them about the oil burning. They asked me to bring the vehicle over and I never did. I was upset at the amount of money I had spent on a stock engine. Well, the 1st week of February, the engine blew up on my way to work on the Braddock rd. exit on ramp west. It sounded like a firecracker went off, then smoke, christmas tree lights on the dash, smoke from under the hood, ect. Once I got to the side of the road and looked under the hood, there was oil and bits of aluminum everywhere, so I just called a tow company. I got the Z6 paperweight pulled out and torn down to get a good look at what failed. The rod bearings on the number 1 cylinder failed, causing the Z6 popsicle stick rod to lock, bend and snapped punching a hole in the block. I show up at their doorstep in Falls Church with the block. Russell greets me when I show up and asks, what do I have for him today? Well, not any work. I told him to take a look at the block. After he opened the plastic I had it in, he said it was burning oil. I replied, obviously, it's been consuming oil since it was installed. I told him to keep looking, he eventually found the hole and said the block was no good. My reply was, really. So, I ask, do you warranty your work? Russell says, it's a race motor, we don't warranty those. I say, a 95 Civic sohc Z6 is a race motor? The rod snapped while travelling 42mph in 3rd gear at 2900rpm's. I asked if Jim was in, he said no, Jim was out on a job. I said, have Jim call me. Jim calls me at work today and says, the engine looks like it hydrolocked. I ask how with the stock airbox on the car any of my co-workers can vouch. He says, well the failure was caused by some sort of hydrolock, i.e., water, oil or fuel. I tell him it's not water since it wasn't raining that day and I don't have a cold-water intake. He goes back to oil, well if it's oil then it's Russell's bad ring job or valve job. That much fuel couldn't get in a cylinder if I pumped it in. Basically, they're not standing behind their work. Of course, I understand everyone makes mistakes but I had other technicians look at the block and it's clearly rod bearing failure. I don't expect all my money back, but I at least some kind of effort on their part to make good. Maybe half the labor and the cost of the bearings. You decide because I give up.