Machine Shop Drop-Off Checklist
Pulling an engine and taking it to a machine shop? A machine shop can only work with what you hand them and what you tell them. Show up with a clean engine, labeled parts, a clear goal and a short list of questions, and you'll get a better quote, fewer surprise calls, and parts back the way you expect. This goes with my video of dropping off my 1989 Land Cruiser engine at my machine shop.
It's a 3-page fillable PDF checklist (US Letter) with notes areas. Fill it in on screen or print it. Work through the prep pages before you go, and fill in the rest at the counter:
- The Engine: blanks for vehicle, engine code, block/serial number, shop, machinist and phone, drop-off date and needed-back date.
- 1. Before You Load It Up: 10 prep items to do a day or two ahead: calling the shop, draining fluids and plugging ports, degreasing, bagging and labeling parts, keeping caps and lifters in order, photographing the engine and its stamping, and strapping it down for the drive.
- 2. Info to Bring: 8 items, including symptoms, compression or leak-down numbers, known history, your goal, budget and deadline, parts you've already bought, and your factory spec values.
- 3. Questions to Ask the Shop: 13 questions covering crack testing, deck flatness, cylinders, crank, valve job, parts sourcing, a call-me-over-$ limit, the measurement sheet, turnaround and payment, warranty, and filming.
- 4. Work Order & Quote: a table for each service (quoted / OK'd / final), plus total, deposit, call-me-over amount, turnaround and warranty.
- Parts Handed Over: an out/back tracker for the block, heads, crank, rods and caps, pistons, cams, flywheel/flexplate, bolt bags and other parts.
- 5. Pickup Checklist: 7 items, from the measurement sheet and invoice to making sure all your parts came back and the warranty is in writing.
- Shop Findings and Notes: space to write down cracks, flatness, bore and journal sizes, and what they recommend.
It's for DIYers and home mechanics sending an engine out for machine work, whether it's a stock refresh, a reliable daily driver, or a performance build. Fill it in or print it, bring a pen, and get the plan in writing.
Instant download, for personal use. Every shop works differently, so follow your machinist's instructions over this list, and verify every spec against your factory service manual.
