Make Your Engine Young Again!
The Triumph Car Club of W.A. visits Galloway Engine Reconditioning, at Pinjarra.
I am sure that we all take loving care of our Triumphs, being the enthusiasts for these wonderful cars that we are. However, I am equally certain that we still worry about the high mileages that our cars will have covered by now, since the youngest of them would now have to be 26 years old.
Hence, it was not surprising to see a good-sized group of members join the run down to Pinjarra, on Saturday morning 29 November, to be shown over the workshop facilities of Galloway Engine Reconditioning. The visit was arranged by Cullum Dillon, whose lovely red Stag has had major surgery to its engine by Galloways and is now reaping the benefit.
We were welcomed to the very large and clean workshop premises by Laurie Galloway, who has been in the engine reconditioning trade for more than 40 years and established this, his own business, at Pinjarra in 1978. He still oversees the operations of the business, supported by his son, David and 10 precision engine specialists.
It was David who conducted us on our tour, showing us the machines that attend to crankshaft re-grinding, line boring, crack testing, boring and honing and balancing. We also saw the machines that do valve guides and seating.
All the various processes were explained and we were left in no doubt as to the level of painstaking precision that goes into every phase of the reconditioning process. Tolerances can be achieved down to fractions of a gram or .001 of a millimetre. Amazing stuff.
What struck me most clearly and I am sure all the other members as well, was the deployment of state-of-the-art technology in all the various processes the Firm undertakes and the high level of intellectual knowledge possessed by David. He know exactly what had to be done to achieve the highest standard of finished product and he knew the reason why.
The Firm believes that quality machining can only be achieved on quality machines and has maintained, over the past quarter-century, a policy of continuous equipment updating, to ensure they remain at the forefront of engine machining technology.
Perhaps the most impressive evidence of this policy that we saw, was the CWT Mult-Bal 5000 crankshaft balancer, an amazing piece of equipment, with computer sensors everywhere, providing the most comprehensive readouts telling exactly where the balancing work needs to be done and how much weight, in fractions of a gram, is required. This is the first installation of this equipment in Australia.
The Firm's Serdi valve seat machine is regarded as the most accurate for precision valve seat machining.
Galloways can work on all types of engines, from race cars through classics to vintage and veteran. As well as the processes outlined here, they can also provide conrod re-sizing and small end re-bushing, repair or replacement of any size of valve guide, diamond facing of cylinder heads and facing of flywheels and manifolds.
The machine shop is equipped to undertake any engine machining job and has equipment to test harness and surface finish, guide clearance measurement tooling and valve seat concentricity gauges, amongst other precision measuring equipment.
In this piece, I have outlined only some of the services Galloways can offer. This was a real eye-opener, to say the least and I left very confident that when my Triumph or Rover motors grow old and tired, I can have them made young again.
For more information, visit www.gallowayengines.com.au, or phone the Firm on 9531 1366. They are located at 25 Baker Street, Pinjarra.
On behalf of the Triumph Car Club, I extend our most sincere gratitude to Laurie and David Galloway for their kindness in giving up a significant part of their Saturday for us in affording the club this most informative tour. We thank them also for their hospitality in laying on morning tea, biscuits and sandwiches. Thanks also to Cullum Dillon for organising the event.
Malcolm Miller
