Around The Shops

 Spring, 2010

By Bill John

For this spring edition of Around The Shops, we recently visited with Ruth and Leo Croisetiere at R&L Engines in Dover, NH where they have been building engines since 1994. This column was written for our ACBS  publication Cutwater and our chapter Website, with the objective of keeping our members informed of the projects at our local shops. The concept is similar to the “Around the Yards” column in Wooden Boat Magazine.

R&L Engines

 

R&L Engines is aptly named after the husband and wife team of Ruth and Leo Croisetiere. This is a 6000 sq. ft. machine shop that specializes in vintage, performance and exotic engines. From British cars, flathead Fords, BMW's, and marine engines, (including the inboard engines for the New Hampshire Marine Patrol), whether new or vintage, Leo Croisetiere is an ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified and Master Engine Machinist. Ruth takes care of the back office, staffing and the Website. Both Ruth and Leo have been running this business in his current location in Dover, NH since 1994 and before that at another location since 1981.

 

When you first walk into the shop you are personally greeted, and if you are looking for a job to be performed, you go through an extensive interview process. Leo says, "It's important to understand the owner's use and desires. Communication with the customer is critical to what we do." If the owner is competent to work on his or her own engine, Leo will provide a "to-do" list. In other cases, Leo will advise, "Don't touch it! But, you can always polish the aluminum."

 

The approach Leo takes to each engine is to develop what he calls a "recipe". Each project has its own recipe. The recipe is a combination of compression ratio, cylinder heads, cubic inches, and the threshold of detonation. For example, a "stroker" engine will provide more compression, torque and horsepower. In the process of developing the recipe, Leo provides a detailed project estimate. While he plans each project, researches it, does a flow test and does computer simulations on all competition engines, he assures the customer that "We are not an R&D shop. We're a bunch of working guys who love what we do."

The shop is designed for work flow and equipped so that everything fits. For example, there are 3 machines located centrally in the shop. Each engine moves through each machine like an assembly line. No engine is lifted, there is an overhead hoist for all movement. For example, to bore an engine block to within .0002 tolerance, R&L uses a Rottler F65A machine that he calls "The Rottweiler" both because of its size and strength. Then the engines moves to the diamond honing machine that hones the cylinders within .0001 tolerance. This compares to .0005 tolerance in most shops. Leo is old school and can even hand hone a cylinder. The final phase is the horizontal hone machine that can improve the horsepower potential of an engine.

At one time, R&L can work on multiple jobs. They are run parallel in the shop, using each specialized machine for each project before moving it on to the next phase. There is a welding facility, balancing area, a grinding and cutting area, a valve guide machine, a "dirty room", and a "clean room".

When an engine first arrives, it is put into the receiving area. From there it goes to the "dirty room" where it is cleaned. Leo worked with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in setting up his cleaning area. Using a direct burn system, an engine can be cleaned in 40 minutes. After 10 minutes in the shop blaster, the engine will look brand new. The third phase is for the engine to go into the shaker for 3 to 5 minutes where the residue from the cleaning process is removed. The final cleaning takes place in a jet washer that uses soap and water. It is like a giant dishwasher. From this point on all waste materials are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner or recycled if applicable.

 

When we visited the shop, along with about a dozen guests, we quickly recognized a vintage marine engine project in process. Here was a 354 Chrysler Hemi restoration that was partially completed. Some of challenges on this engine were the fabrication of adapters for the exhaust headers and getting the proper fuel pump and fitting it. This restoration is still a year away from completion but because of difficulty getting the parts, the owner's schedule, and other on-going projects.

We also discovered that Leo began working on engines when he was only 13 years old. He started by taking apart a 283 Chevy engine to put into his 1964 Nova. He had to wait until he was 16 though, to legally drive the car. We realized that he's come a long way when we looked at Leo's 6 liter hydroplane, Hot to Trot, that has an engine he completely restored. Leo told us, "There are differences between automotive and marine engines. About three or four minor differences that make a major difference in performance and durability."

During our visit, we were treated to a tremendous sharing of information. Leo regularly conducts tours of his facility for college and high school students. In fact, he currently has two University of New Hampshire interns working part-time. We learned about the properties of fuel, and the relative desirability of different grades of fuel. Leo explained the different approaches he takes to repairing cracks in cylinder blocks. Depending on the placement and severity, cracks may be powder torch welded or stitched pined. He finds the cracks using a dry mag gun. This is an electric gun that uses powder. The part is magnetized by the gun and the powder becomes attracted to the crack making the crack visible. He may also use a wet mag system that uses a fine fluorescent that is no larger than one-half the breadth of a human hair. After looking at literally thousands of engines, Leo stated, "I know where to look for cracks." 

R&L Engines is a full service engine shop. Their project list includes cylinder head services from crack repair to boring and honing, engine balancing, rod and piston work, and block machining. Whether you need engine work done for a vintage boat or car, an exotic or competition vehicle, off-shore boat, a complete restoration or follow-up testing, Leo and his crew can get the job done !!!

Many thanks to Ruth and Leo for for taking the time for our Shop Tour, and for feeding us.

Contact Information:

 

R&L Engines

308 Durham Road

Dover, NH  03820

603-742-8812
www.rlengines.com

Click here for Ruth & Leo's vintage hydroplane - Hot To Trot

     

On a personal note:

R&L Engines rebuilt the motor in my beloved  Gar Wood Speedster Obsession using the time honored method of getting more power from a motor - overbore the cylinders and increase the stroke of the crankshaft. The result is called a "stroker" motor, and R&L Engines convinced me to use my seasoned 454 Crusader marine block, and build a 510 cubic inch "stroker" motor. R&L built a batch of them, and they all dynode between 625 and 650 HP. Stoker motors also produce lots of torque, right in the midrange, perfect for a gentleman's vintage race boat. This motor is a bullet, and the sound through the IMCO exhaust headers and 4 inch side pipes is pure magic ???!!!

 

Bill John

Vintage Race Boat Shop
603-569-5824 (Shop phone)
http://www.vintageraceboatshop.com

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