R & L Engines

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Dave Gambaccini
10 months ago
R&L Engine goes above and beyond with customer support and their work speaks for itself. This is a long review, for those who want a full story to really instill confidence in using R&L. From initial conversations over the phone, they took the time to talk with me to understand the issues I was describing, and the potential repairs which may be required. And not just one call, I must've called about 6 different times, and each time, they would take as much time as I needed to answer my questions. I own a hot rod with a 283 cu in and I had not built this engine. I eventually brought the heads to R&L for rebuilding, and I met Andrew and Leo. They spent plenty of time with me at the counter, discussing options and possible build scenarios. I dropped the heads off on a Friday at 4:00 pm and by Monday, at 9:00 am, they called to give me an update and talk about next steps. I was floored, especially since they're not open over the weekend. By that Thursday, LESS THAN 1 WEEK AFTER I DROPPED OFF THE HEADS.... they called to let me know everything was ready! We did have to change the heads, to a 305 head because I had too many issues with the old heads. With that, came a new intake manifold, new push rods, new valve covers, and all the gaskets, all which I had R&L get for me. It just makes sense to let them do all the parts sorting, to make sure everything is going to work together. Like most, I tried to get some stuff from Summit or O'Riely's on my own, and it's just not worth it. It took me several weeks to get everything back together and running again and I had several glitches along the way. By this point, Andrew and I were talking on a regular basis as he walked me through different trouble shooting scenarios every time I called. He always took my call and would have me take pictures and email them, and then he'd call me back and we'd continue to trouble shoot. Leo jumped on the call a few times and also helped with troubleshooting. Every issue I had was something else associated with getting the car running correctly, and had nothing to do with the heads they built for me. That was above and beyond. They always took my call and always answered questions regarding my cam, or my timing chain, or the timing set up.... it didn't matter that I wasn't asking anything about the heads, they just continued to help me. Andrew was sincerely interested to know that I got up and running again, and he sounded genuinely excited to hear that I smoked the tires over the weekend. I strongly recommend R&L Engines. Engine and machine shops are hard to come by, and I'd suggest it's even harder to find a company who truly cares about the customer experience, even beyond the scope of work they provided. Thank you Andrew, thank you, Leo and thank you R&L Engines. You have a customer/friend in me and I hope to have you build something ridiculous for me soon! Cheers!Services: Engine repair, Motor building

  Michael Medeiros
8 months ago
Can't say enought good things about R&L! Having a bad experience with a local shop it was worth the almost 2 hour drive for me. They have a wide range of knowledge good communication and a very thorough and precise in every aspect. I look forward to doing business with them again in the future.

  scuba359
a year ago
Wanted to share my absolutely superb experience with Leo and the gang at R&L Engines. I recently decided to repower my 1989 Dodge pickup and had been on the fence about ordering a crate engine from one of "the big guys". Their prices seemed reasonable but I had read some unflattering things about even some of the most trusted names in engine building.I did some research and found out about R&L engines. I had heard about the excellent work they've done on high performance engines and their reputation for getting things right the first time. So I decided to pay them a visit. As soon as I entered the shop I could tell that they were very busy, nevertheless Leo (the owner) gave me his full and undivided attention as I laid out my ideas for the project. I could tell right away that I was not going to be one of their high-dollar customers (having seen some of their completed high performance engines most likely valued at tens of thousands of dollars) but that did not stop Leo from making my ideas and aspirations feel valued and respected. He did not hesitate to dive right in and ask me very specific questions about what kind of a driver I was and what kind of performance I was seeking. Within minutes he had provided me with some very valuable feedback about my expectations as well as some things that could be done to save some money while still getting the best bang for the buck.Over the next month or so we exchanged emails as we hashed out my options and what would best fit my budget. I decided to have them machine and bore a 360 LA block for the starting point of my build. Leo spec'd out the rest of the engine from there, recommending additional machining/balancing services and matching the new upgraded internals to the perfect camshaft.I decided I was going to assemble the engine myself with the helpful encouragement of Leo who's advice and willingness to answer every little question gave me the confidence to do something I would have never considered before.I paid my deposit and eagerly awaited to get my parts. Unfortunately it took 4 months for the camshaft to arrive. This was not their fault, there was a national shortage of roller cam cores and several of their builds were delayed because of this. They stayed in close communication with me through the entire process and made sure I understood that the delay was being taken very seriously. In addition to the block and balance work they also did the clearance work on the crank and assembled the heads.Everything came back to me squeaky clean and within perfect spec. When I found that my head bolts were not among the parts I got back, Leo had them overnighted to me without hesitation at his expense. "Old-School customer service" is the best way I can describe these guys, they understand engines but they also understand people.I assembled my engine over the course of a month and did end up calling on Leo for bits of advice as I went along, he was quick to answer my questions and provided sound and reasonable knowledge to help get me through the build.Well now here I am, one month after installing this beautiful engine into my baby and she purrs like a kitten. No excessive noise or vibration, perfect oil pressure, and a sense of pride and accomplishment that I would not have had without R&L engines.I HIGHLY recommend this shop if you care about the quality of the engine build you are putting under the hood of your project.If I can offer one word of advice it's that Leo and his team are truly a vanishing breed of professional craftsmen, so listen to what they have to say and take their advice on your build. You will be happy you did!Service: Motor building

  S3 Weaponworks
a year ago
Cant say enough good about Leo and everyone at R&L. After a 20 year hiatus, they got what I wanted done very quickly and went above and beyond to get me what I needed. Im not an everyday builder, and Im not a huge customer, but they made sure i was set up and treated me like I was. You cant fake quality work or customer care. And they have the ability to do whatever you request. Theres no question they are great at what they do. From my first engine decades ago, to the latest today, still the best choice.Service: Engine repair

  john sellar
a year ago
I restored a vintage inboard boat and the engine pulled out of the boat, And rebuilt twice in four years, R&L was recommeded to me. Leo`s ability and knowlege was amazing. He walked me through the steps. If I had gone to R& L first I would have saved thousands and alot of heartache Thank YouService: Motor buildingService: Motor building

  John Kippin
2 years ago
Leo and the crew at R&L have done it again for me with another quality project.Over the years they have done machine work, with me doing the assembly. The latest project a full build and dyno by them for a marine application.Leo in the past has stood behind his work for me, which has never been a problem in over 15 years.I would like to thank everyone behind the scenes for a job well done and to Leo, Ruth, Nadine, Dan and Dana for the special efforts.Services: Auto engine tuning, Motor building

  Brett Wiggin
3 years ago
I recently brought my Harley Davidson cylinder head for some valve work, the staff there are very friendly and welcoming. The price we discussed was spot on not a penny more the quality of work was excellent, I highly recommend this business to anyone looking to have any engine work done.Service: Motor buildingService: Motor building

  Dale Gordon
5 years ago
My experience with Ruth and Leo we're very positive. Leo is a knowledgeable guy with years of experience under his belt. Leo has always made himself available for my questions and has always accommodated my crazy schedule from staying late to leaving parts out for me to pick up whenever I could . R+L did machine work on a few of my engines, the last one being a nasty 327 for a 1967 Nova. Following Leo's recommendations on machine work, balancing, piston rings and bearing clearances, I was able to come out of there with one of the smoothest running, highest revving engines I have ever owned. In the automotive world you get what you pay for. Good machine work isn't cheap and cheap machine work isn't good.

  Colleen Teeter
6 years ago
Efficient and friendly service! I was in and out on my lunch break. They did a great job and were very honest and kind! People don't hesitate to write a bad review if they are or happy. Most people who have a good experience don't take the time to write a review.

  Marilyn LaPierre
4 years ago
My husband and I have Known these folks for almost 15 years while racing boats and cars. In that time Leo and team have built us several engines, maintained engine packages, and been there when we needed them. VERY professional and easy to work with. They are our go to shop.

  Ben Ferrell
6 years ago
I brought in a Norton crank, for them to bold back together (yes it's a two piece crank, that I didn't have a torque wrench to reach all the bolts) and put new OEM bearings (I supplied) on the shaft.They said they could do it, but weren't sure how long it would take.After over 3 weeks without even a phone call, I called them, and they said, "yeah, sorry we can't do that".So I went to pick it up and politely asked, why they couldn't even press the new bearings on, the girl at the counter got aggressive, and said, "we're not willing to take the liability". Even though they'd already machined other parts of the engine.

  ahmed h
2 years ago
2011 Subaru wrx leak down test cylinder heads were leaking by 70% so i explained the situation to the shop and all they said "we pressure test it and they're not leaking could be your piston rings" however I rebuilt the engine replaced everything except the crankshaftgot everything back together and leak down test it again . Same numbers I had before after i got charged i called back i was like hey this is the problem . The lady was "did you brake on your piston rings" just ignored her and took everything apart again replaced the valves and the seals my self the car running like champ however the old guy seem to understand when i first talked to him but I don't know where the slack was coming from maybe they had one employee who worked on my cylinder heads that's slacking

  Matt McGrath
4 years ago
Don't be misled by all the 5 star reviews here on google. One of them is from their mechanic who they "recommend" to their customers to use. If you are thinking of using this establishment make sure you have a witness and everything is in writing because their word doesn't go very far. And whatever you do, don't use the mechanic in Hampton that they "recommend" quote, unquote.Follow up to my original review which is just below. I am not going to get into a back and forth argument with these people, who rebutted my original review, however let me forwarn all of you of this fact.After I posted my review, Nadine sent me a scathing email threatening to take me to court over my review. If you decide to use this establishment, make sure you bring a witness to listen to any conversation you have with Nadine or anyone else there as their word means nothing.As stated above, these people are not good for their word, don t trust them, and certainly don t use their mechanic, and if you have a bad experience..... don t say anything, Nadine will threaten you with a lawsuit, as she did to me via email.Other than threatening legal action, they have not reached out to me, the whole experience has been a disappointment. I am going to purchase a crate motor for my truck and toss or try to sell the motor they built .Use this place at your own risk, better yet go somewhere competent and trust worthy.Original review..I wish I could give a lower review. They rebuilt my 454 big block motor and installed a Holley EFI system. They insisted that I had to used their mechanic, a guy named Jim Sullivan in Hampton.Jim Sullivan was completely lost, it took him 6 months to install the motor then he gave it back to me and told me how to figure out the EFI system that wasn t working. I paid RnL around 13k and Jim Sullivan around $8500, for a paperweight, the motor doesn t run, and I don t know what I m going to do.Whatever you do, don t do business with RnL they won t back any of their work and they ll charge top dollar.And quite frankly, I d use a crate motor built in a third world country before I d have RnL build me anything, they re a bunch of hacks, don t use them.

  Ben Sunshine
3 years ago
Had a flywheel resurfaced, they got it done in about 40 minutes. People at the shop were super friendly and definitely a high quality shop. Nice shop cat too.

  Pete Groudas
a year ago
Very friendly amd know their stuff. Working on projects 2 and 3 with them and planning project 4. Can't rank them high enough, 10 stars. 5/6/22 update: Still the best!!

  Dana Torrey
7 years ago
Estimate means little. They charge whatever they like. To add insult to injury they will charge you 4X more for return shipping than you paid sending it to them. They charged over $40 just to box it and it arrived with parts of the cylinder sticking out holes in the box. Really? Fool me once... never again!

  Peter Hopkinson
5 years ago
Absolute professionals in every respect. Have had three engines (2 car and one motorcycle) worked on there and the attention to detail and the advice on how to match engine components is outstanding. Wish I could give 6 stars.

  Joshua Bartlett
3 years ago
Best engine machinists in the North East! Very professional and willing to help you out. I've had a lot of work done there and won't go anywhere else.

  Dodd Wamberg
5 years ago
Great local shop! Leo and Dan took great care of me. I needed a part cut for my old tractor and they completed it the same day!!

  Avery Grieve
3 years ago
Very good work done here at reasonable prices (you absolutely get what you pay for). Very friendly folks. My go-to shop in the area.

  Nate Twarog
a year ago
Came in needing a seized brass screw removed. They got it done in 30 seconds and helped us out a lot. Thank you R&L

  Denise Lorandeau
5 years ago
A very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff, top notch equipment in a neat clean well organized shop. I will update my review after I pickup the complete engine.

  Matthew Dolan
4 years ago
Ruth and Leo are some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry. They invest in the highest quality equipment and the results speak for themselves.

  Carter Poirier
2 years ago
Went out of their way to help me and it ended up saving me big time. They got it done quickly and it works great.

  Luke Mcdonough
2 years ago
Brought in a cylinder head for a busted stud. It was fixed quickly and at a fair price. I'd definitely go back.

  jenna brigham
a year ago
Really bad experience multiple times never made right ...bad bearing spec...bad piston to wall spec....many failed in break in or on first few warm up cycles...never again....Service: Motor buildingService: Motor building

  Vincent Connelly
6 years ago
Very professional, competent and friendly staff. I would certainly go back again! Rates were very reasonable.

  richard sowers
6 years ago
Very unprofessional lady in the office Ruth is as rude as u can get she's leo wife the tell u one price n tell u what they r going to do then charge u more n don't do what they say they were going to do in the first place I'd never tell anyone to go there for anything

  Jesse Dodier
4 years ago
Great team, we have worked with them a lot. They do excellent work.

  ERIC OUELLETTE
2 years ago
Although they could not help me they were able to steer me in other suggested places to try.