Part barn, part machine business, and part museum, Silveira’s Machine Owners Greg and Mary Silveira say the barn has served as the family shop for three generations.

Silveira’s Machine adapts to changing times
Fri, 2014-08-01 00:11 | by Steve Sharp

www.PartsAndPeople.com

Silveira finds gold in the odd, the old and the unusual 

Tell Us About Silveira's Machine Shop

​Where to start when one want's to start writing about their business? To start off with, how about sitting in front of the computer instead of working in the shop, or in my case have a nice conversation, which I'm more comfortable doing, with Steve Sharp of PartsAndPeople.com. The article pretty much explains what I do, how long I've be doing it and why I do it. So here I've reposted Steve Sharp's article for your reading pleasure.  

Seen here balancing a Ford flat-head crank shaft, Greg Silveira says his status as a ASE Master Technician added to 35 years experience as a machinist and engine builder and gives him a unique understanding of the complete vehicle.

San Jose, Calif.—With today’s engines lasting more than 200,000 miles, the role of the local machine shop has changed drastically. Adapting to a market dominated by remanufacturers, recyclers, and crate motors, ASE Master Technician and long-time machinist Greg Silveira turned to the odd, the old, and the unusual for success. With more than 30 years experience, Silveira knows how to work on everything from automotive and agricultural-compressed natural gas, to hybrid and vintage. “They’re all in my wheelhouse,” he said. Embracing his roots and possessing rare and lost skills, Silveira has built a business working on what others don’t. “Anyone can build a 350 Chevy,” he said. “I’ve got a six month back log because we do work others can’t.” Although Silveira still does the odd 350 Chevrolet, it’s flat head and specialty projects that keep him in the black. “I do head work, block work, line boring, honing, balancing, as well as valve, cam, and crank grinding. We’re very old school, some of what I do is becoming a lost art. There are fewer and fewer people out there that do crank and cam grinding in-house. I do it all, from disassembly to assembly and every step between. I’m a one-man band — it gives me complete control and understanding of every project.” Silveira’s is located in the family’s 3,000-square-foot, 100-year-old dairy barn, and is packed with the tools of the trade. It’s part barn, part machine shop, and part museum. “It’s not every shop whose back door opens to a corral full of cows,” he said. “With my collection of old signs, cars, and farm equipment, customers say it’s like a museum here. It was my grandfather’s shop, my father’s, and now mine. We’ve all built and maintained our equipment in this barn, it’s part of the family.” Silveira said having a well-rounded understanding of all things mechanical began with his grandfather. “My grandfather was a well driller for San Jose and Santa Clara in the 1940s, so being a fabricator was part of the job. You worked with the equipment and on the equipment, there was no one that was going to jump in their truck and come fix it for you. His and my dad’s old equipment still works well.” Silveira began his career working at Almaden Machine Shop while still in high school. Learning the trade from machinists who cut their teeth in the 1950s, Silveria gained respect for those that had come before. “They taught me a lot — the old machines, the history of their work. They were the master craftsmen of their day. There was a pride in their work, in doing their best, something lost on so many today. They showed me their little tricks, so as where to clearance and when, and how to hold the part so it drops right in.” In the midst of a 10-year break from machine shop work, Silveria said he earned ASE Master Technician status. “Knowing both worlds — the vehicle and the engine — gave me a full understanding,” he said. It was during the same time Silveira learned about alternative power applications. Working at Village Golf Course and Country Club, his role as chief mechanic brought lessons on hydraulics, hydrostatic transmissions, and electric vehicles. The varied experience gave Silveira the legs to stand on as he began his own business in 2001, doing machine work and mobile repair. “I began mobile repair to augment the machine shop business,” he said. He said that unlicensed and unregulated repairers ruined the mobile business, and it didn’t take long for the market to become dominated by slip-shod, unlicensed, and uninsured players. “I became the bad guy for doing the job correctly and charging accordingly. People thought they were getting a great deal when actually they were being ripped off,” he said. His penchant for the unusual led Silveira to work on compressed natural gas (CNG)-converted Ford 4.6 engines for San Jose’s Yellow Cab fleet. “We did a lot of work with the 4.6. To improve longevity and reliability we raised the compression and went to high nickel valve seats. It’s been an interesting project and something I continue to work on.” Silveira’s passion lies in the engines of old. Flat-head Fords and vintage agricultural machines are very popular right now, he said. “I specialize in full-size flat heads, Model A and Model B, the V8-60, 4.6, as well as DeSoto and Chrysler Hemis and GM and Dodge straight six motors. From hot rods, collector cars, rat rods, and ag, there are a lot of people wanting old motors rebuilt.” EGGES Machine is Silveira’s first call when it comes to parts for his vintage engines. “Jim Ketchum and Steve Markley at EGGES are very helpful. They have the replacement and performance parts I need as well as great information. EGGES has a full line of quality parts: Felpro, Seal Power, Mahle-Clevite, Cloys, Ross, and JE products.” Silveira offers a one-year/12,000-mile warranty on his street replacement work. “I’m putting the final touches on an engine dyno so every complete engine will be fired up and run in prior to delivery. It is just another way I can build customer confidence. They know it runs.” - See more at: http://www.partsandpeople.com/node/6313#sthash.nINdaFKF.dpufh