All machine shops are not created equal.

    Finding a machine shop with the proper equipment and expertise can be difficult, especially if you live in a rural area. After searching the yellow pages, scouring the internet, and consulting with fellow gear heads, I thought I had found a shop that could handle the work. The shop, which I will not name, wanted to charge me over $1000 for what should have cost less than $500. The owner wanted to do extra work such as line bore and deck the block when it was not needed. Now would be a good time to mention something important.
    A torque plate MUST be used when the cylinder sleeves on an aluminum modular block are bored and honed!!! A torque plate is simply a thick plate that bolts where the head gaskets go and when torqued to factory specs, distorts the block in the same way that the cylinder heads would if bolted on. The aluminum block distorts more than the iron block when clamping forces act on it and if a torque plate is not used during boring and honing, the piston rings will not seat properly.
    The machine shop owner didn't believe in using a torque plate and this is where our relationship ended. My deposit was put towards polishing the factory crank journals and hot tanking the block, and I starting searching for machine shop number two.

A Torque plate for the modular 4.6 and 5.4 family made by BHJ.