A crankshaft is the spine of your Subaru engine. When it wears, scores, or runs out of true, the whole build is only as good as that one part. We grind, polish, and balance Subaru cranks right here in Kent, on our own equipment, so the heart of your rebuild starts dead-on.
We are East Valley Auto Rebuild, run by Mark Bryant, the guy a lot of folks around the Pacific Northwest call the Independent Subaru Guru. We have spent more than 30 years inside Subaru engines, and the machine work is the part we love most.
Get a Subaru crankshaft grinding quote in Kent, WA
When a Subaru crankshaft needs grinding
Most cranks come to our Kent shop for one of a few reasons. A spun rod bearing chewed the journal. The engine sat with bad oil and the journals scored. Or the crank simply measured out of round after a few hundred thousand hard miles. Subarus run high mileage in this region, and we see plenty of EJ and EZ cranks that have earned a refresh.
Ever pulled a Subaru apart and found a journal that looks like brushed metal? That haze is wear, and a fresh main bearing will not fix a worn journal. Grinding does.
Here is the honest version. If the crank can be saved, grinding it to the next undersize is cheaper and stronger than chasing a used core of unknown history. If it is cracked or ground too far already, we will tell you straight. We would rather lose the job than build you an engine we do not trust.
Our crankshaft grinding and balancing process
We handle most of this work in-house, in a clean machining area, on precision lathes, grinders, and hones. We rarely outsource, which means your crank does not sit in a queue at three different shops.
1. Inspection and measurement.
We mic every journal with top-grade measuring tools and check the crank for straightness and cracks. You get the real numbers, not a guess.
2. Grinding to size.
We grind the rod and main journals to a clean, round, correctly sized finish, then match the right undersize bearings so your oil clearance lands where Subaru wants it.
3. Polishing.
A ground journal still needs a mirror polish. A rough surface eats bearings. A polished one lets the oil film do its job.
4. Balancing. This is the step a lot of shops skip. We balance the rotating assembly so the engine spins smooth and the bearings are not fighting a wobble for the next 100,000 miles.
5. Final check. Nothing leaves Kent until it measures right.
What happens when you skip the balancing step on a high-revving Subaru? You feel it as vibration, and the bearings feel it as wear. We do not skip it.
Pricing and what affects it
Crankshaft work is priced by the condition of the part and how much has to come off, at a real fraction of what a dealership charges for machine work, and most of the dealers do not even do this in-house.
A straightforward grind-and-polish on a sound crank is a quick turnaround. A crank that needs heavy correction, or a full rotating-assembly balance for a Subaru performance engine build, takes more bench time. We give you the number before we start. No surprises.
Every bit of machine work we do is backed by our 12-month, 12,000-mile warranty.
DIY builders, bring us the crank
A lot of our machine-shop customers are sharp home mechanics doing their own assembly. That is great. Pull the crank, drop it off at our Kent shop, and let us do the grinding, polishing, and balancing while you handle the build. We support DIY Subaru work, and we will give you the clearances you need to finish it right.
This pairs naturally with our other machine services, like cylinder boring and honing and cylinder head resurfacing. If you are doing the whole bottom end, doing the machine work under one roof keeps the tolerances consistent.
Why East Valley Auto Rebuild in Kent
We are one of the few shops in Washington that does complete in-house Subaru machining and full engine installation under one roof. That matters. When the same team grinds your crank, bores your block, and assembles the engine, the numbers all agree.
Mark trained as both a chef and a mechanic, and he runs the shop with that same care for getting the details exactly right. Our team carries decades of combined Subaru experience, and a lot of our customers have been with us 20 years or more.
You can see all of our Kent Subaru machine shop services, or read about full Subaru engine rebuilds if the crank is just one piece of a bigger job.
See Why Subaru Owners
Keep Coming Back
The quality of work is top notch. Took my 2011 STI there to get the head gaskets done and could not be more pleased with the work they did and how they treated me through the process. Sent photos and videos of the entire process while taking apart the motor. Great people who really do want the best for the customer and their car. Would absolutely take my Subaru there again if needed.
I brought my 2017 wrx with a blown engine to Mark at east valley auto rebuild. I really liked how he took the extra time to discuss all my available options, from keeping it stock to going with more quality parts. Mark covered it all with his extensive knowledge while he tooks us out to lunch. He really made sure that what I wanted out of and from the car is what I got.
I have been coming to this repair shop for a couple of years now and just bought my second Subaru to allow them to keep maintaining my car for me. They have been so helpful to me over the years, always working around my budget, always squeezing me in last minute when they are busy. The owners are great people who genuinely care about their customers and the staff is very informative. Thank you, East Valley!
These folks handle all my auto repairs with extreme care and understanding
I've brought my 2011 Subaru Outback to East Valley Auto Rebuild a few times now, and every visit has been a great experience. Mark Bryant and his team do excellent work at a fair price, and they really know their stuff—especially when it comes to high-performance Subaru options. They're honest, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. If you're looking for quality service and trustworthy advice, I highly recommend them!
Some of Our Professional Subaru Services
Below are some of our most popular Subaru Services and Repairs and descriptions of each.
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Other Services
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you grind a Subaru crankshaft that spun a bearing?
Usually, yes. If the journal cleaned up within the available undersizes and the crank is still straight and crack-free, we grind it, polish it, and match the right bearings. We measure first and tell you honestly whether it is worth saving.
Do I need to balance the crankshaft if I only ground the journals?
We recommend it, especially on a Subaru that sees high RPM. Balancing the rotating assembly cuts vibration and protects your fresh bearings. It is cheap insurance compared to a second teardown.
How much does Subaru crankshaft grinding cost in Kent?
It depends on condition and how much correction the crank needs. We quote the full job before we start. A clean grind-and-polish is far less than replacing the crank with an unknown used core.
Can I bring in just the crankshaft, without the whole engine?
Absolutely. Many of our machine-shop customers are doing their own builds and drop off individual parts. Bring us the crank and we will grind, polish, and balance it to spec.
Do you work on older Subaru cranks?
We do. We have machined Subaru engines from the 1985 to 1998 era and everything newer, including high-mileage motors past 300,000 miles. Old or new, we have likely seen yours.
Schedule Subaru crankshaft grinding in Kent, WA, call
(253) 872-7468.
