We got a rebuilt 2L engine for my daughter's 914 last summer and had a valve which turned out to be Chinese made give us some problems and a close inspection of the heads show the AMC casting. Our machine shop said they thought these are made in Spain, but could not remember? The castings seem fine and the seats are staying in nicely. One of the valves had the tip mushroom so all are being replaced.

raby used those for the castings.. threw everything else away tho......

apparently the castings are ok, but the components are junk

AMC heads should be treated as a core. Toss everything...valves, springs, retainers, keepers, and yes, the seats, in the trash.

The guides seem ok and the casting.....

Made in Spain

That is what we are doing. The engine came assembled and we did not disassemble it before we used it.

Let me guess,

guy out of LA? Ebay engine?


B

No, a shop on Morena Blvd, does mainly bugs and busses but does a 914 or two now and then.

AMC heads are manufactured in Spain. However, they may very well use Chinese valves, I don't really know.

Len at HAM has recently posted on the Shoptalk Forums that the seats and guides seem pretty good, but the valve springs and keepers are rather poor. The main reason he replaces seats on most of them is for fitting larger valves.

Note that they do not (or did not last I checked!) make 2.0 914 style heads, just 1.7, 1.8, and Bus 2.0 (and also square-port) heads.

--DD