I just started really looking over some 2.0 heads I had done by a company (who I shall let remain nameless), that was highly recommended by certian people in the T4 World (and many, of you plan on sending heads to him in the future)and I am really unimpressed. I ask for a full rework, new guides valves, seats, weld up a few cracks in the spark plug holes, flow and flycut. Well I got parts of that.

When the seats were taken out it took a huge chunk out of the parent material round the seat and instead of filling the hole in with weld they finished the seats and sent the heads out with the hole there for the world to see. I ask for a special angle to be added to the valves, not done,. Spark plug holes were welded and made to a 12mm plug instead of a 14 that appeared OK, the valve job looks like a drunk monkey ground it. I am guessing it is supposed to be some sort of 3 angle valve job but the intakes have like 2 and 3/4 angles in some places, three in others, and the exhausts have only 1 angle, The only thing that this shops works has going for it is, they know how to put in valve guides and get the clearence tight.

It took close to two months to get the work done, and when I called about the piss poor work the owner had the audacity to say that it was Ok to run them that way. I told him that I would send the head back and that he would fix it and pay for me shipping it back across the country, he complained about having to pay for the shipping. 850 should by much better quality than what it did. I paid less from MSHP for my own personal heads and got a better deal.

The moral of the story please make sure you get references and examples of a company's work before you buy. Too bad my references gave glowing reccomendations.

BTW,

none of the engines in my group build are having heads done by this company. It took me 2-3 tries before our current guy understood what I wanted when it came to quality. Most of these machine shops have been beat up by lowbuck people so much that they rarely go out of their way to repair or fix anything outside of the actual valve job. Once I got it across to our machine shop guy that I wanted ALL new exhaust studs.. EVERYTHING welded up/repaired.. NO helicoils... NO time serts... blah blah... he was surprised. He asked me where I was coming up with these customers. I told him the customers didnt have a choice when dealing with me. Their heads would be fixed properly or I wouldnt be involved with the engine builds. He is slowly seeing a change in what people want with the T4 heads/machine work that he does. I know when it comes time to build these RAT engines.. I will need a great relationship with the machine shop.


B

I would like to know who it is.... I sent you a PM.

As for my heads:
It takes 3 shops to do the work on them......

Whew.... good to know mine are going to the RIGHT place.
Thanks Brad...

I would like to know who NOT to send them to....

Rich

I know where his heads went. I'm betting that the "small guy" who takes his stuff to this particular place would probably get put on the back burner and receive a "quicky" job on the heads. Unlike what a high volume engine builder would see when he sends his stuff out to the same guy. The person who brings in 8-10 sets of heads typically gets priority over the single set of heads (this is what I have seen in the past)

It takes 2 shops for me to get all the work done. The flow guy doesnt build heads.


B

This is one reason why all I use are brand new heads.....

The ONLY heads we rebuild are 2.0 heads.Starting with a good core is great! They still need a tremendous amount of work though! Like EVERY seat swapped and EVERY guide changed.

I doubt when the parts sales start that I will be selling heads.... Too many issues can occur with them- can't please everyone.

Interesting Jake.

Are you having 1.8 heads modded to 2.0 ?? Do people pay for new 2.0 heads ??


B

either way....

we can make a 2.0 from a 1.8... I don't use stock chambers in either one. Do it my way...... the plug angle is an easy fix.

To the original poster: Send me those heads. I'll inspect them for you, and let you know if I would use them on one of my engines..........

I finally got a picture of the head that was done. Notice the huge gap between the seat and the head. The shop owner swore that I could run it without any problems.

Do what you wish... I don't agree with that either and out of atleast 400 pair from him I have never seen this type of work before...

The head program that we built with him has been excellent, one failure since the 90s..

Hey, there's a pun in the title. Heads up, and the thread is about heads... nice

Im kinda worried now. I need a head rebuild with new valves and stuff, but I dont know who to trust. I am between Headflow Masters and Rimco. Any suggestions? Feel free to PM me if you cant give an honest answer on the thread. Thanks!

BTW: this is for a street car with an occasional autox, nothing too fancy.

every now and then we all F- UP!

adrian at Headflow does excellent work for me. I have developed another head program with another individual here in the southeast and will be selling his heads soon and using them on 2316cc and larger engines exclusively... Adrian cannot keep up with us any longer demand wise for all the work we have.

I would go with Len. He hasn't done any work for me but the conversations I have had with him instills my confidence in his work. He has done heads for a friend of mine and they definitely were quality. Plus you can understand him when talking to him on the phone.

Maybe I just ask too much or Adrian was overloaded but he should not have let this go out the door. A large chunk of change was shelled out for these heads and I have some right to be picky.

I will probably begin doing my own heads, all except the seat installs, this should keep my cost down a little in the long run.

Len = Rimco and Adrian = Headflow masters, right?

Len is Hoffman Automotive Machine

Adrian is Headflow masters

Where is Hoffman Automotive Machine? And have you had any experience with Rimco?

Hoffman Machine is in GA. I had RIMCO bore some 94s to 96mm. They did a pretty decent job. Be nice if Jake was doing them at the time.