noahwins
02-20-2015, 04:49 PM
OK guys so I got a non-MCA head and rods and pistons from a fellow member but they had been sitting for years and had lots of surface rust and tiny nicks. So I took them to a neighborhood machine shop and showed the guy what I had. I asked can you clean all of this up (pointing to the rust) and check the head for squareness and valves too. The guy says sure, I'll call in a few days.
One month later I haven't heard anything so I call and check in. He says he hasn't gotten to it and his dad's been in poor health. That's OK, it's the holidays anyway. He'll be in touch.
Another month later, still nothing so I call last week leaving a message that I need my stuff back. The head and pistons are holding the whole truck project back and I want it it of my garage.
Finally this week he calls back and says the head is cherry and everything is good, come pick it up, the bill is $210. So I pick the stuff up and see this on the work bench.
13160
Corroded valve cover in the same condition it was in when I dropped it off. Hasn't been touched. The gasket is still on the underside.
13159
13164
13158
Cylinder head, valvetrain, cam after the cleaning. He says I can take my jeweler's file (?) and some Scotch Brite and clean up the rocker surfaces. You can kinda see it but the valve stems and valve springs are covered in rust. Did he even disassemble and check everything?
13162
13163
He points to these two discolored sections on the mating surface and says "you can go over that with emery cloth."
13165
He honed the bearing surface and cleaned up the skirts with a file but there's all this rust on the rods. You can't see it in the pic but the whole rod is covered in red rust.
13161
The services he performed.
This looks like a rush job he did over the weekend after he got my second message. I thought I was going to get a head back that was ready to go into the truck. But now I have to spend more time disassembling things and cleaning up all this rust. Am I being naive in thinking I was going to get a head and valve cover back that looked like new and ready to go? Should I have been more clear? Am I being too anal?
One month later I haven't heard anything so I call and check in. He says he hasn't gotten to it and his dad's been in poor health. That's OK, it's the holidays anyway. He'll be in touch.
Another month later, still nothing so I call last week leaving a message that I need my stuff back. The head and pistons are holding the whole truck project back and I want it it of my garage.
Finally this week he calls back and says the head is cherry and everything is good, come pick it up, the bill is $210. So I pick the stuff up and see this on the work bench.
13160
Corroded valve cover in the same condition it was in when I dropped it off. Hasn't been touched. The gasket is still on the underside.
13159
13164
13158
Cylinder head, valvetrain, cam after the cleaning. He says I can take my jeweler's file (?) and some Scotch Brite and clean up the rocker surfaces. You can kinda see it but the valve stems and valve springs are covered in rust. Did he even disassemble and check everything?
13162
13163
He points to these two discolored sections on the mating surface and says "you can go over that with emery cloth."
13165
He honed the bearing surface and cleaned up the skirts with a file but there's all this rust on the rods. You can't see it in the pic but the whole rod is covered in red rust.
13161
The services he performed.
This looks like a rush job he did over the weekend after he got my second message. I thought I was going to get a head back that was ready to go into the truck. But now I have to spend more time disassembling things and cleaning up all this rust. Am I being naive in thinking I was going to get a head and valve cover back that looked like new and ready to go? Should I have been more clear? Am I being too anal?