Looking for help with botched head work

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Dave Whittick
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#16 Post by Dave Whittick »

C J Murray wrote:It's safe to say the guy hasn't a clue how to make a engine work properly.

It looks like be was welding so did he say why? Welding the heads for increased squish area can be beneficial but you wouldn't then machine away the weld except in a way that smoothed the surface. This guy appears to have welded then removed the weld along with the original squish. It looks like an experiment gone wrong, very wrong. Are you certain that those heads are the ones you sent him? Could he have tried some "genius rocket man" modifications on another customer's heads and had to use yours to finish that previous disaster? I think you will be buying new heads because rebuilding those chambers will not be cheap.

Have him replace the heads or go to small claims court.

Who are these butchers?
He never explained the welding. I showed up at his shop to pick up the heads unannouced. He dug them out of a pile and retrieved my valves and springs in a zip lock bag in another pile. I asked him if there was an invoice to pay, as I didn't want him to have any leverage after I left (he didn't try to charge me anything) and I walked out. At that point, any explanation wouldn't change the fact that he had already done the damage. Definitely my heads. I marked them.

Dave Whittick
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#17 Post by Dave Whittick »

Mike Horton wrote:Ollie's is now in Lake Havasu, AZ, Len Hoffman is on the East coast, others?

… again, your location?
I'm in Toronto, Canada. There are a lot of reputable shops that I've read about throughout the US but cross border shipping and our week Canadian dollar makes those shops really expensive to deal with especially for something as run of the mill as heads. I've been speaking with Walt at Competition Engineering and after his heart restarted, he felt fairly confident that he could help so long as the welding done didn't overheat the seat areas. Fingers crossed.

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Mike Wilson
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#18 Post by Mike Wilson »

Lots of fingers crossed on this side of the border as well!

Mike
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Jacques Lefriant
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#19 Post by Jacques Lefriant »

Hi Dave
have Mike at Restoration Designs put you in touch with John(Juan) W and have them sent or another set to Dennis to be rectified. He is slow but not as slow as Walt. I use Dennis but I don't tell anyone about him or I will never get anything done.
cheers
j
 

Mike Horton
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#20 Post by Mike Horton »

Let me defend Walt, Jacques, Cliff, Ron, Jack, Tim, Benton, Wilhoit, Vic, Al, and all the other Pros left in this business;


The other day, I saw a replay of an Interview of Mike Row, the "Dirty Jobs" guy, and like Norm the postman from "Cheers", self appointed champion of the working class tradesmen. He stated that with the recent resurgence in the economy (Americans have always been resilient), there are now many more jobs out there in the heartland, than skilled workers, to take them. Let that sink in...

The best investment, is in the best, most experienced "pro Craftsman" you can find, and communicate well, on the goals you expect. It is at this stage, that your patience, will also be needed, and you will be rewarded.


I heard that Walt had lost his welder, due to an illness, and is having to do more of the skilled work himself. All our pros are having trouble finding "competent" help, or dedicated apprentices. The current generation of workers, it seems, don't have the dedication, to invest in apprenticeships, to learn the "trades". Try to find a good boot/shoe shop, Barber, plumber, or other of the myriad of trained workers today, and notice their aging number. I'm glad I no longer have to find and train mechanic apprentices to work on high tech aircraft, Jets, turbine helicopters, etc.


Keep these things in mind, as you cautiously give your 60ish YO precious parts to any shop today, and wisely, do some interim follow up inspections on the progress. I offer these observations, as a public service to the membership, from one who has lived on the other side of the counter, a tough job, and not getting easier...
Mike

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Al Zim
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#21 Post by Al Zim »

Mr. Murray's suggestion that you go to small claims court will provide you with a futile lesson in the American Justice system and your heads will not be fixed. Your simplest solution is to find a motorcycle guy that does head work including porting and reshaping combustion chambers. With a die grinder and his experience you should be able to make your heads serviceable at a reasonable price. Take him the same style head to look at. He probably can CC the heads to make them the same capacity. I anticipate that your car will perform very closely to original specifications. Be sure to check your piston to head clearance. If you are down to the rods have them blueprinted, you will also need the lifters reground, the cam replaced. Don't forget to weld up the end of the oil pump. At best you have a 50 year old car treat it kindly. al zim 800.356.2964 2018/08/09
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#22 Post by Olivier Auvray »

Mike Horton wrote:Let me defend Walt, Jacques, Cliff, Ron, Jack, Tim, Benton, Wilhoit, Vic, Al, and all the other Pros left in this business;


The other day, I saw a replay of an Interview of Mike Row, the "Dirty Jobs" guy, and like Norm the postman from "Cheers", self appointed champion of the working class tradesmen. He stated that with the recent resurgence in the economy (Americans have always been resilient), there are now many more jobs out there in the heartland, than skilled workers, to take them. Let that sink in...

The best investment, is in the best, most experienced "pro Craftsman" you can find, and communicate well, on the goals you expect. It is at this stage, that your patience, will also be needed, and you will be rewarded.


I heard that Walt had lost his welder, due to an illness, and is having to do more of the skilled work himself. All our pros are having trouble finding "competent" help, or dedicated apprentices. The current generation of workers, it seems, don't have the dedication, to invest in apprenticeships, to learn the "trades". Try to find a good boot/shoe shop, Barber, plumber, or other of the myriad of trained workers today, and notice their aging number. I'm glad I no longer have to find and train mechanic apprentices to work on high tech aircraft, Jets, turbine helicopters, etc.


Keep these things in mind, as you cautiously give your 60ish YO precious parts to any shop today, and wisely, do some interim follow up inspections on the progress. I offer these observations, as a public service to the membership, from one who has lived on the other side of the counter, a tough job, and not getting easier...
+1!

ray nelson
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#23 Post by ray nelson »

Dave,
At one time I seem to recall Leo Goff at http://www.memphismotorwerks.com/ did Porsche heads you may want to give them a call to see if they still do and what their turn around time would be. They are considered top tier in the Norton motorcycle circles. Probably will not be fast or cheap but that route may be to just buy some used heads.
Ray
Oh yeah, +2 on what Al said about going to small claims court, our legal system is a joke.

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Martin Benade
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Re: Looking for help with botched head work

#24 Post by Martin Benade »

Our legal system often is pretty poor, but I am not sure if anyone else's is better.
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