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Good morning. Finally getting around to finishing my parts list/install (can't get headers to slip in worth s*** lol) but its coming along well. I took a set of 799 heads I purchased off of here up to TEA (in tallmadge, OH. local...) to be resurfaced, no porting, and check the valve seals. Wanted them stock but cleaned. Long story short... after about 1.5 weeks, I get a call stating that I need to buy another set... They said that they are corroded beyond their repair and appear as if they have soaked in water for weeks. Stated I should either find another set or figure out what I want regarding the head swap...
When I received the heads, I cleaned them with simple green and dish soap with a bottle brush to clean the ports as best as I could, there was oil residue in there. Is TEA giving me a fresh line of B.S. or am I holding onto $400 worth of scrap metal?
Tough to tell from your pictures, but if there is too much pitting on the sealing surfaces then that might be why they are no good. TEA is well respected on here, I'd talk to them and get more details.
I've heard nothing but great things about TEA but I'm just lost on where to go. I'd return the heads and just pay the outright for the heads that the sponsors offer un-ported but it's hard to return something you gifted the money for to avoid paying more to the seller cause of fees. TEA said they'll look into another set for me, see if they have any 799/243 castings I can purchase that's unported so I'm not paying more, I'll find out tomorrow.
Aside from a performance standpoibt but more for replacing stock heads on applicable vehicle... Can't cylinder heads be repaired with epoxy and still be used under stock conditions? I've read somewhere JB weld has worked
Yeah $400 on heads that are no good I'd be a little hot. Contact the person that sold them to you maybe they'll work with you. You can get a set off those heads rebuilt with all new valves for around $600 on eBay. I have set I was selling for $350 but they needs new valves and probably seats too.
The seller was really cool to work with, he admitted there was some corrosion around the ports afterwards, but stated they came off a vehicle that was running perfectly fine. But, ya never know. Im not here to bash anyone, it's my own fault for not securing both ends of the deal properly.
Them heads you got, I got valve springs already and gonna see if I can use the valves on the 799s . How they look?
you'd probably be better off finding some remans than buying ones hoping they're good enough to salvage. Like I said I know the valves are bad,not sure about seat condition either
I'm going to find out tomorrow from them supposedly further details. I'm considering just getting my stock 853 heads ported, not sure how they match up to the 799s unported...
I'm going to find out tomorrow from them supposedly further details. I'm considering just getting my stock 853 heads ported, not sure how they match up to the 799s unported...
Ported 853s even with stock valves should be superior to a set of stock 243/799 heads.
Spoke with TEA, basically it's 900 for a set of 799/243 castings, just cleaned, milled, assembled, not including if valve guides need replaced. Stated for the price they would cost, I'd be better off getting mine ported, no core exchanges since mine are 853.
But, I'm already out of my budget since I'm -400.00... I'll probably get the heads I have milled, maybe next year I'll get the 243heads
Did you talk with Gregg at TEA ? Maybe he would agree to do the work you want on the heads if you tell him not to mill the TEA logo and you would not expect a warranty.?
Total Engine Airflow did my 243 castings and the work quality is top notch. They had to replace 9 guides for an additional 140 bucks. I wouldn't be afraid of a no warranty deal if he agreed to it.
Did you talk with Gregg at TEA ? Maybe he would agree to do the work you want on the heads if you tell him not to mill the TEA logo and you would not expect a warranty.?
Total Engine Airflow did my 243 castings and the work quality is top notch. They had to replace 9 guides for an additional 140 bucks. I wouldn't be afraid of a no warranty deal if he agreed to it.
Hmm... Well idk, he said that I'd have sealing issues with the valve seals. Greg was really cool so I'm not on here to bash them or anything... Originally just to mill them a bit and clean he said around 3-500, depending if the guides needed replaced... So I went from having a ls6 setup minus the cam to just an intake with headers... No ls7 lifters, no ls6 springs... Knowing the 853 are less desirable makes me not want to Port them... Putting money into something that won't gurantee it's worth the money back when I go to sell the.
Good news is the seller is actually a decent human being, he's willing to try and work something out for it, if nothing else I'll have Texas speed check them
Hmm... Well idk, he said that I'd have sealing issues with the valve seals. Greg was really cool so I'm not on here to bash them or anything... Originally just to mill them a bit and clean he said around 3-500, depending if the guides needed replaced... So I went from having a ls6 setup minus the cam to just an intake with headers... No ls7 lifters, no ls6 springs... Knowing the 853 are less desirable makes me not want to Port them... Putting money into something that won't gurantee it's worth the money back when I go to sell the.
Good news is the seller is actually a decent human being, he's willing to try and work something out for it, if nothing else I'll have Texas speed check them
Are you sure he said seals ........ and not seats ? Your going to replace the seals anyway . Now I can understand all the seats be corroded to point they can not be regrind .
I doubt he said the seats were corroded. All of the aluminum would be gone before the seats would begin to corrode, especially to a unusable condition. The valve stem seal area is most likely pitted badly where the I.D. of the valve seal contacts the head.
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799 Heads 
