Well heres the deal. This will be long but im beyond pissed now and its gone to a whole nother level. I'm not going to say who did the heads untill I see what this individual does for me and how they handle this situation. So I buy a set of ported LS1 heads from ___________ (who is also a sponsor on this site and many others) and a spec'd out cam as well. This was all back in middle of february. 1'st time around the car goes together it makes it about 2 days running to the dyno then starts leaking coolant in the #2 cylinder. No big deal we were running cometic gaskets thought maybe it didnt seal right or it blew for some reason bought a new set cleaned everything up again put it back together. This time around it took 1 day of heat cycles and its leaking again. So our next action and thought is we need to get these heads to a machine shop obviously they are either cracked or warped possibly. They go to a machine shop and we find that both heads are warped and the porter claims that they were milled/tested/everything before they were sent out and claims my machinest is lying. They passed a pressure test to 45psi. So we had them cut AGAIN and put back on the car......

So everything goes back together this time we used stock MLS GM head gaskets since ive already spent $400 on cometics and im weary of using them again. Car runs for anothoer 2-3 days then leaked in the #2 cylinder and hydrolocks the motor and twisted and snapped the rod in half on the #2 cylinder. Now were skeptical. So now I have no other option but to go out and buy a forged 347. The heads go back to the machine shop...nothing is found. Well the car got all buttoned up yesterday afternoon. I drove it 35 miles home on the highway light throttle cuz my car was going lean/rich. I come home put brand new o2 sensors in and plugs and wires. I get on the highway and open it up decently for the 1st time to see what it does. 5 minutes later its taking on coolant AGAIN!!!!! Come home pull the plug on the #2 c ylinder and its got coolant in the cylinder thank god it didnt hydrolock but the motor should be fine. So basically all the other times and this times it started blowing coolant after some medium throttle acceleration. If the machine shop isnt finding anything when they are cold its obviously somthing thats happening after the alluminum is getting hot. It's obvious its the heads im going to put my stock heads back on with the valvesprings to prove it. So again I got nailed hard and now im beyond mad. I guess well wait and see what this individual's reaction is after I tell him what needs to be done and we will go from there.........

So far heres the list of expenses
1. Ruined perfectly stock motor
2. $450 in custom cometic gaskets
3. $150 in stock gaskets
4. $500 in misc parts for the car this whole time
5. $1,200 in heads that who knows whats wrong with them
6. $2,800 in labor ALL around including machine shop work
7. $2,000 for forged shortblock
8. Now im one MAD individual

$7,100 and nothing but wrongdoing. Thats just a base # i'm sure theres another about grand worth of stuff im forgetting.

 

That is horrible.

Please refrain from cursing, i know you're upset, but rules are rules.

Q: Why not return the heads back to the porter after you found that they are warped?
see the minute you give them to someone else to play with, the original shop can deny everything and negate any waranty/responsability.

You should have got a report from machine shop, written.

Hopefully the place you got them from will do something about it.
If you have further input and disclose the name of the sponsor, you need to then post in Sponsor Feedback section.

This is delicate, so try to sort it out with the sponsor before a bashing war starts (it is not allowed in this section)

 

I have written report from the machine shop. Sorry for the words but ya gotta understand where im coming from.

 

You need to check the port work meticulously for a pin hole. Ive had a set of heads do that to a customer before that was not ported by me or a buddy who does them. He did hire my buddy to inspect them and fix them. Also if you are running an 806 and I believe sometimes an 853 casting head they require the graphite gaskets as they have a notch out of the head It can be welded up to use the MLS style gaskets.

If im not mistaken the pin hole was near the seat of the intake valve and was only noticeable when the head was looked at a certain way.

 

Will check and see if they have that. The castings are 241's. Someone else told me last night "what if they have a casting flaw"? You would think if they had a casting flaw they would have leaked on the previous car (they were stock heads at the time) they were on as they are used. And you w ould think if as much meat has been taken off those heads and they were tested somthing would have shown up in the "test" where it could have been punched in where the flaw is....

 

241's rule out the notch possibility. Youve got a pin hole in the port on number 2 somewhere. Ours was located just about the seat across from the short side radius.

 

Sounds like the porting may have opened a leak between the port and the cooling passage.

 

Wouldnt the pressure test have determined if their was a hole?

 

curtis...you just need to send thoes things back and we'll throw the stock heads together and throw them on the car for now and you can get another set of heads on down the road...I know your mad but at least you'll be able to drive the car...you'll feel much better... you got my number if ya need any help bro

 

More info tonight

 

I have seen heads that were over heated that had lost their heat treat and will not hold a gasket long term. That is what it sounds like to me. Now the thing is, where did the castings come from? Have you over heated either engine after installing the heads? If it is the heat treat, you will have a hard time blaming the porter.

 

Yeah, that seems like the obvious answer.

Leakdown test on #2 time! If you can prove there is a leak there with a brand new shortblock that'll give you some leverage. It'll be interesting to see what comes out of this, good luck.

 

Leakdown tests will only show signs of ring damage or sealing issues.. Not necessarily a hole in someones port work. Aluminum would sometimes have to be heated in order to see the hole or crack in the port wall when it expands. Another way would be to pressure test the cooling system with the cylinder heads installed on the car and no intake. That will give the quickest solution and answer with real world testing.

 

Exactly, put new head gaskets, the shortblock is brand new. It shouldn't have any ring issues at all. Your idea sounds a little more straight forward though.

 

You know how I feel on the issue Curtis.

 

after further examination it's definatly the heads and he can prove it!...we'll see what happens

 

 

is this notch the one in the picture just under the second cylinder plug?

 

Correct, I just weld it up and resurface it when I do a set of the older heads so that the newer style gasket can be used.