We had a little "training flight" today so we flew up to Bowling Green and called Brian Tooley at Total Engine Airflow (TEA). His facility is only about a mile from the airport, so he stopped by and picked up myself and my other pilot. Brian paid for lunch for himself, me, my co-pilot and 2 of his employees. These are great folks.... All of them!

Anyway, I got the "nickle tour" of his facility. I don't know much about machinery, but Brian has some very impressive and $$ high dollar $$ stuff in there. All of it very new and state of the art. I saw a real fancy "digitizer" machine that is used to make the various programs for the 3 axis CNC machine. The CNC is what does the majority of the porting work. This thing is absolutly amazing. A beutiful and complicated machine (if you can call a machine beutiful). God only knows what that thing costs! Then there is the Serdi valve grinding machine (very very nice), a large head pressure testing machine, very neat flow bench, some special machine used to install valve guides, bead blaster, high temp cleaning machine, and a few of other machines that I was not familiar with. Anyway, very impressive indeed! These new digital machines are amazing. No wonder machining techniques are so exact these days. And to think, we used to take a set of heads to the so called "machine shop" in the back of a local auto parts shop to get work done. Those were the days!

I was suprised to see an in-floor Dynotech dyno too. Not really something you would see in a facility like this.

I thought most of the porting work was done on the CNC, but these heads also get the valves blended by hand (die grinder). Also saw someone hand lapping the valves with compound. That was in another room.

Then to the head assembly room. It was spotless.

I can see why his prices are very reasonable. I saw very [large] boxes of Ferrea stainless valves, pallets and pallets of brand new LS1 heads, and large quantities of Comp springs, retainers, valve seals, etc. Hey, buy in quantity and the price goes down.

Brian also has a very nicely modified and sprayed LS1 Vette complete with roll cage. Hey, he's in Bowling Green, Ky ... Don't everyboby drive Vettes there!

Anyway, enough of all this. I wish I could be more technical in my post, but all in all, TEA's facility was very nice and Brian, Brent and all the guys working there are just a great bunch of folks.

Bowling Green really is a "car-guy" kind of place. They have the Corvette factory, the National Corvette Museum (wonderful place), the home of Holley Performance Parts, Beach Bend Raceway, the Annual Buick GN Nationals, numerous annual car events, and of course TEA.

If Brian or Brent read this: Thanks for everything! I wish I had made more time to just "hang around"! Machine shops like this just turn me on! Even if I did not have TEAs heads on my car, just seeing all the steps that go into a set of quality heads is well worth the time. Really interesting to say the least.....

Thunder Racing > Your next

Ron,

 

BTW... Brian is an ex-Navy guy and used to work at Holley in product development prior to starting TEA.

I like the ex-military part.

 

So do you get a free sample set of heads after the factory tour? I know Hershey gives a free candy bar after their tour.

 

Did I hear "free"! I need some free CNC "LT1" heads for one of my cars, PM me for shipping address.

BTW I like machine shops too, although I would probably mess up some stuff good with some of that equipment!

 

Good Idea.... Some free parts...

This thing probably looks like some kind of advertisement, but, you know what, I wouldn't have any use for another set of heads unless they came up with some Stage 6 Intergalactic titanium wonder heads with the optional Super Flow Turbo Boost valve mod at an 80% discount....

I'm tired of wrenching on this car anyway. Now I just enjoy driving it.

 

the shop sound sweet! As we get closer to the 3rd Annual F-Body celebration I'm gonna email Brian to see if it'd be possible to arrange a tour for us midwest folks drivin down

 

They still let you fly Ron? :p

Did they have any free beer or cigarettes at the TEA shop? :p

 

I live in Louisville, and visited with Brian and Brent down at TEA several times before buying my heads from them. They are, hands down, some of the best guys you'll ever care to meet in this business.

TEA (and their products) rock.

 

I'll be going to TEA next month to get my car tuned. I'll be driving over 4 hours to do it too! Anyway, I really look forward to meeting Brent and the guys after spending so much time on the phone with them before buying my heads from them.
I can't wait to see the facility there. I have heard from more than a few people that it is really top notch... far more than your typical grease-monkey outfit.

TIN INDIAN: hey, what do you fly? Are you private or commercial?

 

TIN INDIAN: hey, what do you fly? Are you private or commercial?

Military. Actually DOD civilian

 

TEA=nothing but the best. Brent and Brian are the greatest guys in the world to talk to and deal with....

 

Thanks for the nice words guys. I would be glad to give anyone who comes by the area a tour.

Tin Indian: Wish you could have stayed around longer, it was very nice to get to put a face with the name. Let me know anytime your in the area.

1999 SS M6: Can't wait for your arrival, I want to meet you and get your car tuned up. Hopefully be seeing you soon.

 

Navy! Now I gotta go with someone else's heads.

Damn

 

great write up. But I will point out that they use a 5 axis machine.