Cylinder Heads International -- RUN AWAY!!!

[kapnklug]

I see several people are shopping for cylinder heads right now, so it's time for me to post my recent disastrous experience with Cylinder Heads International, a seemingly reputable head-rebuild service on FleaBay.
The deal was $590 with shipping for a pair of rebuilt 6.2 heads, with pre-paid core return. Surfaced, 3-angle valve job, viton seals, new guides. Seemed like a good deal. I went ahead and installed the new heads (after returning my old ones), only to discover after a lot of head-scratching that all the intake valves leaked. Removed the heads again, exchanged them with another set from the company (shipping back and forth 2000miles each time) but this time brought the new heads right to the local machine shop to get vacuum tested. I couldn't believe it when the replacement set still had one bad intake valve!!! At least I didn't install them this time. But its cost three months of my time and a hundred bucks to fix the valve, which I'm still trying to recoup from the company. I've got cases open with the Better Business Bureau and the Fed. Trade Comission.
So to sum up: would I ever do business with Cylinder Heads International again?
No freakin' way. Not even with YOUR money. So save yourself alot of trouble. The bucks you save could be your own.

 

[84cucv1ton]

wow that sucks.. sorry to hear that.. hope you get your money back

 

[Matt65]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Out of curiosity what went wrong with the original heads? Maybe your claims with the BBB will yield a return in some form.

I must say the subject line "run away" made me think the engine ran away until destroyed.

 

[466Navastar]

might it have been better to have had your original heads rebuilt by the local machine shop that vacuum tested the International heads for you ?????????

Ive always been of the opinion to deal with the devil that you know.....unless castings are no good.....rebuild what ya got

 

[kapnklug]

Ironically, there was nothing wrong with the original heads. I'm installing a turbo, and wanted to change the head gaskets while everything was apart. The local machine shop (who I've been going to for 20yrs and never done me wrong) wanted more money. In hindsight it would've been money well spent.
Also, I've learned that it's much more difficult to resolve this type of problem with a merchant who is out-of-state. Even if the problem was with the local guys, there would be simple legal redress (small claims court).
The Moral: don't get suckered into cheap machine work on FleaBay.
And here's another: FleaBay gives you 45 days to file a complaint about a transaction. Their "customer resolution center" encouraged me to resolve things one-to-one with the merchant before filing a complaint. The merchant, knowing this, dragged out the exchanges of defective merchandise past 45 days, so that I couldn't file a complaint and get my money back. Something to think about...