Cheap Head Job Turns into Expensive Head Job

[gazza2008au]

i called up a shop out west of sydney this morning after seeing the prices on valves in the USA it was going to set me back $500 alone for parts i called a shop and they said $500 we will install new valves,guides,labour i thought u beauty i dropped in there to drop off the head while i was there i asked how much will it cost to bolt down the head he said 3 hours labour and the cost of gaskets now im not stupid but 4-6 bolts and timing shouldnt take 3 hours am i being ripped off? he wants another $400 to bolt the head on and set the timing nothing more done and does anyone know of any mechanics working on older bikes around sydney?

cheers

[Kermit]

My head hurts after reading that, throw in coma's and fullstops; they are free!

Try the forum sponsor, allfixed automotive over in castle hill.

[gazza2008au]

the forum sponsor isnt answering the phone i just called up to cancel getting the head done i found a bloke with a complete running engine delivered for $750 so i might go with that option unless someone thinks i shouldnt?

[Glen]

Glen could be one up today and flat out. He's moving around the corner but he's still in the old place. Maybe give him another call.

[gazza2008au]

ok i got told today my cylinder head is no good its unrepairable i went to a sydney motorcycle shop yesterday and ordered the head gasket and another gasket i paid the full amount i called up today to ask if i could get a refund and explained what happen there saying sorry no refund the parts have been ordered even though the shop does not have the parts in yet so i need a little help here

is he just trying to keep my money or can they give me a refund? i might have just sunk $120 into gaskets i dont need

[Blurr]

Mate if he has ordered the parts in esp for 'YOU' then yes you should have to pay for them. Why should he be out of pocket. If he cant cancel from a supplier (usually cant and if you do you at least pay a restocking fee and shipping costs) again which should be absorbed by the person requesting them.

Allfixed is in the middle of a big move. He will be back on line mid next week. I can also guarrenttee that if he quoted a price he is not ripping you off. It is really not his style and he really does pride himself on his knowledge and doing the best thing by his customers. Have a chat with him and it wont take you long to figure out that I am spot on and he top honest bloke

[gazza2008au]

i got in contact with Allfixed but i wasnt home to receive his call on a quote to do the job i ended up asking the other mechanic to pull the head apart and he said its not repairable and i cant find a head anywhere do these valve seals look unrepairable to you?

as for the bike shop i paid the full amount for the gaskets $120 for 2 gaskets fair enough if he said we need to take a restocking fee i would have been happy i called earlier today he said call back this afternoon when i called back this afternoon he said to late its already ordered what was the point me calling back?

[robracer]

That head could be cleaned up & valve seats recut...... nothing hard about that!
what are they saying cant be repaired? is the head cracked?
Did they go into detail

[gazza2008au]

yeah he said around the valve seals were pitted and it wouldnt be repairable do u think he under quote me $500 for a complete 16 valve job plus labour and everything else to do the job than realized it was going to cost a lot more?

[loubre]

Ok looking at those pics those valve seats could be cleaned and recut and ground quite easily and even if the seats are cactus any decent fitting and turning workshop will be able to remove the old seat inserts and replace, cut and grind to spec no worries, now a days only time a head is beyond repair is if it is very badly warped, even cracks can be stitched!

[robracer]

Don't know about the cost but he sounds like a cock head saying its unrepairable
I have had Z1100 heads in much worse condition cleaned up cut & lapped for titanium valves.
Hydroblasting is the first step as it does not effect the tolerances: See my mate Col http://www.campbellclassicmotorcycles.c ... asting.htm
then its off to the head shop..... bypass the cock head & do the work yourself, well at least the legwork,
as he is only going to farm out the head anyway.

[gazza2008au]

i just bought another engine from ebay for $750 delivered from a motorcycle wreckers in VIC the shop who said the head was unrepairable is mick dyer motorcycles in penrith i would still like to repair this engine if it isnt going to cost much as it would be a bonus when selling my bike to chuck in a full running engine with it i tried sourcing the vales from the USA just the valves alone totaled around $500 is there a cheaper option?

[smithy5]

Mick Dyer is a reputable repairer, and he probably meant it's not economically repairable as opposed to unrepairable....
as, like you have done, it would be cheaper to buy a whole motor from ebay....

I reckon..... have a liitle patience, let Glenn (Allfixed) get settled into his new workshop... Then take your head, new gaskets, ebay engine and the rest of your bike to him..... I would go with whatever options he gives you....

Then I would go home and give myself an uppercut for getting my abilities confused with my ambitions

[gazza2008au]

yeah ive had two non running bikes fixed at mick dyers before but it was rare i came across the engine and i had only been told about it by the bloke i bought the bike from it didnt even come up in ebays completed auctions i tried alot of wreckers around sydney none had any 7's this old i used findapart 1 other shop in australia had an engine for $1500 so repairing this head would have been ideal i think the problem was they under quoted me as it was a price off the top of his head anyway the good thing now is i have a good engine coming and another good bottom end

the guy at the shop said the water caused the damage to the head can anyone see that damage? the picture shows to two leaking cylinders

[Zedex 6]

That head looks pretty carked to me, and in fairness, your head head bloke is pretty right in what he is saying. (It wouldn't be worth repairing or even guarantee a reasonable repair)
There are quite a few cracks, also there appears to be a fair bit of electrolysis corrosion in all the water jackets. I highlighted the areas for you to see.
You would have to be crazy to risk that casting on how deep all those areas of corrosion are, even to try welding the cracks you can see, let alone the ones you can't.