Date:         Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:49:21 -0800
Reply-To:     David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Kao <dtkao0205@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: heads- bus depot or van cafe??
In-Reply-To:  <vanagon%2009012518161087@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

--- On Sun, 1/25/09, Jerry <jbvelo@BELLSOUTH.NET> wrote:

> The problem with the rebuilt heads is two fold.  The
> financial problem
> is that 99% of the time you are going to be told that your
> cores are bad
> and get charged a core charge.

I was for sure inexperienced with machine shops (even local to me)
about this practice. More than 10 years ago I was ambitious in
rebuilding a BMW 2002. I bought a complete engine from a junk yard
and trying to go from there. The engine was working fine before I
picked it up then ripped the head off. I sent it to a machine shop
for a valve job. A few days later when I went back I was told that
the cylinder head was junk. They showed me a completely cleaned and
shiny 2002 cylinder head with a crack. I for sure did not see the
crack before sending it to the shop. I was then quoted a price of
almost $1k for an already rebuilt head. I refused it of course but
ended up getting a piece of junk back with me.

Well, I reassembled the engine with the junk. Called a charity
org and gave it to them. They handed me a receipt with more than
4k$ value on it. I used the receipt to get quite a bit of tax
deduction. I think I ended up happier than completing the rebuild
that would not have had much value anyway.

I have since believed that most machine shops will take inexperienced
individual home mechanics to the cleaner and do a very good cleaning
job on them. I will only deal with mechanics who I can trust. Let
the mechanic to deal with machine shops. I don't think machine shops
dare to take mechanics to the cleaner too.

A few years later I saw on the newspaper that the owner of that machine
shop (and a parts store too) was indicted by law enforcement citing
fraudulent business practices. I wasn't too surprised.

David