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Thread: Got my cylinder head, rods and pistons back

  1. #1

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    1989 Mitsubishi Mighty Max
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    Got my cylinder head, rods and pistons back

    OK guys so I got a non-MCA head and rods and pistons from a fellow member but they had been sitting for years and had lots of surface rust and tiny nicks. So I took them to a neighborhood machine shop and showed the guy what I had. I asked can you clean all of this up (pointing to the rust) and check the head for squareness and valves too. The guy says sure, I'll call in a few days.

    One month later I haven't heard anything so I call and check in. He says he hasn't gotten to it and his dad's been in poor health. That's OK, it's the holidays anyway. He'll be in touch.

    Another month later, still nothing so I call last week leaving a message that I need my stuff back. The head and pistons are holding the whole truck project back and I want it it of my garage.

    Finally this week he calls back and says the head is cherry and everything is good, come pick it up, the bill is $210. So I pick the stuff up and see this on the work bench.

    20150220_161528.jpg

    Corroded valve cover in the same condition it was in when I dropped it off. Hasn't been touched. The gasket is still on the underside.

    20150220_161544.jpg

    20150220_161642.jpg

    20150220_161611.jpg

    Cylinder head, valvetrain, cam after the cleaning. He says I can take my jeweler's file (?) and some Scotch Brite and clean up the rocker surfaces. You can kinda see it but the valve stems and valve springs are covered in rust. Did he even disassemble and check everything?

    20150220_161726.jpg

    20150220_161721.jpg

    He points to these two discolored sections on the mating surface and says "you can go over that with emery cloth."

    UC_Photo_003.jpg

    He honed the bearing surface and cleaned up the skirts with a file but there's all this rust on the rods. You can't see it in the pic but the whole rod is covered in red rust.

    20150220_161953.jpg

    The services he performed.

    This looks like a rush job he did over the weekend after he got my second message. I thought I was going to get a head back that was ready to go into the truck. But now I have to spend more time disassembling things and cleaning up all this rust. Am I being naive in thinking I was going to get a head and valve cover back that looked like new and ready to go? Should I have been more clear? Am I being too anal?
    Last edited by noahwins; 02-20-2015 at 05:06 PM.

  2. #2


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    Other
    Fishy...

    Rocker arms have rust on the pads that touch the cam...excessive wear...you have rust in the cam journal...excessive wear? you can use the old rockers from the jet head, just remove the jet valve actuators... My solid lifters have the tab for jet valves but nothing there to push...


  3. #3

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    I left him a voice mail saying I was disappointed and asked him to call back. Got these comments on Facebook overnight:

    You definitely was taken advantage of! I just cleaned up a 2.0 head the other day with same problems. I removed the valve springs, valves, and valve seals. Acid washed the head, wire brushed the valves and touched up all the wear surfaces with emery cloth. Took me 4 hours that was it. I always coat the steal in W-D when I'm done acid washing so it doesn't flash rust. It will do it instantly
    Yeah that sucks buddy, love the valve cover thou! Good taste!
    No, you were not asking too much. For that kind of money that head should have been disassembled and hot tanked. Looks like it was just sprayed off with carb cleaner. Sometimes you're better off paying a few more bucks at a reputable machine shop and got back a head that looked NOS. JMO
    I wouldn't have paid that I woulda told him to GFY
    Do I ask for a refund? Or just take the loss and DIY? I don't know shit about how machine shops are supposed to look but his shop looked filthy and disorganized, should have been the first red flag. I don't want him offering to take it back and redoing it because who knows when I'll get it back and I don't trust his workmanship.

    Best thing for a DIY at home is to purchase a bottle of mag aluminum cleaner from your local parts store. It still has enough acid to it that I suggest old cloths and rubber gloves. It may take a few try's let it soak then rinse. If you have a power washer it definitely speeds up the process! Hope that helps
    Maybe just send the whole damn thing to Schneider. I'm getting really sick of this truck. I love it but it's been nothing but a headache for over a year.

    The guy kept said how sick his dad was and that's why it was taking so long. I sympathize, honestly, my heart goes out to him, but my wife left me last month and I still suit up and show up to work and don't tell my customers about my personal life.

  4. #4

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    ask for a refund

  5. #5

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    Refuses to give me a refund. Said having all of the rust removed and the head looking new would have cost $500 but this was him doing me a solid or something. LOL

    Shawn O'Connell at Star Machine, 5835 Doyle St. Unit E, Emeryville CA 94608, 510-547-1171. Stay far away from this guy.

    I'm bummed out I got rooked for a couple hundred bucks but f*** that guy. My paired port turbo manifold and Ralliart catback exhaust come in from Japan tomorrow. I'll look at this as an opportunity to learn something new and try to do it the right way.

    http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-4974/overview/

    diy.jpg
    Last edited by noahwins; 02-23-2015 at 10:52 AM.

  6. #6

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    post up pictures when they come in

  7. #7

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    I will. They were sitting in a warehouse somewhere for a long time and could use a media blast and a polishing. PM'ed you.

    The mess with the cylinder head and the Mickey Mouse "work" Star Machine did finally hit my frustration limit on this never ending gas engine build. Last night I looked at all of the parts piled up everywhere and decided I'm not going to meet my goals and besides, I always really, really wanted a diesel more than a gas anyway, since day one. So why waste more money and time on something I don't have my heart in. So I'm going to be selling off all of my gasoline parts. Incoming garage spring cleaning sale, yo.
    Last edited by noahwins; 02-24-2015 at 09:08 AM.

  8. #8



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    Give him a little review with the BBB. Many times they get refunds for you and you don't have to do squat. They are pretty resourceful from the 2 times I had to use them. One of the times was getting my truck aligned, the guy at Grand Auto aligning it was sitting in my truck smoking and listening to the radio. This didn't go over well with me, but I stayed quiet. Most of the crew was replaced, though I have no idea if my complaint caused it, but I got my money back to have it realigned somewhere else.
    BBB believes very strictly on work performed for a reasonable amount of cost. They have their tables and they drop the hammer on places that *&^% people like this guy did you. You let it go, and he will do it again to another person.

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