Remanufactured Head (ebay), Need you all experts advise Options

[msk59]

In the near future, I plan on redoing the valves etc on the head and came across some ebay sites that sells remanufactured heads. all work done with cams etc for under $300. Engine is 7A-FE and my car is 1996 Celica ST (AT-200) with manual transmission.

What is your experience with these heads and what advise you can give me that can help me decide.

Thank You
MSK

This post has been edited by msk59: Jun 13, 2014 - 8:09 AM

[msk59]

OK here is my situation, which may or may not differ from Langing's situation:

1.This is my second car so I have another vehicle to drive if I have to.
2. I have a two car garage and almost all the tools to do the job
3. Know-how: This is the area where I do not have a whole lot of expertise. I have done one similar work on my 1974 Celica long time ago and I had help. So with little encouragement, I think I can do it. take the head off, take it to a reputable shop and have them rebuild it while I work on removing the pistons. the knowlege I lack is keeping it all straight, while putting it back together. Not putting the piston in the wrong cylinder etc.

My original question was whether aftermarket heads are reliable or not. The only reason for asking that question was to eliminate the wait time for the head rebuild and a little bit of saving.

My main goal is to put the car in its original running condition.

Thanks

[Langing]

OK here is my situation, which may or may not differ from Langing's situation:

1.This is my second car so I have another vehicle to drive if I have to.
2. I have a two car garage and almost all the tools to do the job
3. Know-how: This is the area where I do not have a whole lot of expertise. I have done one similar work on my 1974 Celica long time ago and I had help. So with little encouragement, I think I can do it. take the head off, take it to a reputable shop and have them rebuild it while I work on removing the pistons. the knowlege I lack is keeping it all straight, while putting it back together. Not putting the piston in the wrong cylinder etc.

My original question was whether aftermarket heads are reliable or not. The only reason for asking that question was to eliminate the wait time for the head rebuild and a little bit of saving.

My main goal is to put the car in its original running condition.

Thanks

We have quite similar situations, actually. My main goal is also to put my car into its original running condition. Here is my situation compared to yours:

#1, Same
#2, Same
#3. Same

"whether aftermarket heads are reliable or not" WAS your original question. If, in reality, the answer were that those aftermarket heads were of equal or better reliability than heads overhauled by a local machine shop, you might purchase one of them, and then you would "eliminate the wait time" while saving a little money. You would, of course have to repack and ship the head you remove back to the rebuilder (but you already paid for that in the original price).

IMHO using a rebuilt head from one of the big head rebuilders SHOULD be cheaper, and more reliable, than using a local machine shop because of economies of scale (by them purchasing wearing parts, cleaning solvents, and polishing materials in bulk), and refinement of process quality controls (having a line of expert rebuilders, people who do nothing but that all day long every day). These economies can only be achieved by a large rebuilder. Thus, this OUGHT to be the wise decision, only we have no one that has yet stepped up to testify that they have used rebuilt heads shipped by whoever, and are still perfectly happy some ten or more years later. But even that is a crap-shoot because it is a sample of only one. Statistically speaking, you need a much larger set of reviewers who have been satisfied before you know for certain. Why don't you contact a rebuilder and ask for testimonials from their customers?

Unless you personally know a local machine shop operator and you have absolute faith in him, because you have worked with him before, or someone you know and trust has, how do figure he will do your job as well as people who focus entirely on rebuilding heads? In today's economy, people who work for themselves cut as many corners as possible to be able to make any money at all. We are victims of the "race to the bottom." Today I find it impossible to find and employ a roofer, painter, auto mechanic, you name it, anyone who will do the work I want done at a level of quality that meets my standards, which are admittedly high but not unreasonable. That is, unless I pay more money than I can afford to give him the luxury of time to perform at that quality level. Even if I do that, it still might be impossible to get them to work "at my quality level".

And, I've a recent experience that fits this perfectly. I just paid a hungry painter a couple of hundred dollars more than he was asking ($800 rather than $600) to top off a few parts of the exterior house painting job I had been doing on my own home (I have a 30 foot ladder but still can't get to certain places). It wasn't a lot of work; I figured day or two. I was hoping that by my word and deed he would understand how badly I wanted him to give me a quality job. Turns out he thought he was doing the job to my standards, but he wasn't, and I could see no 'civil' way to explain the difference to him. I came away from the experience thinking that the problem was that he has an internal calibrated standard for the way he paints, a calibration that has been developing all along, and at the present time he really doesn't know how to paint in any way other than the way he does it ---- meaning a way in which he can make money, for to him, like so many others TIME = MONEY. So, he has only one speed, FAST. A machinist exists under the same economic pressures my painter lives in, so the same forces shape him as well.

In a typical machine shop, do they rebuild heads all day long? Or do they take in whatever machining job that comes in the door that day? If you found one that only did heads, then you might be safe choosing them to do the job on your head. Then you get back the same head that came off your car (a plus?) and you could perhaps watch them do the work to check if they are doing it well (do you know what to look for? I don't!).

Why is buying a rebuilt head any different than buying a rebuilt starter motor or a rebuilt alternator?