head skim/ clean/ acid bath

[Rich]

If you gave a head to a company to clean and lightly skim head, would you expect if to come back as dirty as before still full of carbon and swarth(sp?)?

I was under the impression the acid bath removed the carbon/paint etc

A mate of mine said he used the same people and his came back squeaky clean

[nova_saloon]

that it really odd, should of inspected in before hand i just had mine dipped the other day and took it a look at it and tis loverly. you might not be able to get all the carbon in the exhaust ports but the build up would of gone just the metal will still be blackened

[Lewis.]

i got the head skimmed on my astra and they gave it a good ge-greasing. came back spotless. i'd expect them to at least give it a wash to get rid of the swarf from skimming it. take it back and complain =)

[Rich]

Its still dirty, still loads of carbon in the exhaust ports doesnt even look cleaned apart from the face where it was skimmed. Its also taken since last wednesday to get this far, they still havent finished the bits apparently first thing monday now! Bits ive asked for,

Dip/clean head and a light skim
Sleeve oil way for porous/cracking problem. i had to drill out the grub bolts because they rounded so asked them to supply new grub bolts if possible.

Dip/clean my block, drill and tap it for an oil return (xe block to let)

dip clean my rods/pistons and counter sink rod caps for arp bolts

Check the crank, was a bit of crap that had scored my bigend bearings.

For some reason they put my head in my mates car when he went to pick up his parts (which arent clean either!!) so i havent paid for it they still havent drilled and tapped for the oil return in the block.

The head is still dirty, full of swarth. Insead of putting grub bolts in they have filled it with chemical metal type stuff so i cant see if they have actually sleeved it, and cant give it a clean out to clear all the swarth they have left in it!

They have not once phoned me either. I spoke to them a couple of days after it was dropped off and said can you phone me with a price reguarding the head (parts were in the acid bath so not started). Nothing was signed, they told my mate it was going to be about £200 +vat maybe more when he picked his own bits up today. For a head i now probably wont use because i cant clear out the swarth properly :mad:

I spoke to them yesterday afternoon to ask for a price again, he told me he would work it out and call me back later that afternoon and didnt!

[Royston]

The machine shop I use, having just had a Rover 25 head skimmed, would normally put everything through the hot wash, so clean not super clean.

You would expect them to clean the head before starting any work, i.e. they should want to thoroughly inspect the head before progressing to any remedial work, it could be scrap before they start!!

Not sure how many places acid dip, although it is available.

I think the moral of the story is to probably find a better machine shop;)

[Rich]

its a local well known one. Completly useless on the customer service side. I still dont know what its costing! Also have a head here im probably not going to use

[Angus Closier]

I wouldnt put up for this tbh. If they havent given you a price yet and come out with an outragous price at the end i would be inclined not to pay it. The parts being washed should just be a normal thing for a company to do not an extra. I would get on the blower and get it all sorted before you get a large bill for not very much work!

[Benn]

From the sound of it, it's not been cleaned at all.

[Stuart]

They might be gaylords and wont 'decarbon' it unless you ask... Where I took my head to I had to ask for everything I wanted doing (and charged for it lol)

[Ben]

mine always come back pristine

[Rich]

i will get pics later when im up the unit

[Rich]

Pics actually mate it look cleaner,

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/novarich/DSC00087.jpg
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/novarich/DSC00088-1.jpg

And what they have done to the oil way grub screws (i didnt give it to them with bolts in i had drilled them out after they rounded)
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/novarich/DSC00090-1.jpg
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/novarich/DSC00092-2.jpg

[Ben]

tbh i wouldnt have taken it back looking like that, its not a service i would pay for.

[Rich]

I didnt take it back, they put it in with my mates parts that he collected. I dont know why, i would just not go back but they have my block, rods/pistons and crank :( Plus my arp rob bolts incase they needed them for counter sinking the caps

Going to ring tomorrow and speak to them again, also going to speak to my manager about where i stand due to them not quoting me yet. Hes a vauxhall service manager so will know what i can or cant get away with.

[Ben]

Are you sure it was meant to come back to you?

[Rich]

Was all wrapped up so assume its there version of done. My mate got his block back finished, that wasnt clean either!

I asked for my rods/pistons to be dipped and cleaned so cant wait to see them... not.

Going to get on the phone to them tomorrow, i just dont know where i stand. Ive never had this sort of work done, the way they blocked the oil gallery takes the piss a bit though i went there because i thought they would do a better job than i could!

[Benn]

Think i'd be taking it else where next time. Doesn't looked cleaned to me.
Last i saw that was acid cleaned looked like it was new.

Have they welded over the oil way screw?

[Rich]

yep on the phone today i got told it only gets it a bit cleaner and cleaning cost more. So i have a bill for cleaning when nothing is any cleaner...

[Benn]

That's bullsh*t. Try and get your money back. Acid eats away everything.
A hot jet wash would have cleaned it more.

[Ben]

that is bollocks

[Rich]

i havent paid yet im taking an afternoon off work this week to go collect the rest of my parts

[wwmnw]

I would get all the rest of your parts and take them else where, as said, acid would clean it nice and shiny, they're taking the piss.