It's ok, David, I speak "haz" by now. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'd try the rednek pressure test. Seal a hose to the plug hole and blow in it. You will get the minor leakage past the ring gaps, but a bent valve will show up pretty easy. I'd also do the visual and maybe a ruler test on the valve height as David says. A bent valve will show up as shorter.

David is pretty good at this, once you learn to read his prose.

My fingers are crossed for you.

I hooked my air compressor up to each cylinder when I got home from work. Seems #6 is ok, I can hear air leaking past the rings. Probably more than usual, but the engine hasn't been broken in yet, and the rings haven't had any drive time to seat, so that can be explained. And since I haven't had any combustion on that side of the engine since the rebuild, it hasn't seen the heat cycles the passenger side has seen.

However, I can hear air escaping through the intake on #4 and #2 cylinders. I have painters tape over the intake right now to keep debris out of the engine. The air escaping is enough to push up on the tape slightly, but not break the seal on the tape. I'm assuming ANY air escaping is a bad sign, so it looks like I'm going to have to replace the head. Bummer. I suppose when the new head gets here, I can borrow the intake cam off of it, and put it together enough to do a compression test to make sure, but I don't want to risk running the current head and burning up a valve. Looks like I'm in for some long hours ahead still.

In my haste to check for valve leaks, I did not check for any shorter valves with the cams still on the head. Perhaps I will throw the cams back in tomorrow night, and probe with some feeler gauges to see if it will show me any shorter valves, and by how much.

If it helps don't feel bad ...As someone who has done more motors then most ...I did twelve motors last year don't do many motors these days... But still stand behind old customers (friends) most in the stage rally world .. Did a mess of trick 2.5 Subaru's DOHC and SOHC ,,Mitsu EVO's ,,very cool Datsun 240z stroker motor using a diesel block turned into a gas motor ..DSM 2.0/2.4 ,,a English Ford Kent .. Even a "corn cob motor" at the day job and three more of those monsters to do this year ...No problem right ..I'm pretty good at this been doing it for some time..

But guess what .... Did one full motor for me last year ... Buy cars that people don't want to fix ... Fix them and sell them make killer money doing it .. Shocking what cars people will give up on .. Got me a 2002 Subaru did the motor ... The sucker eats the crank shaft in three hundred miles ..Why ..Hell I don't know ... I did the some as I've always done on all motors I do ...Did the motor again the same as the last time and all motors .. Runs fine ...

I can do other peoples motors fine ... But have to fight to get my 'own' to go ..LOL..madding

I totally get it man. If it weren't for the fact that I've been struggling with this truck since last July, I don't think I would be as disappointed and frustrated as I am now.

And to top it all off, I called Clearwater this morning to let them know the valves touched, and I would need a new head. They are now telling me I have to tear the head off, and ship it back to them (on them) before they will send me a new head, which is not what they said yesterday. The salesman told me he didn't say anything about sending a new head, but only a new intake cam if needed. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />

It got pretty heated, and he said I was being unreasonable, stating the warranty policy does not allow them to just send me another head. My argument is this isn't a warranty issue, but a workmanship issue, and this is their problem. Not mine. Nevermind I have a rebuilt short block with dings in the pistons now because of their mistake. Or the new OEM head gasket I have to procure, and the hours of labor it is going to take me to tear the head off while the engine is in the truck, protect the engine from the elements while I wait for a new head, and replace everything. We're talking many hours of labor because of their mistake. Pardon the rant. My fuse is pretty short as of late.

Did you use a credit card with Clearwater? Dispute the charge, AFTER you call Clearwater and talk to the boss first. The boss will always have a better grasp of real customer service than the phone peon. And you have a great position.

I'd tell the boss you need a new head gasket and intake and exhaust gaskets and valve cover/cam tower gaskets, and plug seals, in fact, you need over half a whole head set, less the guide seals, and you want oem. I know this board has bought at least 20 heads from clearwater in the last couple of years, and I bet this is the last one unless they do right.

I'd precede the phone call with an email to the boss to clue him in, and give him a chance to call you before you make your last call.

I second this. With all the gaskets and seals, you are now down even more money on the poor worksmanship. Get an Email that you can send a picture to, showing the cams, and the head on the motor

Yes, I used a credit card, but I purchased back in November of last year, so I don't know if it is too late to dispute. It's from an account I don't use anymore, and was ready to close it.

I didn't even get past the salesman (Patrick) on this call. Once he told me he never said he would send me a new head, that pretty much set me off. He became a condescending p***k real quick, and said he can't circumvent "policy", and he had to talk to the shop foreman about it. I didn't even get to the new gaskets needed, or my labor to tear this whole thing apart and redo it. If I was paying a shop to do this, I'd be into them for at least $1000 by now. Thanks to you guys helping out, I didn't take it to a shop and dug into it myself, but the point is valid nonetheless. Since Patrick never "got back to me" today as he said he would, I'll have to call again tomorrow and try to escalate. Figures I'd be the ONE guy to have a problem with this company. I was on the final push to get this thing running so I could finally take my first wheeling/camping trip with the guys in the AZ crew on the 17th. Ain't gonna happen now.

EDIT: Found the CEOs name is Bob Metz, but haven't found a direct email address yet. Still looking.

I have bought heads from them over the years and have told hundreads more to get them. To be honest I have heard a few complaints in just the last year. Then then the 13 before that. I would go in there and complaine myself if I was closer.

I realy think for my self I might in the future go to my local machine shop guy. I know I can trust him to do it right will be a bit more $$ But I know for a fact he would make it right if there was a mess up. I might buy a bare head from them but thats all. Is sad to see companys that go down hill. people used to stand behind what they did. I realy hope you get it all taken care of.

http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/business...84#reasonrating

I would ask to speak to the owner, or if he isn't an active owner ask to speak to the head guy in charge.

Explain to them how many sales we have driven to their business in the past based on a great customer service, and how many customers they will loose in the future if they drop the ball.

If they won't do the right thing I will be happy to call them and let them know the orders that I will be placing with their competitors instead of them!

They should do right. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

Give us some good news, Jinstv. Otherwise we'll have to sell Girl Scout cookies to raise the money to get this going.

Everybody seems to like Thin Mints, though.

John B.