Best choices/sources for IDI head rebuilds & engine rebuilds ?

[wallbrad]

I didn't see any good threads for who the seasoned experts would choose for getting rebuilt heads and rebuilt engines. If people could chime in both for and against any preferred (or hated) machine companies, I think all of us newbies would find it useful. I'd then suggest that one of the moderators make this thread a sticky (once it gets going) so that everyone can perform their own due diligence in the future. Any cost data would be useful as well. I've got (hopefully only) an outside chance that I may need one or more of these for my truck.

Let's make sure this discussion talks to:

1) getting heads rebuilt (both as purchased-in-advance units with core return and as fix-my-own-head-jobs)

2) complete engine rebuilds (ditto), including a discussion about short versus long block work/purchases.


Thanks!
-Brad

 

[S-west]

For getting your own heads done I would have to recommend eastwoods auto machine in somers, ct. They do not specialize in diesels per say but they do know what they are talking about, even when it came to these Idi's they have a website and do quite amazing work with muscle cars and even imports, I have no complaints whatsoever and they are great people, and they do full motors too, but I can only give you feedback on heads because that's what I had done. The only thing is they are not the cheapest, but well worth the money.

 

[laserjock]

For reman engines, a lot of guys swear by Promar. No experience with them personally but it was one answer I got on a similar thread a while back. Subscribed because I'm about there myself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wallbrad]

S-west: Thanks for the local info. I'll keep that in mind if/when I've got to go down this path.

I look forward to lots of detailed replies here so the whole community can benefit.

 

[chris142]

Nobody around here! I cant even get a flywheel resurfaced without them screwing it up.

 

[icanfixall]

I prefer to do most of my own work. But when machining is needed I have a choice out here. No need to speak of it because the shipping is really expensive. I agree with the posting about Promar plus I would trust Barnett Performance too. They both have great web sites. As for heads I prefer offshore heads because they are build about 10 lbs heavier in all the right places compared to the stock oem heads. I do my own porting on all these heads too. We really don't spin the engines up high where the port matching is necessary but why have the flash and the bad curves in the ports. We can make the intake and exhaust ports a mirror finish without any fuel beading up on the wals problems like in a gas engine has. We just suck in or pump in air and lots of it if we have a turbo. I like to think about my intake manifold as an air compresser tank with 15 lbs of pressure in it. All this pressure and volume is sitting on the intake valve ready to spill into the cylinder and be sucked in and forced in. Thats what I feel is going on as the piston drops down to the bottom of the stroke and the intake closes. It already has 15 lbs of pressure in there.. Now compress all this volume into about 42 thousands squish area and inject some fuel. That engine sucks, pops, blows and goes...

 

[wallbrad]

Aw come on guys, there have to be more of you who have bought rebuilt heads and rebuilt motors. Where'd ya get 'em? Do share! Do share!!

(P.S. Happy new year to this forum. I have learned SOOO much from reading about all you guys and what you do. This is a great community of IDI heads!)

 

[riotwarrior]

Aw come on guys, there have to be more of you who have bought rebuilt heads and rebuilt motors. Where'd ya get 'em? Do share! Do share!!

(P.S. Happy new year to this forum. I have learned SOOO much from reading about all you guys and what you do. This is a great community of IDI heads!)

I'm thinking that there is NOT a lot of big ticket reman places, some pay for machine work and do the rest themselves, that's pretty simple, heads well if you get a good machine shop then they can do the valve grind etc. If nothing local hit yellow pages and start calling!

JM2CW

 

[icanfixall]

I still continue to recommend the new heads made over seas to the oem heads. Reasons for this is the oem heads were well built but. They have some areas that could have been cast thicker. Namely the decks. So the offshore shops redesigned the heads to be around 10 lbs heavier to increase the ares that should have been thicker. I'm not throwing the oem head under the bus. I'm just saying there are better heads available but nothing wrong with the original heads. I have found Dieselcast Welding is a good place the buy from. Problem is they have 2 stores to buy from. One in Oregon and the other store back east. They devide the country by the rocky mountains and neither will intrude across that line. When I tried to buy from the back east store they told me this information and I had to buy from the Oregon store. turns out the Oregon store was $150.00 higher eevn though the shipping was much less for me. So I bought from the back east store and had a member take delivery and drop ship to me from his home. I ended up contacting the store telling them I was broken down on the west coast and could they drop ship them directly to the repair shop where I was located waiting to the heads. Sure nuff they did. So they shipped to my work location.. I feel being sneaky worked out for me and saved me a few hundred bucks. Nobody got hurt or cheated either. I had sent the member that agreed to help me a check for $100.00 for his help. He never had anything to do but watch. the heads never got shipped to him. I told him to please keep the money as my thank you but he returned it. This is what makes this the greatest site about our trucks and engines....