Cylinder head damaged by company - help!

[montez]

Just having a nightmare with this head, took it to a local 'reputable' company with 17 years of experience to have it checked for squareness and pressure tested. I asked them to remove the broken studs, 3 were cut off and one snapped in the block.

When i went to pick the block up they said they would load it into the car for me as I was wearing my work clothes and I have a bad shoulder from a bike accident.

They removed 2 of the studs and replaced them with old studs! as well as on the third they have removed it and left a large score in the mating face for the exhaust manifold.

I phoned them up after I got back to check it and they are just saying that the scratch was there when they received it and they had put the studs in. You ca see though where they have tried to go over it with emery cloth to take the sharp edges away.



I asked them to phone me up if there were any problems and about the skimming so I now have no idea how much they have taken off.

They were not a cheap company and with 17 years of engine rebuilding experience you would entrust them to do a good job.

The things I need to know are if the exhaust gasket is going to leak as it is only a thin composite one with very little compression and any tips of what route I can go down when I take it back to them to sort out in the morning.

Sorry for the essay!

[Ian Simmonds]

It will create a weak point in the Manifold to head mating, the gasket will struggle, especially as the score is aligned with the exhaust port... All in IMHO.

[twenty valve]

that is definitely inexcusable and I wouldn't fit the manifold without sorting it. If it blows from there it will cause all sorts of problems.

You need to argue that the score mark was not there before, and that you expect them to skim the gasket face in order to rectify the mistake. If they continue to deny it was there fault and/or refuse to reface it for free then contact trading standards.

Skimming the gasket face is perfectly acceptable and is often done anyway to ensure its perfectly flat.

[UrS4boy]

17 years of experience means zero if they get the 17 yr old pot head apprentice muppet to do the actual work, as it appears they did.

[twoqu]

Not an expert, but it looks like the chuck has caught the workpiece hence the concentricity around the centre of the stud!
Play them at their own game. If they were crafty enough to disguise it by "helping" you. Tell them the cylinder head rebuild is part of a thread on a large Audi enthausiasts site and that you have photographic evidence of the cylinder head condition prior to their machining it. Naturally you don't mind if they made a mistake and are prepared to rectify it but if they insist on blaming you, then you will have to post the details on the aforementined site including who was responsible for the machining! If you get any joy post the details anyway so anyone on here in the West Country can give their money to someone else and anybody Googling that company can see what happened! As a parting shot ask them for the diameter of the chuck for the engineers report!

[montez]

Cheers for your advice guys, I will be taking it to them on the way to work tomorrow so I will see what I can get done.

[stocious]

studs out and port faces skimmed for free. i would be pushing for that!!

[twoqu]

Bit of a minefield! It would have been better to remove and replace all the studs. Obviously if they are prepared to reface it then they would have to come out anyway. What happens if they break during removal, they also would need to be drilled out! That stud next to the damaged one looks a bit gnarly!
If you are using a MLS gasket then the cylinder head should have been resurfaced to suit. The original finish for the paper one would be a lot rougher.

[montez]

I originally asked them to remove the studs as I have a new set to put in, they said it would cost me for their time to do it as some may snap when they are coming out. That is why I was surprised to see them all in especially as they put old crappy ones in the missing ones place, I will start out with an aim to sort it out amicably even though they are denying it happened if they are not willing to budge I will get threaten with trading standards and bad publicity.

I just hope the have not slipped with the drill on that stud and gone through to the water jacket, hence why they put a crappy stud in. I will make sure they take that stud out.

[twoqu]

It's a fair comment! Can't expect them to do work for nothing. Thats why you should have spent the time and effort to remove them. Appreciate you are injured presently! Studs are problematic to remove and the risk is that they break. Various techniques, but the correct tool helps.

[Monkeymagic]

very poor indeed.

[montez]

Well that is why I asked them to do it as I don't currently have the facilities to do it myself, I had no problem with them charging me to do it. Doing the headgasket under a car port at the moment with no other space for working. Got a house full of engine parts which is not going down too well. Moving to a place with a garage in 2 weeks now. Bliss...

[SteveH]

Bristol or Hereford? Give me a shout if you need a hand in Bristol.

[montez]

Cheers Steve, its in Hereford at the moment. We don't have much choice when it comes to engine repairs here bit of strange old town where the first thing people ask me about my car is how much it can tow and is it good off road being 4 wheel drive. Its nice to see your car is coming back to life as well!

[K Simmonds]

That's shoddy as hell for a 'proper' machine shop!!! I sorted three snapped off flush EM studs with the head on the block in and still in my car. Took a fair amount of patience and time, I still have one of the snapped of studs with a 4mm hole drilled straight down the centre which I was quite pleased with. I got the other two out by tacking welding a bit of steel rod to the ends and carefully freeing them off. Got another one to contend with before I can refit my cam-cover which I can't say I'm looking forward to as it means drilling with the engine open.

We use a machine shop in Hereford for a lot of skims ect, I really hope it's not the same place. I doubt it as we've never had a problem with them. I'll PM you their name.