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seller review: cylinder heads international (headsonly.com) +pics

36K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  odg 
#1 ·
so i just wanted to make a quick review for anyone that may need to order a cylinder head for their tutu or whatever other vehicles you own. compared to other places online and stores/ships around the area, CHI prices where the cheapest by around $150 shipped.

the place :
  • Cylinder heads international
where :
  • online
website : sells :
  • refurb cylinder heads only
purchased :
  • 1994 2.2l refurb head
price :
  • $200 for head - $20 for shipping
positives :
  • cheap prices
  • cheap shipping
  • included core return shipping
  • quick overall processing/shipping (5 days)
  • UPS shipment tracking
  • you have 1 month to return the core head
negatives :
  • i dont like UPS, but they did well this time

So overall, i appreciated the quick service and pricing of CHI (headsonly.com) and the product i receieved looks to be of good quality (and even if it does fail for some odd reason, its on CHI`s wallet to buy me a new one)

Here are my pictures of the unboxing.

the unopened box next to my old head


the invoice ($220) and the prepaid core shipping label


the head in box (uses a plastic covered foam mold to pack)


the head (top)


the head (bottom)


numbers match from new/old head, and springs look good


little warning label...


and the warranty button
 
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#4 ·
i dunno if it has any official name, but its that little slug jb-welded to the front bottom center of the block... thought it was cool, because i found the one off my original head when it popped off and it said "500mw void removed"
 
#7 ·
I got mine from moores cylinder heads and they sent me a head that was setup for cavi. It had a freeze plug in the spout where the t-stat housing hooks up. Make sure you dont have a freeze plug in there.
 
#8 ·
I bought mine from http://cylinder-heads.com (Clearwater Cylinder Heads, Clear Water, FL.) Had no problem with these guys, got one for a 95 S10 2.2L and needed to install a freeze plug in a hole that didnt have one in it already, that was a extra hole! NO OFFENSE BUT HEADSONLY LOOKS FISHY, AND THE WARNING LABEL HAS ME SCRATCHING MY HEAD, DONT USE A TORQUE WRENCH....WTF, AND when you dont your header studs/bolts and every other bolt attached to the head will back out and cause a blown head gasket again upon other things, like the Sticker says "THATS JUST COMMON SENSE"!
 
#9 ·
yea... i ignored such a blatantly stupid warning...
and im pretty sure the torque spec on a TTY headbolt is very necessary...

needed to install a freeze plug in a hole that didnt have one in it already, that was a extra hole!
and where is there a hole on a tutu head for a freeze plug? after examining both the old ad new head, there wasnt any difference, and either had freeze plugs.
 
#10 ·
yea... i ignored such a blatantly stupid warning...
and im pretty sure the torque spec on a TTY headbolt is very necessary...


and where is there a hole on a tutu head for a freeze plug? after examining both the old ad new head, there wasnt any difference, and either had freeze plugs.
I remember two holes i thought i would have to plug on mine but it turned out i didnt. they were the same size hole as your fill plug on your drive shaft.
 
#11 ·
IDK about the warning label, i dont think i would use a torque wrench...tightening the intake/exhaust/valve cover is common sense, everything else though i'd torque.
 
#17 ·
You need to pull the valve cover and get the casting number. on 97's they used a variety of heads, the place i ordered my head from required the casting number to place the order. Put it back on, if it leaks a little oil you'll be fine. Its not a gasket under it, its an o ring really that lines the entire thing, so its debatable that it is re-usable. When you get your head gasket seal set you'll have a new one in there.
Oh i dont believe the set comes w/ the water pump gasket, you'll need it too or just take the opportunity to change the water pump too. i believe the gasket its 3 to 4 bucks and the pump w/ gasket is like 20 so.... Peace of mind you know. Make sure you use new head bolts too.
 
#14 ·
i would suggest using this company, great product, and good customer service

customer service experience -
go close trying to get everything running before the 1 month mark where i needed to return my old cylinder head, and sent in the package about a day before the 1 month mark. Called up customer service to notify that it had been shipped on time, so that i would not receive a core charge. Phones were messed up for a few hours (what she told me) but when i got through to them later in the day, she said that she had made a note of it, and i would not receive a charge even if the mail service *UPS* took longer than usual to ship.
So for that, they are good by me, and also, head is still goin good on my trips back and forth from southern IL to Western Kentucky (about a 5hr round trip).

also, as for the Casting # on the head, i am not sure about your specific year/model, but from the little that i know about casting differences through years and models, it would be strongly suggested that you take off the bracket or two and the few bolts that are holding the valve cover on, to be 100% sure that you are ordering the correct part.
That is just common sense mechanic/auto work knowledge.
 
#16 ·
Thanks also for the follow up.

My problem is that I can't really take the truck out of commission at the moment. New house, furniture being delivered soon, carpet, etc. Garage is full of stuff--I can't just park the truck in there for two weeks. Not now, anyway.

I did get some new air tools though. Last time I worked on the truck I had changed the fuel pump single-handedly in a parking lot in the middle of the winter, so the new tools, garage, etc., will make this fun--assuming everything goes okay, anyway.
 
#18 ·
Yah, I ordered the gasket set from Rock Auto yesterday. Fel Pro "HIS" gasket set, new head bolts, a new thermostat, a new exhaust flange gasket. The water pump I'm going to get locally. I replaced the pump & t-stat six years ago, but no reason not to do it again for the $20 it'll cost. I completely agree.

Does anybody know what the difference between the Fel-Pro HS and HIS gasket sets are? I couldn't find it, except that the HIS cost $5 more. So that's the one I got, just in case.

Also, this may be another dumb question, but should I flush the coolant system before I do the head or after? I'm thinking after. Or maybe both.
 
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