New Cylinder heads

[Robyn]

There is an outfit in Florida that sells "new" heads for the 6.5
I believe its Clear creek cyliner head.
Has anyone had an dealings with these folks and are their products any good.
I am going to overhaul my 94 6.5 that just lost a head gasket at 255K
and dont want to chance them old used heads. TOOOOOOOOOOOOO much work to get that little beastie out of the rig. A day and a half ripping on the devil to get the engine stripped and ready to come out.
Might have been faster had it not been for stuborn exhaust crossover bolts and turbo bolts that did not want to yield.
HMMMMM snap the suckers off and deal with them later when ya can get at them.
Been looking at a master overhaul kit less cam and lifters (will decide for sure once the beast is apart) and a new set of heads to top it off..
Paid $8500 for the rig a year ago march and its a nice clean truck but they just dont last forever.

[4348rd]

i haven't heard of them but in albany ga you can get a set of cracked heads fixed for $350.00 a pair i have been running a set for about 2 years now

[redbird2]

We install the head your referenced the company is Clearwater Cylinderhead from Clearwater FL. I normally buy them 6 sets at a time we have several with over 65,000 miles on them already and have not had any failures to date the heads weight appox 5lbs more than the stock heads you can see throught the water ports where they have beefed up the head casting. Hubler engine parts out of Washington or Oregan sells a master rebuild kit, so does Northern Auto Parts with or with out cam and lifters. Why would you want to rebuild an engine with 255k and not replace the lifters? Ihope this helps good luck.

[More Power]

We've talked about this before, and I don't have any idea of the country of origin for the heads mentioned in this thread, but......

China has launched into the 6.2/6.5 business in a big way with boat loads of knock-off parts - cyl heads, starters, and several other items.... As 6.2/6.5 owners, we've had to play the cards we've been dealt, but we certainly don't need inferior replacement parts to add to the burden.

Ask whomever you're considering ordering parts from to give you the "country of origin". Fit & finish, machining and poor injector threads are among the problems I've heard about for imported (non-OEM) knock-off cyl heads.

Personally, I'd buy heads from well known engine parts dealers we all recognize. They have a stake in your satisfaction. :)

Jim

[ronniejoe]

Here's my question and a direct quote response from Clearwater...

Dear Sirs:

I am inquiring about your "new" GM 6.5 heads. Who makes these castings and what is their country of origin? Are the springs and valves new? Thanks in advance.



Ronald J. Schoolcraft
Schoolcraft Power Train
Engineering Services
2040 Country Club Rd.
Martinsville, IN 46151
(765) 346-2990
(765) 349-8458 (fax)
ron@schoolcraftpowertrain.com (ron@schoolcraftpowertrain.com)
www.schoolcraftpowertrain.com (http://www.schoolcraftpowertrain.com)


Here's their response, cut and pasted directly from the reply message:

they made in china and are a excellant casting. 0 comebacks and yes they come with new valves and springs
For any other questions or information please call us at 1-800-572-1963...ask for Bob. To see our work or order online check out www.cylinder-heads.com (http://thedieselpageforums.com/tdpforum/www.cylinder-heads.com) <http://www.cylinder-heads.com/ (http://www.cylinder-heads.com/)> .

[Bnave95]

So Robyn are you running these heads? If so we have other 6.5 owner running these heads.

[Robyn]

You betcha. tossed a set on the Burb when I did the engine a few months back.
I looked them over real good too. I popped out a couple valves to look at the workmanship on the grind and seat job.
very nice indeed.
The threads for all the glow plugs and the injectors were perfect, the spot faces were all nice with no flash. The deck surface was excellent.
I was told the valves can be new or used along with the same for the springs. The keepers were "new" if not for salvaging some parts there would be no reason for them to want the cores back. Most cores are junk anyway, at least if they are cracked.
I am a sceptic of the first water and always figure anything this good cant be true, well Im pleased so thats all folks. ;0)
One thing to consider, as long as the castings are good the setup and stuff is done by clearwater and not over seas.
The service from the company was prompt and very courteous. They pay the freight back to Florida on the cores too. Cost me $670 for the set and only one phone call.
No worries.
So far I am tickled with them. Talked to a fella in Montana that runs a diesel shop and he buys them 6 sets at a whack, this should say something???

In closing I would definately go this route to a set of recond GM heads.
The machine shop I use wont even touch 6.5 heads at all.
Hope this is of use
Robyn

[Robyn]

Hmmm
Reading Rj's post
I was told by clearwater that the 6.5 heads were New Zealand castings.
Well if they are china made so be it. My Burb is running down the road fine and thats the bottom line.
The GM stuff was marginal at best so if the Chinese can get it right I guess My Burb will just have to eat rice!!
Compared to other stuff I have seen from China such as small tractors and such these heads look really good, I mean really good.
I wont dispute they are being made there but these heads look more like the New Zealand Ford stuff ???????
Robyn

[ronniejoe]

The only reason that I posted this was to make sure all the information is out there. If they work, that's great.

[Robyn]

For sure.
So far so good. Believe me if one of mine takes a poop I will waste no time in getting it up on the board for all to see.
I have been very unhappy in the past with reworked GM heads and have had a few go away shortly after being rebuilt.
I jumped at the chance to try a new approach.
Many of us here are critical of the chinese made products and rightfully so as many things made there over the years has been junk. Someone has set up the foundry if indeed these heads are from there and the foundry equipment is most likely made here and shipped over there.
Maybe maybe not?????????
Would be nice to be able to torture a set of these heads under horrible conditions and see how they fare for the long term.

Robyn

[Mtrman]

I have to agree with robyn. I had the clearwater head and the stock head sitting side by side and I liked the clearwater head better. There is a lot more material in the head you can see it around the intake ports. I never did weigh each to see what the actual differance was. There was no sand pits and any machine suface looked good. I haven't put many miles on them yet, but the truck is running great. I am getting ready for an 800 mile round trip towing 8500# trailer. Yes, I do have an EGT and the PO installed an intercooler. If I do have issues with the heads The diesel page forums will be the 2nd to know, clearwater will be the first.;)

[JohnC]

It seems China is rapidly becomming the cast iron capital of the world. Lax environmental controls, American tooling, American QC...

The degree of American (or European) oversight determines the quality of the product, AFAIKT

[Robyn]

All the while China gets more modern and more industrialized and the US gets torn apart and our children brainwashed to think less is more and more is less.
Our foundry's are going away and the giant machine shops that could turn out anything are almost a thing of the past.
In Portland Oregon we used to have some very large foundry's Not any more.
We used to have several huge job shops that could build anything from steel fabricating to large machined parts, Not any more.
Hmmmm what is going on here???????
We are seeing our country being sold down the tubes people.
I refuse to buy them foreign made cars. Its bad enough to go to the Chevy store and get a paqrt and when you take it out of the box it says Maylasia, Vietnam, China, Or some other hole somewhere.
What happened to our esprit de corp ???????????????
I bought a new set of brake drums for my Hummer project,
Hmmmmmmm get them home and sure as Im sitting here, MADE IN CHINA stamped all over them. I took them back and demanded US made.
Nope no luck!!!!!!! Im pissed. Rant Rant Rant !!!! :0(
I like quality stuff but I sure would like to see it U.S. made

[JeepSJ]

All the while China gets more modern and more industrialized and the US gets torn apart and our children brainwashed to think less is more and more is less.
Our foundry's are going away and the giant machine shops that could turn out anything are almost a thing of the past.
In Portland Oregon we used to have some very large foundry's Not any more.
We used to have several huge job shops that could build anything from steel fabricating to large machined parts, Not any more.
Hmmmm what is going on here???????
We are seeing our country being sold down the tubes people.
I refuse to buy them foreign made cars. Its bad enough to go to the Chevy store and get a paqrt and when you take it out of the box it says Maylasia, Vietnam, China, Or some other hole somewhere.
What happened to our esprit de corp ???????????????
I bought a new set of brake drums for my Hummer project,
Hmmmmmmm get them home and sure as Im sitting here, MADE IN CHINA stamped all over them. I took them back and demanded US made.
Nope no luck!!!!!!! Im pissed. Rant Rant Rant !!!! :0(
I like quality stuff but I sure would like to see it U.S. made

Unfortunately we would need a major shift in thinking in the US if we want to get to the top again. Environmental standards, high wages, high cost of energy, etc...are causing us to price our products out of the market. Other countries can do it cheaper, and they are starting to get the quality. The cost of production in the US is just too high.

[Robyn]

I am ready to hang the EPA and all the tree huggers and other environmental whako's.
I have watched a nice business I built over many years go from making me a nice mid 6 figure income to barely solvent due to the mess our economy is in.
Thankfully I had the foresight to get out of debt before it got really crappy.
High fuel cost and the high cost of insurance has driven things to the point that I dont know how much longet I can hold on.
I wont get down on bent knee for these beaurocrats either, they can just go @#$^ themselves.
The third world nations that are coming into the industrial market place dont have to play the game as we do and I see this as a conspiracy by our own government to screw the American people.
Well all the ranting in the world is not going to change it. The only way things are goung to change is if we have a major violent ass kicking of the government and send the career politicians off someplace that they wont like.
Anyway enough ranting.
I rest my case

Your friend
Missy Robyn

[More Power]

The very best 6.5 cylinder heads have been cast in the last few years by International Casting Corp (aka Navistar) for AM General. Among the improvements made were the addition of a high chromium content in the cast alloy that reduces cracking, internal coolant passages were redesigned to improve cooling, induction hardened valve seats, and all machining is being done CNC.

Jim

[Robyn]

Now for the $64 question
How much does a complete set of these little beasties go for???
I paid $670 for two heads ready to go delivered to my door and the core return freight was paid by Clearwater.
I love top quality stuff but sometimes the cost controls what we can do.

[john8662]

~500 each, then shipping...

I'm saving up for a set for my 6.2.

J

[Robyn]

About what I figured.
Well not really all that bad as good heads go.
I am so far happy with my Chinese 6.5 Iron (GRRRRRRRRRRRR)
For us poor folk.

Robyn

[AndyL]

Wonder how much the new AM General head costs, complete?

[Robyn]

Andy
John just posted it back a couple. $1000 a set plus freight

[AndyL]

Andy
John just posted it back a couple. $1000 a set plus freight

Oops, my bad, I thought he was talking about the knock-offs.

Thanks!