Hemi Yes or No
Around '98 before crate motors were available I bought a new Ray Barton assembled 472 cu in short block and had them put new valve guides (they said the new factory installed guides were too loose) in my brand new Mopar Perf aluminium Hemi heads, then assemble the long block for a basically stock spec street Hemi ...six months later when I took the valve springs off to change to a tad better valve springs...I noticed the #1 cylinder had no valve seal on the intake (no wonder the #1 plug was always black while the rest were light brown) and an old umbrella style on the exhaust...all the rest..correct teflon seals...upon further inspection (I thought I'd better have a little look-see) I found the #1 rod jounal had been nicked when piston/rod was installed...a rookie or hurried mistake.. and the bearing had a groove in it like a main bearing...everything else looked fine. I couldn't even get Mr.Ray to buy the parts(1 rod bearing,2 teflon valve seals)...yet alone(I didn't even ask) any allowance for the labor(mine) and the crank polishing repairing their goof...so much for Mr.Hemi. I know Barton is the king of race Hemis...but the courtesy I received showed me how he valued us "little guys"..........is that... enough said??
