360 J heads

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mormanman

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Gotta get my heads machined for 250 a pop. I'm a little upset about it.
Would it be better to buy new heads or machine then?
 
hey i got your email and i will ship the carb out tomarrow and i will send you a tracking number just got done cleanin it up a little
 
That's sure alot of sheckls for a set of stock 360 heads but if they need everything replaced that might be about right. Before I spent that much on stock heads I'd buy new.
 
They need the valves to be re seated or whatever its called, ultimately the valves don't seat anymore.
They are 360 J heads 2.02 intake, 1.62 exhaust.
Thats all I know. The guy that is helping said I need it to be done professionally so its going to be $250 for each head.
Thats all I know.
 
Sounds like they need a full rebuild. Machine work is expensive. I'd look for a set of rebuilt heads if stock is all you want. I see them advertised on the forums alot for $300ish for a set. Last year at the Indy swap meet I saw a super nice set of J heads all rebuilt with stainless valves and a mild port and polish job sell for $400 for the set.
 
And you're complaining...lol? $500 is the price of a good performance valve job these days. And that includes nothing more than the valve job. Wait until they get them and the seats and guides are trashed, and/or the valves are too far gone. They go up from there. I generally expect to pay $1200 to get a set of iron heads correctly done to make power and last well. Usually, it's a few bucks more depending on the work required. SOmething else to ask about is cutting the guides and spring seats down to run more performance-oriented cams later. The valve job is the time to do that work.
 
moper said:
And you're complaining...lol? $500 is the price of a good performance valve job these days. And that includes nothing more than the valve job. Wait until they get them and the seats and guides are trashed, and/or the valves are too far gone. They go up from there. I generally expect to pay $1200 to get a set of iron heads correctly done to make power and last well. Usually, it's a few bucks more depending on the work required. SOmething else to ask about is cutting the guides and spring seats down to run more performance-oriented cams later. The valve job is the time to do that work.
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Yeah it cost me about $1200.00 for the valve job, hardened seats, the spring pressures equalized and new Viton stem seals.
 
I just had a big block set done and I had about $700 with out parts in it. THat was for installing 11/32 guides cutting the seats for 214 valves. cutting the head for positive type valve seals and blending the bowls. I did some port work on them and they flow better than a set of Edlebrock so I think it is worth it. Like they say you get what you pay for.
 
moper said:
And you're complaining...lol? $500 is the price of a good performance valve job these days. And that includes nothing more than the valve job. Wait until they get them and the seats and guides are trashed, and/or the valves are too far gone. They go up from there. I generally expect to pay $1200 to get a set of iron heads correctly done to make power and last well. Usually, it's a few bucks more depending on the work required. SOmething else to ask about is cutting the guides and spring seats down to run more performance-oriented cams later. The valve job is the time to do that work.
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Glad I don't live in your part of the country.
Things are much cheaper in my area but so are wages.
 
For a good 3 angle valve job all valve heights equal, new bronze guides set up for teflon seals, surface milled to 65cc and valve seals included will run 1000 bucks here if you supply the valves, springs, retainers and locks.
 
moper said:
And you're complaining...lol? $500 is the price of a good performance valve job these days. And that includes nothing more than the valve job. Wait until they get them and the seats and guides are trashed, and/or the valves are too far gone. They go up from there. I generally expect to pay $1200 to get a set of iron heads correctly done to make power and last well. Usually, it's a few bucks more depending on the work required. SOmething else to ask about is cutting the guides and spring seats down to run more performance-oriented cams later. The valve job is the time to do that work.
Click to expand...
Thats what is being done.
They need to be machined b/c the valves don't seat anymore.
 
If you're getting that for $500 in labor, it's a good price. About $800 of that $1200 is labor. Operations include: disassembly, cleaning, magging, replace guides w/bronze(liners or new inserts), install hardened exh seats, valve job (cutting new seats, setting installed heights, final assembly), trimming guides for dual springs (if liners are used), cutting spring seats for dual spring assemblies, milling deck surface, and milling intake surface to match.

I get that "you live where life's expensive" line a lot. Funny that most performance head shops with good records charge aroudn the same prices regardless of thier location. CT, NY, PA, MI,AZ,CA,WA, FL... I firmly believe its got more to do with the equipment used than any other variable like salary or parts costs. Most of the top of the line valve equipment is upwards of $100K now. On a 7yr payoff/depreciation thats $1200/month with zero percent for one machine. The Serdi that my guy uses was $90K and only cuts the valves themselves. Funny thing is, it cuts them better than the high end manufacturers can (Ferrera, Dell West, etc). The seat cutter was another six figure buy a few years back.
 
Wow,1200.00 and 700 plus parts in steel heads,got two words for ya' Aluminum heads...
 
stroked 340 said:
Wow,1200.00 and 700 plus parts in steel heads,got two words for ya' Aluminum heads...
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Then take the Aluminum heads in and have them checked out, V/J touched up, and springs may or may not work with your cam, if cam goes flat, cam company will ask if you used the springs they recommend ect.. ect..
 
RPMS = $1430.00 + springs to match cam $90 + Check/correction $300 + mill ot reduce chamber to 60cc ($110) + performance head gaskets for aluminum heads $90 = $2020.00 ready to run on a specific engine. I am running the RPMs because they are a known quantity as of right now. I'm seeing mixed numbers on the LAx/MAx heads and I dont feel comfy with running them just yet. The majority of posted numbers, which are still few and far between, do not have the RHS heads much better if any without work than the RPMs or Magnum RPMs. I think they have great potential, but it's still early. Doing some quick numbers ona set of RHS LAXs: $670.32 + Stainless valves, retainers, locks(Mancini) $160 + positive seals $15 + springs $90 + performance valve job(includes final assembly) $450 + cutting spring seats $50 + milling to get chambers to 60cc $110 = $1545.32 So using my shop and equal prep the RHS LAXs are $474.68 less, but at least $100 will be for shipping, so $374, and the heads are close to 62lbs each assembled. Flow numbers for both OOTB are very similar peaking with RPMs around 240 and the RHSs around 250 if the available flow numbers are averaged and limited to a test up to .550 which is the highest I need to concern myself with on this engine. The total true difference between either of them ready to be installed on someone's engine is about $375 and at least 40lbs of weight. Cheaper, but not much, and not much for testimonials.
 
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