Current Chinese EQ Heads. Ports or mounting holes in wrong location? Pics here.

[Michael Harrington]

There is a thread from early 2025 showing either the LA mounting holes drilled in the wrong location OR.....The intake ports cast in the wrong location. I have a pair of said heads. It was asked of me to install them on a block THEN place the manifold on and see which is the culprit (As opposed to simply placing a gasket on a head sitting on a work bench.) I recently obtained a short block in my garage and finally was able to do this. The mounting holes match up correctly- HOWEVER, Shining a light down a tunnel ram reveals the ports of the intake manifold have a significant mismatch to the ports in the Chinese head.

 

[Michael Harrington]

I purchased these heads in early 2022. The attraction is its a Magnum style head but drilled for LA intake manifolds. I immediately took them to my machine shop for a tear down and inspection. The results? Valve guides were spot on. Valve seats spot on. Quality of valves and hardware very good. I had the shop then cut the guides down for a cam up to .550" lift. I paid the shop all the while patting myself on the back that due diligence had been done. I began common sense porting and polishing these heads. Got one nearly done working on them occasionally. Then I read the post here about mismatched mount holes or ports - or both. I learned my heads were defective just like the the members heads who started the post. But the original posted caught it IMMEDIATELY and got a full refund. I had possession of my heads for over 18 months before I learned, and the business I purchased them from replied to my email with...no reply.

 

[Dana67Dart]

IMHO

Only putting a factory OEM manifold on with gaskets and bolted down to check for alignment is a valid test.

Also as a control looking at the fit between OEM head and OEM intake with gaskets and bolted down is needed to make the claim that the head's ports are off.

OR OEM engineering documentation .

I'm not saying that the Chinese parts are right or good, just the testing needs to be more scientific in nature.

 

[Michael Harrington]

IMHO

Only putting a factory OEM manifold on with gaskets and bolted down to check for alignment is a valid test.

Also as a control looking at the fit between OEM head and OEM intake with gaskets and bolted down is needed to make the claim that the head's ports are off.

OR OEM engineering documentation .

I'm not saying that the Chinese parts are right or good, just the testing needs to be more scientific in nature.

While what you say is true I cannot think of anyone who would run these heads including myself. Although my simply placing the heads on a block with no head gaskets, intake manifold gaskets and no retaining bolts lacks true scientific study- I can tell you that my set of LA J heads- placed on the same block reveals properly matched up mount holes and intake ports. I do not have a Factory OEM manifold. I have had a Magnum 360 built but need Magnum heads with the LA mounting. The ONLY factory OEM intake I have is the keggar used on the stock Magnum.