Frequently Asked Questions
Lifetime Machine Shop Warranty
We will re-machine any cylinder head we have previously reconditioned by us for as long as you own the vehicle, boat or industrial equipment regardless of cause.
This does not apply if the original repairs were “partial repairs” such as, but not limited to: resurface only, pressure test only, stud repair.
Customer agrees that their only remedy under this warranty is at Southeast Cylinder Head’s location at 1438 W Anderson Street, Orlando, FL 32805.
Customer agrees that Southeast Cylinder Head, L.L.C. will not be responsible for:
Labor to remove and re-install the cylinder head, any replacement parts including, but not limited to, gaskets, head bolts, valves, cylinder head castings, filters, fluids, A/C Freon, towing fees, substitute transportation, lodging, personal or property damage, loss of income, profit or sales.
Customer agrees that Southeast Cylinder Head’s maximum exposure under this warranty is a refund.
Your Worst Nightmare
Actual questions posted to Yahoo Answers.com about cylinder heads.
MY MECHANIC TOLD ME I HAVE A CRACKED HEAD
“I have a 2002 Alero that has been recently declining in gas mileage. I thought it was a bit strange so I took it to a mechanic to have him look at it and a few other things. After replacing my brakes, calipers, pads and rotors, fuel filter, and spark plugs he took it out for a test drive only to find out it started to steam/smoke. He pulled the spark plugs back off of it and noticed there was antifreeze all over. He is telling me it's a cracked cylinder head. I was just wondering if anyone else ever had this issue and at estimate, how much this is going to cost me to fix.” OUR OPINION First, in our history of thousands of cylinder heads, we have never seen anyone who can tell if a head is cracked (internal) without removing it from the engine. My best guess is of all the people who have brought us cylinder heads because a mechanic told them it was cracked, less than 10% were. Contrary to popular belief, aluminum cylinder heads are less likely to crack than cast iron heads. Your problem may not be as bad as you think.
MY CAR BLEW A HEAD GASKET:
The vehicle has 109,000 miles on it. The mechanic says don’t replace the head gasket, it’ll “blow out” the rings. Think about it; you had 140 p.s.i. compression, for example, before the gasket failure. You’ll have 140 p.s.i. after the head gasket is replaced. How will that ruin the rings? OUR OPINION If you have been adding oil in the past, that’s another story; it may get worse. It’s also true that if the overheat was severe, it can damage the rings when they were fine before. It’s also a good idea to find out what caused it to overheat. The worst thing to happen is it happens again and the mechanic says ‘your fault’, didn’t watch the gauges (or light). You know your car, you know its history. A blown head gasket is not automatically a new engine.
MY CAR BLOWS BLUE SMOKE SOMETIMES:
What causes this? OUR OPINION If you’re adding 2 quarts a month, it probably needs an engine. There are some times when it doesn’t.- Has the check engine light been coming on and off?
- Has the gas mileage gone down?
- Rich fuel condition (too much gas) will dilute the oil in the cylinders and the rings won’t work properly.
- You should correct the check engine light first and see what happens.
- A bad catalytic converter can also do it. It can create back pressure causing oil consumption.
- A simple vacuum test will tell.
There are also other causes for light or occasional blue smoke. Email me if you have any other questions. If you have a Cylinder Head question, post it on our Ask A Question page, we’ll be happy to answer it for you. Give it a couple of weeks or so. Also check our Free Tech Advice page.