Ugh. I need some heads, where to buy?

I need to source some heads for a 3.4l V6. It looks like they can get really spendy.

Is there a "go to" source for heads that I should be looking at? Tips?

Thanks!

 

https://www.cylinder-heads.com/?msclkid=dd255d63a8141e2b70ff3f395e050701

Worth being on your shopping list

 

Toyota Cylinder Heads - King Cylinder Heads

 

I have this same thought almost every day. Cheaper to rent by the hour than to buy, though.

 

Ha! I see what you did there.

 

I know next to nothing about heads beyond the basics. I see the King cylinder heads are an aftermarket product, they even market them as "improved". Is this considered to be just as good as oem?

I thought I had a donor engine (one that I actually gave away) with OEM heads but it got scrapped. I suppose just buying a set new is actually going to make life easier as I hopefully won't need to go through the valve adjustment process which honestly sounds awful.

 

I've always been told that if it floats, flys, or fucks, it's always cheaper to rent.

 

I just noticed your username "Clearwater Bill". Are you associated with the vendor you linked to?

 

No.

When I created my account I lived in Clearwater, thus the user name.

I do know where the shop is, and I have used a full reman head from them for an S15 I once owned.

 

I was born and grew up in Pinellas.

 

I've lived in St Pete, Clearwater (2 different times) and now Largo.

10 years of my life have been out of this county, but 8.5 of those were still in Florida, just other towns for work assignments.

 

I am so nervous about buying heads. Clearwater gets mixed reviews (which honestly is to be expected somewhat). I just sent them a message asking some questions about the castings, reman OEM and if not where do they come from. I saw some review saying they were bad chinese castings.

 

I think Clearwater takes OEM and cleans/rebuilds them. That's why need a core

 

Yeah buying heads would have me worried.

I helped a buddy do a head swap on a straight 6 BMW. Complete pain, and in the end the head wasn’t rebuilt right, and the company fought to even fix the error they acknowledged, because he didn’t install the head within 30 days.

 

Note I suggested they be on your shopping list, not that they were the 'one and only'.

Always have some skeptsisim of reviews, good or bad, on any product if the total reviews are low compared to the output of the business.

How to know if reviews are even legit? I don't know many shops that would even do one, and shops would be their main customers.

That is my understanding as well.

 

I have a pair.

 

I found out their new heads are Chinese castings, but they also offer rebuilt OEM heads (with or without a core, price reflects that).

Oddly, the Chinese castings are more expensive. Perhaps just because they are "new". Now I'm somewhat on the fence about OEM or Chinese, but I am leaning towards OEM due to trust issues of Chinese cast metal. OEM is cheaper as well.

 

Their website isn't as clear as what you just said, thanks for the clarification. If their remanufacturing process is decent I'd probably go OEM reman personally. I'm in the market as well so please tell su what you go with!

 

I ordered the OEM remans this morning. Price was right. Tim has been good at responding to emails. He said he's had good luck with the Chinese castings and they are thicker in the crack prone areas. Still, I went OEM remanufactured. I hope I made a good decision.

 

Are those the $500/ea ones on their website or a phone only thing? Are they shipping already?