Champion Racing Heads- Read This!!

T

The Pro

New Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2001
Well guess what. Someone informed Tom about the post, and apparently provided "excerpts" instead of asking him to read the whole thing for himself.

In the interest of fairness, I'm removing the thread until we resolve the issue. If the issue isn't resolved, it will be back up here. If it gets resolved, I'll post that as well.

Nothing I posted here I haven't said to Tom himself, so I'm not chicken-$hit by doing this. Anyone that knows me knows I don't mince words.

Stay tuned, and I hope this issue is resolved *quickly*.
 
What A Horrible Experience!!

Good Grief!

Another "Unreachable" Buick vendor!!

A game of "hide-and-seek" is somehow not as fun as it was when we were kids!

You are at the four-grand mark, and the grief goes on!

Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!
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Does this vendor have a monopoly on aluminum heads for our motor?

Does anyone else port & polish our intakes?

Couldn't some company like Air Flow Research handle our porting needs?
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I do genuinely empathize with you in this disaster.

I consider such situations as you've described equal parts of theft, abuse, fraud, arrogance and cowardice.

I'm truly sorry you're going through yet another example of what has been posted so often on this board about several other vendors.
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Just exercise every legal remedy available.

Myself? I'd get a refund for the heads, & go to Civil Court for all related expenditures. And, perhaps more important the FTC has Investigative Agents handling interstate consumer issues like yours.
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Don't get an ulcer...get justice. I'm pulling for your efforts, on behalf of all of us who know what you're going through.
 
If anyone has a good working set of heads (flow numbers) and would be willing to lend them to me to base a CNC program on I think it can be done. As with anything, it takes a little help and effort from others too!


TL,

Yes, there is Champion and there is Champion for now:eek: :D
 
Steve, sorry to hear the crap is still going on. Sounds like a personal visit is required. You got any airline miles?

It looks like TA Performance will have a market based on their revised M&A head when released.
 
Sorry to hear about all you problems.

When I had a vendor problem years ago I went to my local attorney and here's what he told me.

If a vendor advertises nationally you can file a lawsuit in your home state. The vendor must respond to your lawsuit in your home state.

Kinda gives you a powerful hand IF what my attorney told me is correct. It might be worth it for you to see your local attorney.

Chris
 
Champion Sucks

Hey Pro,

I know your pain first hand. I had to wait 6 months to get my heads back from Tom at Champion myself. I sent both of them to be weld repaired and when I got them back after 6 months dozens of calls and countless lies from Tom only one was fixed. At that point I had to pay to have the remaining head weld repaired.

This isn't an isolated case either I know of several people locally that have had problems with the early Champion heads and Tom as well. One guy was going to sue Champion and had already filed a complaint with the BBB. That guy finally got a new set of heads but not without the endless run around.

I won't spend another dime with these guys. BTW, for anyone reading this that doesn't think their heads are cracked just wait and see. It's only a matter of time.

Neal
 
you'll aint making me feel very good about buying a set ..:(

are the new castings any better than the old ones?

going on stock block so only 8 bolts.. i know the 14's had a problem
 
Originally posted by REDS HOT AIR
you'll aint making me feel very good about buying a set ..:(

are the new castings any better than the old ones?

going on stock block so only 8 bolts.. i know the 14's had a problem
Click to expand...

I haven't heard of anyone having problems with the 8 bolt.

I have a set myself and the only problem I have had is blowing the headgasket in the same place, same cylinder. Just fixed it again ... but this time I switched to stacked steels and Jason Cramer's special goop.

Chris
 
Red,

The new head castings are much better than the original and 2nd generation castings. I have 2 sets one original and one 3rd generation set. For the most part Champion has learned from their mistakes.

The new castings are much beefier and the machine work is better. The exhaust guides still suck and wear out prematurely but at least they don't fall apart like the first generation ones.

I can't comment on the "R" heads since I don't have them but to the best of my knowledge they share the same casting as the regular heads. They are also way too expensive in my opinion.

Oh, if anyone is under the misconception that ONLY the 14 bolt versions of the early castings cracked that is FALSE. The 8 bolt heads will crack thru into the water passage from the intake manifold. This is due to inadequate material supporting the under side of the end bolt holes and the bolt hole spot face being too deep.

Tom will tell you he's never heard of any of this. You gotta love it.

Neal
 
as of right now are there any other options for alum heads??


as far as the R heads they are fully ported heads from my understanding and would be at much higher risk of having a thin port.

i wont be looking to do much porting in mine just bowl blending and gaket matching them up.

are the ones having guide troubles using seals on the exaust valves?

im thinking they are better off like factory and not using seals so they do get a lil lube

so whats my odds on getting a good set i can bolt on and go?
 
Champion Sucks

I am the other guy that Neal was refering to and my heads took about 8 months to receive. I can't tell you how many lies I heard over that period of time. I did file with the local BBB and was in the process of filing in the local small claims court. To give you a little background, my heads are 14 bolt and they cracked on the first pass at approx. 125 mph. I use Evans coolant and it got under my tires which made for an interesting ride. As Neal said the guides are still a problem and the amount of support or lack of it will shorten the life and make for constant servicing.
Since Fl. protects its local businesses, I would suggest a trip to Palm Coast and get in Tom's face. If you go to court it could take you another few months to get this resolved. By the way my first set I had ported for $1000 and that was also a total loss!
Good Luck,
Jeff Rand
 
Hey Chris...... "but this time I switched to stacked steels and Jason Cramer's special goop." What is Jason's secret goop?

Erik
 
Not trying to change Steve's thread so everyone 'cept Eric please ignore this:)

I was talking to Bobby Slusser at the Nats and I mentioned I'd had problems with blowing a headgasket on the same cylinder in the same place. He told me he'd had problems with blowing gaskets and then put stacked steels on using GE 1200 silicone and hadn't had the gasket problem since.

Apparently Jason had given Bobby the name of the silicone as Jason uses that stuff on his engine with the steel gaskets.

Bobby told me he drove a long distance to a supplier for his after looking on the webpage for GE and seeing where he could get some. I phoned GE and asked for the name of a distributor. The closest they came up with for me was 300 miles away so I phoned them and ordered a tube. The tube was $6.00. The freight and COD charges (even though the liars told me they'd bill me to save COD charges) was $14.00. So I paid $20....:D
 
Back On Topic

Pro//Neal,

Please keep us posted on what happens next...I hope everything is perfect from this point on for you with the heads.

But, I think I've heard enough about Champion heads already to not invite these kinds of woes into my life.

Reporting on such vendor outrages is a true public service!
 
I too feel your pain, I have a set of 8 bolt, I guess they would be 2nd gen heads, that cracked 2 miles down the road. Mine cracked around the head bolt under the valve cover.

It took about 4 months to get mine back. I hope they are still holding up okay. No mud in the pan yet.

Let me know what comes of this, I would like to see the vendors get their act in line.

One of the reasons you pay $1500-3000 for such a product is for the r&d. These problems would have had to been apearant before their release. It is not like it is a $60 plenum spacer.
 
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