I'm having problems with the shop I use over my dang near new AFR 185's. Lost the head gaskets (detonation under boost) before Christmas and took them out to show him the gaskets. He popped the heads out of the truck and said he'd need to go over them to make sure they didn't get warped etc. When I got home I noticed the exhaust valves had hit the pistons at one time. He pulled them down and found the guides had galled to the valve on the exhaust. I just told him to make it right and get the best gasket he could find less O ring's. Got a bill for $497 (valve job, mill face, hone guides, valve job, new racing seals, and felpro 1021 boss 302 race gaskets etc). Bout flipped, but he said they were 'right' now. Drove it for a few days and it started smoking oily pretty bad. Shop said the seals may have lifted off the head so I sloppily pulled it into the garage and jacked it up to work on. Seals were ok, but the intake valves were loose in the guides and wobbled (never did that before). Next told to pop heads and bring them back in. PITA because it's all studded. Guides are ok I'm told (WTF). Call a race motor builder about the ARP head studs and how many time I can reuse them (thinking maybe they are stretching). He says dang near forever, but the oil problem may be coming from a piston land cracked.
Now I'm a firm believer in 'last thing first' when it comes to machines breaking down as in check the last thing done first because it's probally screwed up...
Out comes the motor (blower pulley to bellhousing) and it get's flipped over on the stand. Without removing the windage tray (PITA) I can get the piston out where the gasket let go (#7). Bearings look like new (new crank 15k ago, same as the heads). Pistons a little scratched up, but otherwise fine for 40k with a blower and a K+N filter. Same for the bore.
Monday I get to take it out to the shop and see if he ordered the guides for the heads yet. I'm pretty sure they overhoned them and that's the whole problem and I think he knows it. He's going to eat the cost and that's the only reason I'm taking the motor apart to apease him. Heck, I had to use some emory paper on the retainer seat when I got them to pull the valves out of the heads so I know they were like new.
Guess my golden horseshoe finally flipped over.
Jamie
Now I'm a firm believer in 'last thing first' when it comes to machines breaking down as in check the last thing done first because it's probally screwed up...
Out comes the motor (blower pulley to bellhousing) and it get's flipped over on the stand. Without removing the windage tray (PITA) I can get the piston out where the gasket let go (#7). Bearings look like new (new crank 15k ago, same as the heads). Pistons a little scratched up, but otherwise fine for 40k with a blower and a K+N filter. Same for the bore.
Monday I get to take it out to the shop and see if he ordered the guides for the heads yet. I'm pretty sure they overhoned them and that's the whole problem and I think he knows it. He's going to eat the cost and that's the only reason I'm taking the motor apart to apease him. Heck, I had to use some emory paper on the retainer seat when I got them to pull the valves out of the heads so I know they were like new.
Guess my golden horseshoe finally flipped over.
Jamie
...hope everything turns out for the better. 
they just didnt install them correctly, or they didnt make enuff clearance for the lift of the cam (shorter retainers or cut the guides down so the valves wont hit seals and brake them ). as far as the guides gaulding the valves that can be from not enuff clearance between valve and guide or seals not leating any oil pass by or dirt inside of guides. 
