Slowboy Racing (Built 4g63)

[manikbastrd]

I have had more trouble with this company than I would like to admit. I Purchased a race head from them in 2010, it was supposed to be a 7 bolt head that was ported with a 1mm overbore on intake and exhaust. New valve guides, manley springs and retainers and new valve seals.

I ran the head for about 100 miles on my old project (724) and had valve to piston contact. I was under the impression at the time that this was due to installation error on my part. I thought that a lifter had stuck and that I was up a creek. I ended up parting the car out and put the head in mothballs for a few years until I got another GVR4. Fast forward to now, and I have 504/1000 ready to get built up.

I pulled the head out of the back of my garage and took it to the machine shop to check it out. There were 3 bent exhaust valves, which fit with the 3 marks on 2 pistons on my old short block. I bought a new set of exhaust valves and all new seals to have it put back together. My machinist cleaned the head and was in the process of installing all the new valves, and told me that I had no clearance on my valve guides. Not too little clearance, but none. They measured the same as the size of the valves. If you don't already know, there is supposed to be .002-.0025 inches of clearance on the valves in the guides.

I immediately called mike at built 4g63, and told him what I was told. He replied that there was nothing he could do or would do without me sending him the head to check out. I am currently in Oregon, and already have the head at a shop to be repaired, so that wasn't gonna happen.

Second part of my problem is that I was mocking up all the parts that I have for the head (2g SMIM etc...) and noticed that the port match on the head didn't match the gasket...problem. I checked the part number and it is definitely a 2g gasket. I check against my manifold which is a 2g, and it matches that perfectly...So basically, I paid for a 2g head to be built to fit a 6bolt motor, and didn't get that either....I got a ported 1g head.

So, basically as it sits now, I have a manifold I can't use for a head which is not what I wanted, and the company is not interested in making it up to me. I am pursuing other recourse as we speak, but I am confident it will be to no avail.

Suffice to say, I will never be working with this company again, and hope to spread the word so no one else does either. I am not trying to bash the company, just trying to inform my favorite community of my experience.

 

[VR4Scott]

I honestly have no clue how these people are still in business. Several years ago I was supplying them with DSM and Evo cores, which was fine for a little bit. We got to a point where I was being told to wait for payment when they owed me between $1000-2000. It took several months to get my parts back. Had to go to the machine shop they were using at the time (Buddy Hendricks Racing) to pick up some stuff and then had to go to Performance Race Solutions to pick up the rest of what was available, as some of my stuff had been used already.

They had abandoned many cores at PRS and the owner was tired of looking at it all and told me to come pick it all up. SBR couldn't afford to pay their machinist anymore, so he went to PRS. SBR kind of disappeared when they wound up defaulting on a bunch of loans, a lease, and equipment rentals. Mike and his wife became realtors and then suddenly Built Industries came about. Joe Shuler that is part of the company is a great dude, the Huml family that owns it just ruins it for me though.

 

[manikbastrd]

Update with my Slowboy head. I sent a PDF file including pictures, invoices and everything else I had for the head to Slowboy this morning after speaking with Mike on the phone. I am hoping that I can get either my money back on the head or a replacement sent out that is correct. Turns out the head is not a 6 bolt or a 7 bolt(which I paid for)...so it may be a 4g61 head or something similar. I will keep you guys updated.

7Bolt Gasket on my head


6Bolt Gasket on my head


6Bolt style Thermostat housing.

 

[1dvsdsm]

that doesnt look like 1g intake ports

 

[Wizardawd]

Looks like it's from a gen 3 Sonata with the 2.0L DOHC 4g63. Small intake ports like a 2g, 1g design thermo housing, will have the smaller 8mm outer exhaust manifold studs (unless machined larger) and should have the 12mm head bolt holes like a 1g.

Wiz

 

[alansupra94]

There is a grey area when it comes to those heads. I know I went through a bunch of trouble when I was trying to figure out what head I had.

click

 

[4G63_GSR]

I have a slowboy motor in my 2gb talon. purchased it from them back in 2006. I can't complain. It's been good so far. It's not my daily and I have about 700 miles on it. I suppose I can't say too much then. One thing they forgot to do was put a oil galley plug in (the one between the motor and tranny). I dropped my motor in, started it up, and oil was gushing out like crazy. I thought I messed up putting my rear main seal in but the source of the oil leak was too high on the motor. Had to take off the tranny to investigate and found out they totally missed one plug.

Other than that I have no complaints. That was my one and only deal with them.