"Kermit, I really have no interest in your stacks..."

Why don't you send them to "Ferrarifixer" - he may be able to help you out

 

$12,000 for QV cylinder heads? $1500 for QV manifolds? You smokin crack?The last time you slammed Kermit about this I believe you claimed Nick at Forza "gave" you a set of heads for free. And either way, 12 K for heads someone was smokin sumthin.

The story becomes more interesting when we find that Nick and Kermit had a working relationship of some kind, and that except for a hoist, all the tools in the shop are Kermits.

It becomes more interesting still, when the address for Forza is a restaurant, same phone number and all.

I can say I dont know the situatuion anymore than most, except ive heard your responses, and ive talked to Kermit, and I think there is something missing that we dont know yet. And I think seeing Kermit get banned right after asking questions about Forza and the 4.1 project, was really dirty pool. It made me wonder what kind of people are running this deal and why couldnt someone ask a legitimate question. Questions we have still not heard an answer to by the way.

I do know that most shops that start modifying cylinder heads radically, notify the customer that they can go through the water jacket. I think also, that if I knew Ferrari had pourous castings 20 years ago, most other people could know. My feeling on this, and again, I could be wrong, is that Kermit was working on your parts, went through the water jacket, and was meaning to repair them and you wanted them and your money back both. Well, if I was doing all that work and you got huffy about it and asked for both your money and your parts, I wouldnt give you back your heads either.

Other people have commented on his quality work and theyre satisfaction, that one sour grape isnt enough to sway me. I am thinking you should have given him an opportunity to finish his work before running off to Nick, who is obviously going to dis Kermit if they had a relationship that didnt work out. And you placed yourself directly between these two men.

I say enough already.

 

Paul~

I wasnt necessarily trying to defend Kermit, as trying to play devils advocate. Yes, I suppose new heads are as expensive as you say, but they do not need line boring to my knowledge, as I believe they are sold with cam caps ready to go, but maybe Im wrong on that. But, you had used heads, not new heads, and really, should you get what new heads are worth back? You wernt happy with them stock, you wanted them modified, and when you start doing that, sad to say but stuff happens. You even admitted in the first post I seen of your complaint, that Kermit was going to get the heads welded and you became impatient. I know there was recently a complete QV motor that sold on Ebay for I think about $6k, and for that someone got a block and all of it plus the heads. I would assume a good used head is maybe around $1000?
You are the only one to my knowledge with any complaint against Kermit, and your connection with his previous partner puts a shadow over the whole issue. Having that same partner hand out expensive parts puts a further cloud over the issue. I think its questionable someone uses a restaurant address as a working address for a shop they sell high tech parts out of. I also think its questionable when Kermit got blocked off the list when he asked particular questions about the 4.1 liter engine project. And I think its equally questionable that none of those questions were ever discussed or answered.
I guess if you truely want to press your case all over Ferrarichat, post the court documents of the case. Otherwise I would just drop it. Now back to 308 induction???? I am looking forward to a dyno test to see what Kermits airhorns do. If they work, I will probably buy some.

 

You asked for numbers, a test on the dyno with the STOCK stacks and STOCK airbox and another test with SHORT stacks and STOCK airbox. There are the numbers as you asked for. What is UNscientific about that.

A simple case of subtraction nets about 5 HP or did you even bother to look at the chart?

I am not involved in Kermits business and I do not have a vested interest. I am merely relaying information, in black and white.

 

No bias. It had nothing to do with his questions of Nick. If you have a question about moderation on this site I would suggest you ask Rob or one of the moderators rather than make false accusations about subjects of which you have no knowledge.

The web site also alerts us to fraud on cars and other business's that all of might do business with. Sloan obviously has issues. Spasso doesn't. We're allowed to make our own decisions.

 

For the record, I can empathize with Paul Sloan. If indeed these things happened to me like they happened to Paul, (as he says they did), then I too would be consumed with rage for years to come.

I do not have the complete and full story from either side so I cannot be a judge of the situation either way.

It sounds to me like some mistakes were made and the resulting restitution was not satisfactory to Paul. I am really sorry these things happen to anybody (PeterS comes to mind) but they do.

 

I'm not taking sides, but you are ruining a perfectly good thread.

Please start your own thread elsewhere, so those that are interested can follow it there.

Thank you.

 

I hate seeing informative threads like this hijacked with this dispute (it's happened several times in the past). I also understand Paul's (Sloan83qv) need/want to "warn" people of Kermit. Perhaps Paul, you could start a thread that airs your concerns and story, and link to it in the future....rather than detract from an on going discussion? That way, the main thread can stay on topic, while you also have the opportunity to chime in on your concerns of Kermit.

Does that sound fair?

Dave

 

I agree.

Paul, I understand your concerns but please keep your issues with Kermit in a singular location and not take a number of threads off on tangents.

Start a single thread, post your desires, and in the future you can link it. Would this work?

Thanks.

 

Yes Dave, I also do not wish to see the spirit of a thread clearly titled "Technical Q&A" sullied by such postings. This is why I do not wish to have to go off of the topic, in order to shed some light and hopefully put a halt to such behaviour.
The bottom line is, for all of the claims, nuances, etc, had I been in the wrong, if I had been so much in the wrong, this matter would have allready been thru the legal system, and Mr. Sloan would have recieved his just and due recompense. And yet his Attorney would not take the case to court, after sending a private (independant) mediator to examine the case from all angles, including an inspection of said head(s).
Rather than simply admit that the problem stemmed from the repeated overheating of the motor, causeing the formation of a serious scale inside of the casting, which he agreed to in a Waiver of Liabilities Faxed to him, thru his Lawyers office, and freely signed by him, which aggrees to this fact, and absolves me of any and all liabilities.
Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the workings of the legal system can easily see that if there were such wrong doing upon my part would know that this matter would have been dealt with promptly and Mr. Sloan would have recieved any recompence due him, and this matter would not be even brought to light in this forum.
My apoligies for having to go off topic in shedding some light in this matter.
Can we now get back to the technical aspects of the carb air horn/housing topic?
Kermit

 

Can't we get a moderator to lock this thread now? All useful content is being posted in another thread and this one's turned to junk.

 

Hey Paul..seeing as your heads are just door stops anyways..would you be willing to sell them to me? I need a set of QV heads (good or bad it does not matter) for a little R&D. I have a project in the works for the QV engines and the use of your heads would be great!!. Please if you are so inclinded..could you PM me if you are interested?

 

Sloan:

First off: It sounds like you're more than a little pissed about something as simple as a set of 4 valve heads. To date, I havn't FOUND a cylinder head I can't fix. Unless he angle milled the hell out of them (and I mean cut them right down to the seats), there's plain and simple NO WAY that ANY set of heads can't be fixed. Period. And I've staked my name on that fact for about 10 years now, and to date have never been proven wrong.

On the ONE time I was ALMOST proven wrong, I floated 1/8th of an inch of TIG onto the deck surface to add deck. Stuck them on the Rottler, and milled them back flat again. "plus" 1/8th of an inch. So, on the "I'm using them as door-stops", please don't think that those thing's aren't salvageable. I guarantee I can fix them. No questions asked.

Secondly: He hit the water jackets? So? So what? Sometimes (actualy, more than sometimes, a LOT actualy) I hit the water jackets on PURPOSE because usualy it doesn't MATTER where the water jacket IS, what matters is what's going to make the port flow more air at the desired lift! On a lot of my D-series and F-series Honda heads I COMMONLY cut right into the water jacket, back-fill them with TIG, and grind again. If you're scrapping a set of heads because the water jackets have been hit, then PLEASE send them to me. I could use more practice playing with Ferrari's high Tin content Alloy castings.

Third: Let's add this up a little bit here. Ok, you sent a set of heads to a guy to have him port them. Does he have a flow bench? A Bridgeport? A Rottler or other air floating mill? A seat and Guide Machine? Or a Serdi? A TIG welder? Does he even know what TIG "IS"? Have you seen samples of his work? Before and after flow bench readings? Exactly what radius/angle and how many is he going to put on the seats? How far is he going to lay the back-cut?

These are ALL examples of questions you SHOULD have asked before this guy got your heads. During my readings here, I've found this is a COMMON thing on F-Chat. People getting screwed by 1/2 assed hacks who port heads without flow bench and dyno data and do valve guide jobs with hand drills. Just an example (having NO IDEA who this Kermit guy is or how good he realy is), but I've seen 2 dozen threads JUST LIKE THIS ONE in the past 5 days!

Because if THIS "IS" the case, and you're ALL getting screwed my machine shops/engine builders then I MIGHT have to re-think the current job offer I have on the table. Right now, the Detroit area Import engine industry is as low as I've ever seen it. Everyone wants it fixed or built for free, tomorrow, because they don't have the $$$ and /or time to put into doing the job right. If it's NOT going to be done right, then I turn the job away.

That's gotten ME into trouble, because I'm so slow right now it's all I can do to keep the doors open. I was planning on taking a day job at our local F-dealer and work my machine shop during the nights and weekends untill either things/bills blow over, or the business picks up again.

So come on guys, "is this really, truly an issue"?

Are you ALL getting so screwed? Or is this a caseless ***** session?

And Sloan......

Send me those heads.

Stick
Unleaded Racing
Wyandotte, MI

 

So if a perforation occures, it can be permanently repaired by TIG welding? I didn't know that. I don't know anything about machining these things but I would have assumed a perforation ment the head was totally shot. I had no idea that could be repaired.

 

I can account for that horror story of Paul.
I have been an ear for that story while it unfolded. It took a long long time and Paul was more than patient about this. I would have been in a plane and beaten the **** out of this crackhead if that would have been my heads.

I can not believe that you accuse Paul of hijacking the thread. How stupid is that? He is warning you that whoever is contemplating dealing with this guy will likly face desaster. he is actually helping all of you to make a judgement call for yourself to deal or to rather say, no way! Now if you deal with kermit so be it. You have been warned. Don't start....Kermit f'd me over.... a month from now.

The first post is accusing Paul. After that HE is put on the defendant seat, not the perosn that f'd up his $10,000 heads! Someone claims he is not even entitled to new heads since his car is used. Yeah here is an argument. When they scratch your car you are only entitled to "used" paint.

Guys, I have seen a decline of general respect on F-Chat. There appears to be a general trend to jump in and accuse anybody of anything. if someone warns you in a post where that person offers his goods and services without being a sponsor or even subscriber, then you should be happy for the extra advise instead of bashing him.