Dove Heads?

[cobrarkc]

Does anybody know who this guy is on ebay? He seems to be selling a bunch of aluminum tunnel port and hi riser heads. Are they Dove rejects? They always seem to have something wrong with them.He is also from Ohio.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=260090036469

[Excaliber]

Billyjobimbobhillbillyhick? Thats the sellers name,

Anyway, he mentions he can supply the guides and seats if you want them, which leads me to believe he has some connections within the automotive realm. He indicated he pressure tested the heads, not easy without the equipement to do so. He is 'connected' in some way with a machine shop. Quite possibly buys up 'defective' heads and markets them. The 'leaks' in the intake on these heads could be a real bear to fix, plenty 'risk' involved, better to sell them outright me thinks...

[RLSIDWELL]

I don't know about their heads, but my experience with Dove Manufacturing is one of those stories we all hear about. I bought an FE expansion tank from them and it had a 1/4" hole in it. You could literally stick a pencil in it. Anyway, the second one had a much smaller hole, albeit a hole. Although they talked favorably every time I called, they have yet to replace it. I had to epoxy from the inside to make it work. If I didn't need it I would just have Visa deal with them. The only way I will ever own anything else made by Dove is if it is free (including shipping). Even then I would be leery.

Good Luck
Rick Sidwell

[Anthony]

If you look at those heads, specifically at the exhaust ports, you can see that the ports are raised, and also the exhaust ports come straight out of the head, and do not turn towards the center of the cylinder as the normal exhaust ports do, and thus require custom headers because of the port spacing. The ultimate exhaust port for the wedge FE head.

[RICK LAKE]

Cobrrkc It's a short walk from Grafton to Columbia station about 8 - 10 miles Sound like a little dumpster diving may be going on. That one picture sure looks like Dove heads in the rough. This is how Jim Dove has gotten a poor reputation in the FE world. Someone is STEALING defective parts and selling them. Maybe he will learn one day that a defective part is cut or hammered or damaged so it can't be repaired and sold. Would you buy anything from BIllybobbevusbutthead anyway? If so you are a better man than me. Rick L.

[spl310]

Are those heads repairable? I assume that the bolt hole would not be an issue, but what about the cracks?

[Excaliber]

Very risky to repair at best, even if I was GIVEN the heads I'm not sure I would want to deal with repair, installation, still leaks, repair again, re-installation, repeat! Just more trouble than it's worth to me. Alloy heads grow and shrink a lot during use.

[RICK LAKE]

spl310 Those heads are problem heads. If you could get them for $100.00 and know a great welder to do repair, go for it. There is no valves,springs,retainers, or clips. All the machine work is not done. By the time you get done with all the repair and machine work, you could have gotten a complete set of heads ready to go. Hers something to think about, you go out on a cruise, endup 100 miles from home and one of thoses heads break and you have a coolant leak all over. You need a tow home $200.00+ someone to pull apart the motor, the repair of the head, gaskets, coolant , sealer, and just maybe you get LUCKY with the repair again. Price for repair $1,000.00 if no coolant went into motor, double this if motor has coolant in oil, looks like a shake and the motor needs all new bearings. Been there, seen this, all for trying to save a couple of bucks. Blue thunder, Shelby, or Edelbrock, even Dove direct, the price is not worth the problem. Rick L. Ps those heads failed a pressure test, they are a bad set.

[Anthony]

Those heads are about $2200 brand new, bare. Often, Dove heads need the valve guides done over anyways. Ask me how I know. Heads can be coated in the water jackets with a sealent, and in fact, supposidly Dove does this on all of their current FE heads because of the coolant leak problems. Dove no longer makes these exhaust ports, haven't for several years now I think, and these heads may have not had the sealent treatment done to the water jackets. Now that the price is over $1000, I'm not sure if they are worth more than this.

[cobrarkc]

Thanks for all the input. I have seen this guy selling these type of problem heads for a couple months now and suspected there may be some dumpster diving involved. I have heard about people selling Dove rejects before and this looks like a classic case. Someone should probably alert Dove about this guy. May be an ex employee even.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by cobrarkc

I have seen this guy selling these type of problem heads for a couple months now and suspected there may be some dumpster diving involved. I have heard about people selling Dove rejects before and this looks like a classic case. Someone should probably alert Dove about this guy. May be an ex employee even.

Maybe you should contact Hillbillyjimbob to see how he gets the parts. Maybe it's legit. I have many of his options, as I have bought Dove products on occasion. I had just assumed billybobjimbob was a local guy to Dove, using alot of their products, and selling some of it, the stuff that wasn't maybe up to snuff.

[RICK LAKE]

Anthony What are you saying? Jim dove sell or gives defective parts to others so they can sell them. He has enough trouble from the 50 heads that found there way to the public and got a bad name for himself. Jim has worked hard to make a better product. If you read the above post about how far Billybobbutthead lives from Dove, it doesn't take a NASA genius to figure out how close they live. Dumpster diving is not new, or slipping defects out the back door. When you see a product that has failed final inspection, this is what they look like. Did any of the parts you got from dove have marks on them saying leaks, plug, or holes???? My manifold didn't say anything like this. Rick Lake Ps maybe you could give Jim a call and ask about Billybobbutthead and the junk he is selling.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by RICK LAKE

Anthony What are you saying? Jim dove sell or gives defective parts to others so they can sell them. He has enough trouble from the 50 heads that found there way to the public and got a bad name for himself. Jim has worked hard to make a better product. If you read the above post about how far Billybobbutthead lives from Dove, it doesn't take a NASA genius to figure out how close they live. Dumpster diving is not new, or slipping defects out the back door. When you see a product that has failed final inspection, this is what they look like. Did any of the parts you got from dove have marks on them saying leaks, plug, or holes???? :

They do ship out defective parts. I've recieved them after paying for them. I've sent some of them back, and they have replaced them. They should have never been sent to me in the first place. I'm sure many of his other customers get defective parts, like me. Sometimes, the defect is not that bad that you're willing to try to correct it other than sending it back to be replaced in 6 months or so. Ive done this as well. When they are the only game in town for a specific part, you can't get it anywhere else, if you want the part bad enough, you buy it from them.


How many parts have you bought from them? I've bought about $4800 worth of parts from them.

I had just assumed that hillbillyjimbob is in the same boat as me, just that he may be a much bigger customer. I can tell you, they won't scrap any heads( i.e. throw in the dumpster). The aluminum material is worth too much. I had asked them about sending me a defective tunnel port head for a conversation piece. They still wanted about $75 or so for the "scrap" alumunim. I don;t think these heads are picked up out of the dumpster.

[RICK LAKE]

Anthony I live 500 miles from Dove and have driven to the place to get my parts. I do a final inpection before I pay for them. The Waiting period is 10 months for every part but the timing cover. I think it was a cleanup scrap but had no problem with it. I am not going to beat the poor manufactoring into the ground. The problem is the people he hired. $6.00 per hour who speakie no english and get a 15 minute training on how to use a 3 head CNC machine is alot of Jim's problem. He can't be everywhere. A got my MR manifold there after a 10 month wait, thanks to Earl running blocker. I got a tour of the new area and foundry section. I watched an so call machinist destoryed 1 manifold and snapped to bits of a new CNC machine because the piece was not clamped down, and the job was not centered on the bed. Dove could have cornered the market for FE products if he knew manufacturing. He is a machinist just like Paul at PSE. I do know of people who have gotten poor qualitity parts and returned them 3,4,5 times and gotten new parts. Money lost was for the porting of heads and other trick work. I guess the bottom line is that when I am spending $500-2,000 dollars from a questionable company like Dove I will Drive 500 miles for my parts and check them right there. Maybe this is why I have had no problems yet. I have had to clean up some of the castings and one needed to be redrilled to center a hole. I couldn't see this without a FE head to check and wouldn't use one of there's. Any way we are lucky in the fact that Shelby,Blue thunder, Pond's, Genises, and others are maken FE parts again. The cream will raise to the top. The road may still be bumpy. Rick Lake

[Mike Bartlett]

My Dove HR heads have cracked twice in 3000 miles. I have purchased a set of Keith Craft Stage-II Edelbrock heads and intake, RPM Performer, for les than the bare set of Dove heads. I bet they last longer also.

Mike

[RICK LAKE]

Mike Bartlett Have you called Dove about the heads? Send them back for a new set. If the failure is not for major engine damage, make them replace them for no cost to you. They have done this before Mike. I have seen people getting 2-4 sets of heads with problems before getting a good set. The first thing these heads need is a pressure test under water with 100-120 psi. Hot water is better and let sit for couple of hours and recheck. You know the song "TINY BUBBLES" by Don Ho. This saves alot of time and money before and port work. I know you should not need to do this but with the Dove problems, this is the first step. Rick L.

[82ACAUTOCRAFT]

I have been using Edelbrock heads and I am happy with them, the quality/price ratio is great, they come already assembled with quality components and can be used right out of the box. My 427 made 500 hp and 550 lbs/ft without any porting at all. I was thinking about Shelby but I understand there have been some issues with those. Dove have issues as well and BT I don't know, I hear they are great, there are some issues with headers since exhaust ports are raised! Is it worth the money or should I just port a set of Edelbrock?