This is my first post here after browsing for several months. Great info available here. I purchased a 95 LT1 over the summer with a 383 Stroker and a stock top end for a weekend street/strip car. I did quite a bit of research on this site to decide on a top end package. My biggest mistake so far was getting suckered in by Mike B. at Pro Performance. He couldn't talk highly enough about their product, and promised me outstanding rwhp numbers using their heads. (Flow numbers will be @ 280 intake and 205 exhaust for $1,500)
I received the first set of heads after 5 weeks. We put the heads on the car even though my engine builder had misgivings because they "looked like hell". It didn't take long to figure out he was right to be cautious. After firing up the car, coolant was soon running through the block and out the y-pipe. Come to find out, about half the valve guides were leaking. We tore the enging down again and I had the heads looked at by Lloyd Elliot in Red Oak (Thanks again Lloyd). He confirmed the general crappy work and flowed them for me. 240 intake at 600 lift (lots of turbulence) and 190 exhaust.
Well, after the first set almost ruined my motor, I just received my second set of "stage 3" heads to make up for the screw up. I took them straight to Lloyd again and had them examined and flowed. To their credit they did look a lot better, but only flowed 268 at 600 lift (int.) and 185 (exh.) with a crummy valve job. I am paying Lloyd to see what he can do to get the numbers closer to what Pro Perf. promised on his flow sheet (282 int./192exh.).
Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to confirm what a lot of you have been hearing about Pro Perf. heads. The work coming out of that shop is questionable at best and illegal at worst, especially for what people are paying (I understand the actual head porter is only receiving about half the total price and has to buy valves,retainers,etc.). I have tried to get reimbursed some $ to make up for all the extra out of my pocket, but just hit a stone wall. I am now going to be out @ $2,200 for this set of heads, and a lot of time and headaches to go with it. Oh well, live and learn!

 

Man, sorry to hear about the wasted time and money dude. After all these posts about PP heads being a rip, their name is pretty much mud. Even if they do happen to turn things around, there's just too much stigma related to them at this point for me to ever consider getting my heads done by them.

Thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully saving a few of us from a potential nightmare.

 

While there is no excuse for the coolant problem, one thing to keep in mid is that different flow benches, different technicians, different methods result in significantly different flow numbers.

Comparing one guys flow numbers vs another is not realy valid. Only compare flow bench results from the same location. That way you are comparing apples to apples.

DaveW

 

Sorry to hear you got the same type of stuff we did.

Dave it is not just Lloyds bench. it is every other bench we have flowed them on. The set we had were flowed on three different benchs and always with in 1%.....always in the 240 area...

Pro Perf is pretty Much a dead player around here

 

A guy I know had his first motor ruined by a set of pro performance heads. Now he has a Nutek 396 but was waiting on another set of pro performance heads. When he finally got them they didn't even have a valve job, and they didn't send him the flow sheet. I'm sure h'ell chime in if he sees this post.

 

so has anyone been happy with there Pro Performance heads? I have a set that I have not put on yet and you guys are making me worry.

 

I would have them checked out very thoroughly by a reputable porter and also have them pressure checked before you put them on your car.

 

So Mike (1fstTA) and Beast are just reselling some dude's work for twice what they paid for it?

LOL... That'd explain why neither of them knows **** about cylinder heads and can ever defend themselves when people bring up issues with their stuff.

Sorry you got hosed bro... hmph.. people thought I was being an ******* when I called out PP a year ago after they gave mook obvious fake numbers. Rough lesson to learn, hope the coolant didnt wash down your cyl walls and hurt your shortblock.

-Phil

 

well, I droped them off at a local shop for a complete inspection and to check the flow #'s. I'll let you know what they find. wish me luck.

 

Pro-Performance representatives....Defend yourselves and your product.

Tim

 

I put in a suggestion thread on listing sh*tty vendors and names/addresses of known scammers.

I'd at least send the better business bureau the infomation that you just showed us. Make sure you let Pro Performance know too.. they might give u some money back...

 

while the heads flowed 240 at .600they did flow 261 at .550 so that doesn't soud as bad if ya say 261 at .550. But when ya mention the part about LOSING 20 cfm in a .050 lift INCREASE ya can pretty much tell what the short side looked like. Tall and lots of sharp edges. I promise ya could cut your self if ya moved your finger accross the shortside with enough pressure or fast enough. This is NOT an exaggeration. The work on that set looked like the typical home port job or $300 garage job that people have brought me to flow. The main 2 diff. is that first of all the average home/garage port job doesn't leak water and second of all this was ALOT more than $300. Someone is making a killing. The average porter could do THAT work in 2-3 hrs. figure in about $400-$500 for valves, springs, machine work, etc, and SOMEONE is making (clearing) $1000 for a couple hours work with a grinder. If the porter isn't getting it than who is? If someone loses a good motor over these heads who would get sued?
I have seen a few other sets and none of them were this bad. They did not flow the advertised #s but they were not as horrible as the first set. They atleast LOOK better and flow a little better but still not worth the $1500 plus cores.

NightTrain66

 

Quick95Z....sorry to hear about that man. I was down at Lloyd's shop on Wed and had the opportunity to see the flow #s on your first set... After seeing this post I wish I hadn't torqued my PP heads down before going to see Lloyd.....

that's what i've heard too...'splains a lot

Aside from all the crap that went on all summer, I've been hearing more and more crap about this company...they, will not get my, or anyone that I know for that matter, business in the future

*shrug* live and learn i guess....

 

all of you, especially phil, should retract your slanderous statements about the bayou boys immediately.

 

These posts are hardly even worth reading anymore. Most people that respond to the posts are biast, and never seen or tested any of the products mentioned. Just like any other post were it took a week longer to get my cam custom ground than they said, so they suck. Pretty much the general consensus I get from most of the people on this board. Not all the people are like this, but most are. Have the heads had a few problems? I can't deny that. We are in the process of getting some of these so called "bad" sets back, so we can see what you are talking about. I will personally be there for the testing/flowing of these heads, and I will report more then. I myself have had good luck with the heads on my car and all but the Stage 3 heads were done to the same specs as mine. Once again, I do NOT work for PP. As a mater of fact no one works for PP. It isn't even a "buisness". You people act like it is some big buisness, when it is just a guy with a machine shop in his back yard who does head porting on the side. Sometimes I wonder about the heads on my car, but as long as no problems come about, I still attest that the heads are "good" for the money spent. Currently, no heads are being sold until we can find out what some of these problems are. I don't know what else to tell you.