Really confused by the vastly different prices of used cylinder heads...

[Immortality]

The casting is very thin in that area and will crack right through to the coolant. so yeah, potentially a big issue.

I'm told later model heads have a revised casting that is slightly better but that area is very thin.

 

[vxcalais_01]

I've been looking online at used cylinder heads for a VX. I have seen prices from under $70 each to $290 each, for what seems to be the same part. Not new, not reco'd, just straight off the engine, no associated parts, V6 Ecotec.

View attachment 266018 $350 / pair
View attachment 266020$290 / each

View attachment 266021 $65 / pair


What am I missing here? What would you happily pay for a pair of cylinder heads as described above, in working condition?

I paid $200 for a set about 3+ months ago pick up in Geelong. They were in good nick as well. Need to check for cracks between the ports otherwise they are good heads. When I was looking, wreckers wanted $200 per head and it was cheaper to buy a whole engine in the end but I didnt have room for it at the time. The problem with the Ecotec is the Turbo boost craze is going hard with em and there is a demand for them now.

 

[vxcalais_01]

The casting is very thin in that area and will crack right through to the coolant. so yeah, potentially a big issue.

I'm told later model heads have a revised casting that is slightly better but that area is very thin.

The same casting which causes dramas running the higher ratio rockers ? Something was definitely different from VY on.

 

[RiffRaffMama]

I paid $200 for a set about 3+ months ago pick up in Geelong. They were in good nick as well. Need to check for cracks between the ports otherwise they are good heads. When I was looking, wreckers wanted $200 per head and it was cheaper to buy a whole engine in the end but I didnt have room for it at the time. The problem with the Ecotec is the Turbo boost craze is going hard with em and there is a demand for them now.

Thank you. This is what I needed - real, recent man-on-the-street experience. So you're saying whole Ecotec engines are in demand?

 

[vxcalais_01]

Thank you. This is what I needed - real, recent man-on-the-street experience. So you're saying whole Ecotec engines are in demand?

Yes because they are still relatively cheap compared to LS1 and Super6. Look and how many engines the guys building them are going through. They at times have 2 or 3 on the go. Its all to do with them being easy to Turbo and holding up to decent boost....stock.

Quick scan - Ebay = $750 whole motor.........................Wreckers = $1,469.06 (on special and claims to be below $150,000 from a Later VY).

Joint in Ballarat has em for $600.

 

[Immortality]

The same casting which causes dramas running the higher ratio rockers ? Something was definitely different from VY on.

No, that is a different issue. Poor cast maintenance leaving large casting flashes in the push rod holes is the issue with the VY motors.

 

[gtrboyy]

Obviously they sell for whatever people are willing to pay...just like v8 efi heads.

Tbh I wouldn't being paying much if prone to core shift & cracking.

 

[vc commodore]

That's what I always say to my husband when he says "such-and-such is $200 on ebay" - just because they're asking $200 doesn't mean they're getting that.
A friend loaned us his VX years ago when I didn't have a car and he'd lost his licence for 6 months. Naturally, the engine died while I was driving it. I've just remembered that now, and it's got me thinking - it wasn't my fault the engine died, but we split the cost of a replacement used engine and my husband installed it. That engine is still going strong years later. It cost $500 for the whole engine. So how can someone expect to get close to the value of an entire engine for just two parts from it?? It's got me stuffed.

People are trying on they don't make them, or getting hard to get or any other B/S story people will fall for...

Smart people, like yourself don't fall for such B/S stories and use their smarts and buy that way