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Original Message
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| RE: dove |
| By Gregory Westphall - 09/17/2003 7:46:05 AM; IP 12.158.13.35 |
I sense a bit of sarcasm with regard to this guy (Dove). What is the story? The first time I learned of Dove parts was at a Columbus Swap meet at least 10 years ago. I picked up one of his catalogs. I remember it offering a very large variety of cylinder heads and even a SOHC kit. Since that time I have not heard really anything that would cause me to run out and get a set but I also haven't heard anything that would cause me to run the other way. I opted for a set of Edelbrock heads and RPM intake when the time came because of the article I read in Super Ford Magazine. I think Kuntz was building up an FE with Edelbrock heads. According to the article, he stated he would rather do extensive porting to the Edelbrock heads than deal with the porosity problems associated with the Dove heads. It sounded like the Dove heads were better performers but not worth the extra effort. I figured Edelbrock had the most experience in this arena. Well, the heads showed up on my doorstep with a load of shot blasting material in every nook and cranny. I had to disassemble them and thoroughly clean them. The oil drainback holes were about 90% blocked by the intake manifold gaskets and the valve guide seal didn't last at all. I ended up calling their customer service depatment and got a hold of one of their quality engineers. They were very apologetic and took the heads back. They did not give me another set though. They put a new set of improved guides and seals in them and dressed the valve seats no charge. I would have preferred a new set obviously. Upon reinstallation, I made sure I trimmed the intake manifold gasket slightly to allow the oil to drain back more freely in from the heads. Since reinstallation I have been pleased with the performance of the heads although I do not think they have perform any better than my stock CJ heads. I no longer suck oil down the guides and my valve covers do not fill up with it anymore either. Their customer service met expectation but did not exceed it.
All I am saying here is that it would appear that there can be problems with anybody's products. The buyer must beware and make sure they understand the return/exchange policy of the company they are buying from. The internet is a very powerful tool that cuts both ways. If someone has a beef they can really do some damage to a person's professional reputation.
I would like to learn more about Dove Performance from people who have actually purchased their products and used them on something more than a trailer queen. If soemone out there has some first hand legit info, good or bad, I would certainly like to hear it. Also, it would be good to hear what sort of customer service they offer. At the end of the day this can mean the difference between who you buy from. Edelbrock made a mistake, but they had the resources to fix it and not hurt their bottom line. Smaller companies do not have the luxury of large customer service budgets. |
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