So here I am with the 455 HO short block assembled and about to bolt on the heads. I pick them up to bolt on the engine and sand falls out. YES, SAND! The heads were brought to what I thought was a reputable engine shop in Union, NJ to be disassembled and inspected, cleaned and reassembled. Well it turns out the IDIOT I brought them to dissassembled them, found out the recent valve job on them was fine, installed a new set of seals, reassembled them and then PUT THEM IN THE SANDBLAST CABINET AND BLASTED THE PAINT OFF.
He then took them out and shook them off and gave them back to me when I picked them up a week later (about a month ago).
As a result, I just spent the entire weekend disassembling these heads and pressure washing them til my hands pruned up, in order to get every last piece of carbide grit out of the heads, springs, guides, etc. I called the IDIOT this morning and asked him what why on Earth would he do that and he responded that he didn't want to give me the heads back with all the old paint on them. I'm flaberghasted on the phone that this guy has no clue what he has done is beyond insane. I tried to explain that just one grain of sand could wipe out an engine and he responds that he thought he got all the sand out because he ran the heads through the vibrator after he blasted them. I asked how he expected to get the sand out of the areas that still were oily and he said he didn't think that would have been a problem.
I mentioned the whole episode to my mechanic buddy who recommended this guy and he was speechless. All we can think is that the guy maybe has had a stroke or is in the early stages of Alzheimers (I'm serious here). The speedshop guy has been in business for 40 years.