Whats the best way to ship heads?

I have a pair or heads (Pontiac) that I need to ship.

I am looking for advice on who to use, who to avoid and any tips that will help get them there for a reasonable price.

Thanks.
Carmak

 

This guy has the answer

 

Lots of bubble wrap and take them to FedEx.......best by my experience.....

CB

 

I've used Greyhound, station to station.

 

Go to your local machine shop and see if they've got a pair of boxes that they recieved new heads in and use them, they're very stout.

 

bolt them to a piece of wood
then put them in a box
tk

 

I cut a piece of 3/4 plywood slightly larger than the face where the head bolts to the engine. I bolted the head to the plywood. Next I built a box by adding sides with 1X4's and a 3/4 plywood top. You could have run over the box with a forklift without damaging it. After that it was off to UPS.

Charlie Stephens

 

yah id make a wooden box

 

Ditto on using wood to at least protect the face of the heads!

 

I was thinking the wooden box already.

Are any of the shippers better and/or cheaper when shipping really heavy things (they weigh 60lbs each).

Carmak

 

Go on line and go to the different websites of your shippers, Fed Ex, UPS, And Grayhound ground. Enter the weights, dimensions, shipping from & to. It should tell you what the cost would be. Grayhound does not take over 100 lbs.. I prefer Fed Ex, and yes use plenty of bubble wrap, and if possible double box it. That way if it comes through the first box, it should still be ok. Use heavy duty boxes, not some flimsy crap. Good luck

 

Heads are not really heavy things in the shipping world. Only you know where you are shipping from/too, the weight, and the dimensions so you should call all the usual shippers and get quotes. It's really pretty simple, and well within the grasp of the average person with a phone and a computer.

 

bubble wrap? may as well pop all the bubbles before you pack it because they will be popped by the time it gets there.

 

I took a set of BBC heads, wrapped them in a garbage bag, stuffed them in a tube (forget the name) that you would pour cement into to make a pillar, cut some plywood end caps, drilled a couple holes and spayed insulation foam into it......................... one tube per head........................

 

Wrap the heads in cardboard place them in a large cooler and fill it full of packing peanuts tape it shut.

Done this many times with aircraft parts works great!

 

Calling shippers won't tell me who does a good job and who to avoid.

 

Only a thought, have you tried listing your shipment on Uship.com
Ive used them once for a diff which worked out well.
As long as you have time seems you can get out of shipping cheaper.

 

I like the cooler idea !!

 

Never heard of them. I'll check them out.

Thanks.
Carmak

 

I ship heads often,the way I do it I get nothing but compliments. UPS can and will break a cast iron head.

Go get (2) 24x12x12 boxes.

Then go to Menards/Home Depot and get a 4'x8' sheet of 3/4" or 1" polystyrene (styrofoam) insulation.

Cut the insulation into sizes to line the insides of the boxes. Place one head into each lined box,make up for any difference with padding/bubble wrap. Then place one more cut-to-fit piece of insulation on the top,and seal the box up.

I have had zero problems doing it this way for several years.

 

Get some aluminum head boxes like the others mentioned..

That's how my Pontiac 670 heads were shipped to me from Florida and that's what I used to ship them to California...

 

I will say FedEx