It's not unheard of to end up with tight guides on rebuilt heads. Some machinists are too _____ lazy and never check this stuff. Same with cleaning oil passages etc. They'll charge you for it, but did they really do it?
My brother ported a set of Pro Comp(?) heads for a small block Mopar a few months back and several of the guides were so tight there was no way the oil would ever be able to get in there and do it's job. People get angry when they find out their new parts need work, but it is what it is.
But that's just it. These weren't new as in "fresh rebuilt"/ these were new as in BRAND new, never having been previously bolted to an engine-- ever--- when I took them out of the box, and bolted them on.
On the bronze guides I have heard that that brings up it's own potential set of issues. But yeah I've had heads redone that way before too.
