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Post Info TOPIC: Cylinder head cracks


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Cylinder head cracks


I recently collected my engine block and cylinder head from the company who made a superb job of cleaning them using their rust and grease busting dipping process.

Typically for a TR engine, there are issues to address. It would seem exhaust valve seats have been fitted but there are visible cracks on three of the combustion chambers between the inlet/exhaust seat faces.

And of course the two coolant holes between 2 and 3 have cracked and began merging. 

Anyone had similar issues with their engine? 

Will inlet seat inserts solve the cracks on the seat faces?

Can the crack between 2&3 be left or enlarged?

Until it's measured, I have no idea if the head has ever been skimmed, but given the crank is 30thou under, it likely has.

I've read up on the available info online, which proves sketchy and largely inconclusive.

Your thoughts appreciated.

All the best, Gary



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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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It's new cylinder head time Gary!

You might get away with the water jacket, but the valve seat crack is probably terminal.

I know it's possible to patch/coldstitch cast Iron, but that's for irreplaceable museum pieces.
This reinforces why the spares fund was, and still is, such a good idea.

 

Frank from Felixstowe



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If it can be done, that sort of work can't cost more than a recon head, surely? £1000 plus VAT or a new head for nigh on £2k.

I'm having a Duratec moment, it may last some time. I apologise in advance for what I may fit instead



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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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HERESY! Burn the Witch!



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Did I mention the 6-speed gearbox?



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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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I thought the Ali heads were only about £650?



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Gary S wrote:

Did I mention the 6-speed gearbox?


 You're only making things worse for yourself (Life of Brian)  smilesmilesmile



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Please don't do it Gary.......

 

The car will lose inherent value and it'll be a pain to insure.

and a lot more power/torque causes problems elsewhere (ask Celia)

Usable S/H heads are around, you don't have to spend £1500

If all else fails, useful contact, Walter Petchey (from the Essex group)

and

Why do you want a 6-speed box when you already have 7?

F



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Why don't we threaten to cancel our subscriptions to Classics Monthly? That'll reduce their circulation by............7 or 8????

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New cylinder head £1500 from Moss, Rimmers and other suppliers. Alloy heads sell a kidney. I've already spent £1400 on the internals.

That's the reality. I'll investigate the repair option before auctioning any vital organs.

On the plus side, the cylinder head is a late TR4 511695 head and is worth repairing if at all possible, shame it's been so neglected over the years.

Frank 7 speeds, quite right.

mikerf 7 or 8. Too generous, sir!

Nigel C £650? You found that other planet before the scientists did...

biggrinbiggrinbiggrin



-- Edited by Gary S on Friday 28th of March 2014 02:30:33 AM

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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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Could this:-

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-TR4-tr4A-engine-for-rebuild-with-SU-carburettors-manifolds-pumps-etc-/151191380981


be of interest, Gary?

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Thanks mikerf, I saw that engine too. I want to keep my engine and chassis numbers together, assuming the engine is original. The trouble with the heads is that 50 per cent are cracked anyway so it would still be a case of buying the unknown and potentially finding the same problem. I've spoken to a company who are looking at the head next week and they also put me onto another company who have a special technique for sealing the casting. Fascinating stuff.



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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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Cylinder head now with an engine specialist to undergo various checks. Fingers crossed.



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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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Report back from the engineering firm: the head is not cracked nor is it leaking. The hairline cracks are heat related. The fitted exhaust valve seats are cast iron.

In short, it should repair with their TLC! Fingers crossed!



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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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I'm amazed Gary, I (and most folk I know) would have written this one off, and been £1500 poorer as a result.

Perhaps you could tell us who these chaps are that can recover heads in this condition....

I also find these useful
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/test-measurement/workshop-inspection-accessories/leak-flaw-detector-sprays/

I keep a set of aerosols in the shed for when I'm working with critical components like cranks or front suspension uprights.

Essentially you clean the component, spray the penetrating dye, clean it again, and then spray the detector.
Any dye left in the crack quickly shows in the white detector.  Somebody used to make a mini-aerosol version
that was dead handy for taking to auto jumbles.

Frank from Felixstowe



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that's a clever little product, nice one.

Gary, do you think these guys could weld/plug a head that's been to heavily worked on and a port has been bridged?



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Tell me more Nigel, and I'll ask. I visited them again this morning to drop off the very tired valves and they talked me through how they will approach the repair if I want to proceed. I was absorbed listening to and seeing their expertise.

I'll reveal all once I know how/when the repair will progress.

 



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Rust Never Sleeps - Cavity Wax and Valium Should Do It


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if there any good we could get FJ fixed as well!



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OUCH!!

I wonder what his muffler would sound like then???

 

Kent



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Kent Too much iron, too little time
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