8BA Cracked Head F-1

Ken Crans

Ken Crans

Well-known member
Feeling bummed out... took out truck yesterday started up sounds awesome after rebuild, no leaks started warming up and noticed it bleeding green from the area in pic about an inch from head bolt and kiddy corner from the the stamped A. Pretty pissed ... didnt leak before rebuild.i know rebuilder pretty well, i also know all he did was boil the heads and i didnt have him magnaflux.Ever seen sucha thing?? My cousin said he has, Big time Flathead guru.The porosity in the casting looks to be eroded Lucky he has another set of heads for me,now i have to tear into this AGAIN!! This truck is nickel and dimeing me!!
 

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Not to uncommon and they often check out just fine until you torque them down and run them.
Had to replace a 59AB head on a build earlier this summer.
And if the builder is good or bad is more depending on how he handles the issue...issues arise no matter how careful you are...taking care of them is what matters.
 
I have to get back onto getting mine running after 2 years of sitting. Have to put in a new Fuel tank and lines. Get all that Red Kote BS out of everything. I hate re-doing stuff over again. I know I'm going to have stuck valves again. I'm getting tired of it and this may be the last time before I sell the truck. It's been a money pit, same thing, nickle and diming me to death.
 
Bummer, but you do have other heads available and it is a relatively easy fix. I don't want to even think about all the "nickel's and dimes" that have been put into my truck. I assure you the tally sheets grow dim when your cruising down the road or stop for gas and folks start talking about your baby.
Hang in there and enjoy the adventure. We are all in the same boat.
 
Hang in there. We've all been through it. Part of the charm of this hobby. Only way around it is maybe buy a new Toyota Prius? Nah! After it's all said and done it sure is enjoyable to cruise down the road listening to the old flathead purr and seeing the thumbs up from other drivers.
 
Ken Crans said:
Feeling bummed out... now i have to tear into this AGAIN!!
Click to expand...

I feel 'ya Ken. I'm just doing a lot of tinkering these last two months, but it seems like each part or item I'm working on. I have it on and off, or whatever, about four times before I get it where it passes quality-control!

Oh wait, there was that fuse I only had to put in once. :)

You haven't been following Lawson's horn situation have you?

If it makes you feel any better, that sure is a pretty engine!
 
The time they sit still is part of the problem. Once the bugs are worked out they are all pretty dependable. I used to enjoy driving the older stuff, no way could I afford new. Maintenance keeps me out of trouble, keeps me out of trouble thinking I need something else. They need AA type meetings for Fordaholics If you get rid of it you will fall off the wagon.
 
My cousin doesn't want to sell his 8BA heads Ill see what Glenn has, Alan, driver side only want to change both to match. Thanks fellas! I keep telling myself..Ken..? This is only a hobby!
 
A friend had the same problem. He sanded the paint off the leaking area and found a barely visible crack. He ground a slight V in the crack and filled with JB Weld. Let it set overnight the sanded smooth and painted back over. Hadn't leaked since and he never even removed a plug wire, but that is a patch and may not be a permanent fix?
 
Ken, dont you believe the stuff about porous castings,after our dragster buggered a few heads we used cast iron truck heads for a season,they are very nice , we cut one in half to look at the inside and the casting is so uniform and smooth,even inside the water passages.
Lawrie
 
Just as a fyi, I believe that the diameter of the combustion chamber over the piston is
3 3/16", originally, same as the stock bore. (99, 59AB, 8BA).

As a head is resurfaced, this gets smaller.

Measuring the diameter of a replacement head may give an indication of how much the old head was surfaced, in relation to the replacement head.
Which may or may not be a concern.

Karl
 
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