Oops
- Thread starter fiddlybits
- Start date
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
Fill the broken area with soft bread. Slather on the jb weld to cover the bread and let set. Once the water enters the head the it will dissolve the bread and the open the passage. 
Joe K
Well-known member
Time for a modest high compression head?
One of the basketcases that came to me had been through a freeze-thaw cycle. Maybe more than one by the look of the cast iron bulge that had lifted from the center top of the cylinder head.
Nothing to lose, I brought it in to the power plant and tried to play a game of tack brazing it down after pushing the lifted portion back into place with a clamp.
It was for naught. Another one of those "chasing the crack around" with a welding torch.
I finally realized that I was wasting the company's gas, and my time, and that $10 at Amherst, NH would buy me a perfectly fine used head.
It went in the scrap bin.
Yunno - someone fished it out of scrap and tried to pick up on it welding where I had left off?
It must be the challenge. Like a thrown gauntlet or something.
Joe K
One of the basketcases that came to me had been through a freeze-thaw cycle. Maybe more than one by the look of the cast iron bulge that had lifted from the center top of the cylinder head.
Nothing to lose, I brought it in to the power plant and tried to play a game of tack brazing it down after pushing the lifted portion back into place with a clamp.
It was for naught. Another one of those "chasing the crack around" with a welding torch.
I finally realized that I was wasting the company's gas, and my time, and that $10 at Amherst, NH would buy me a perfectly fine used head.
It went in the scrap bin.
Yunno - someone fished it out of scrap and tried to pick up on it welding where I had left off?
It must be the challenge. Like a thrown gauntlet or something.
Joe K
BILL WILLIAMSON
Well-known member
Wonder if anyone ever tried machining a block/head, to accept freeze plugs?
Even a simple open hole, with a CORK, might work?? OR, those old thermos stoppers, with a locking lever.
Bill W.
Even a simple open hole, with a CORK, might work?? OR, those old thermos stoppers, with a locking lever.
Bill W.
H. L. Chauvin
Well-known member
I have one that did not make it through a freeze.
Just like ice cubes in an ice tray, the ice expanded upwards & pushed the top center of the head upwards.
At the longitudinal center of head, one side is about 3/16" high.
Rather than discard same, it makes a good device to use to install & extract engines.
Just like ice cubes in an ice tray, the ice expanded upwards & pushed the top center of the head upwards.
At the longitudinal center of head, one side is about 3/16" high.
Rather than discard same, it makes a good device to use to install & extract engines.
gweilbaker
Well-known member
I think the name for freeze plugs is a misnomer, they are to fill holes left from the casting process that were use to empty sand cores. Besides, me being in a freezing climate, I've seen cracked blocks where the freeze plugs are still good.
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
Yep, they should be called core plugs or welch plugs, as they have nothing to do with preventing freeze cracks.
The head pictures also has a lot of flaking rust that works well for plugging up radiators.
Heads like this are good for show and tell cut-a ways.
The head pictures also has a lot of flaking rust that works well for plugging up radiators.
Heads like this are good for show and tell cut-a ways.
Brentwood Bob
Well-known member
It looks to have already cracked and the shiney metal edge is the fresh damage.
Bob
Bob
fiddlybits
Senior Member
This was one of 4 engines I just acquired and have been tearing down. Three loose and one in a rolling chassis.
The first two came apart easily and magna-fluxed out perfect.
This one was the nastiest looking of them so I saved it for "last". (the one in the frame is the "last last" one to go through since I have it running. I assume everyone knows the difference between last and last last. ... it's like being hungry but not being hungry hungry.
)
If you look at the photo, the left side of the hole had an old crack that runs vertical. I noticed the head had about a dozen of those cracks all the way around the head. The broken piece popped out with the first tap on the knife to unseat the head.
To finally get this head off I had to drive a pipe up through cylinders 1 & 4 with a 10lb hammer. It had a death grip on the studs.
The first two came apart easily and magna-fluxed out perfect.
This one was the nastiest looking of them so I saved it for "last". (the one in the frame is the "last last" one to go through since I have it running. I assume everyone knows the difference between last and last last. ... it's like being hungry but not being hungry hungry.
)If you look at the photo, the left side of the hole had an old crack that runs vertical. I noticed the head had about a dozen of those cracks all the way around the head. The broken piece popped out with the first tap on the knife to unseat the head.
To finally get this head off I had to drive a pipe up through cylinders 1 & 4 with a 10lb hammer. It had a death grip on the studs.
fiddlybits
Senior Member
Fill the broken area with soft bread. Slather on the jb weld to cover the bread and let set. Once the water enters the head the it will dissolve the bread and the open the passage.
I like that logic.
BILL WILLIAMSON
Well-known member
The rust flakes are a good reminder to BACKFLUSH your radiator, once or twice a year! They are ALWAYS there & WILL inevitably end up stuck in the top of the radiator tubes!
Bill W.
d.j. moordigian
Well-known member
Bob's correct on that call. Antifreeze could have prevented this...
fiddlybits
Senior Member
Fullraceflathead
Well-known member
Keep it up Fella's and you'll void your Warranty!