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Cracked head

S

steve from staten island

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Sure enough i pressure checked the cooling system and the drivers side head right below the middle exhaust port is cracked. Heads were just done. I just sold a set of heads so now what? Could i pick up one head,use my valves? This head had hardened seat installed also. I really am at a loss. I dont want a repeat of this so what should i do? Thanks
 
What happened was this. The heads are off the engine that was in the car when i bought it,its a 69 block but i used a rebuilt short block i bought from a guy at work. It is a 70 HP block. The heads were rebuilt by a local rebuilder who has a very good rep. I had hardened seats installed,guides springs and it cost me around 700. Now im kind of having my back up against the wall as i dont know what the rebuilder will or can do for me. Im at the point that i dont want to have issues when i drop the motor in and i might just let someone re do the whole motor as i put it together. I was thinking of using a shop that i used years ago and has a good reputation. I would let him put the motor together and put it on his test stand and run it.In the situation im in now i can't be fooling around. I want to drop the engine in hook it up and turn the key with no drama
 
If it would help, I could make a good deal to you on a nice set of 452 heads with a fresh valve job. Not quite sure how to ship heads. Never done that.
 
Did water go into cylinder? Are you sure it's a crack? Is it possibly the exhaust manifold bolts that enter water jacket? If it is cracked have the crack studded and welded with Arc rod heated to 300 F then use it.
 
If the head is cracked.....why didn't the machinist that was working on them find it BEFORE doing the machine work????
 
Cranky said:
If the head is cracked.....why didn't the machinist that was working on them find it BEFORE doing the machine work????
Click to expand...
Im sitting here wondering this myself.

- - - Updated - - -

WileERobby said:
You probably have 906 heads. They were rebuilt without magnafluxing ?
Click to expand...

I have a lone 906 sitting on the shelf. Looking for a good home
 
Yeah well i guess thats why my asshole is hurting. Did he check them or not? For the money i paid and the time he took to do them id expect he did check them. Could i have f----d up when i installed the head or the exhaust manifold? Now what i did was put 10 to 15 lbs air pressure into the engine and i heard the leak and i sprayed the area and obviously there is a crack. Im going out there soon with a good flash light to see if i can see the crack. Im so f-ing pissed off i want to fire up the welder,vee out the crack and weld it with 3/32,,7018 without taking the head off!!!.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just looked real close,its a hair line crack just above bolt boss's by exhaust ports. What i forgot to tell you is these heads came off a running engine. It did not run long but it ran and i had a radiator pressure checker on it and i had 12 to 15 psi on system and there was no anti freeze to be seen leaking. Certaintly not were the crack is now. I guess **** just does happen and thanks for the help---steve
 
Found a crack in the 413 block I wanted to build. Must be the week for cracks, really sucks bro!
 
Silly question...can't you bring the cracked head to the rebuilder and tell/show him the crack? My thinking is he'd either say you didn't pay or ask for it to be magnafluxed or he'd man up and offer to help solve the problem. The last scenario is a realistic representation of normal way of doing business. I'd like to think people are human and will do the right thing but honestly I can say the chances of that happening is 50-50. I've been burned by jerks a few times and it pisses me off just thinking about it. Good luck....
 
If you can hear 15psi, that crack should have been caught by the Machinist. my machinist pressure tests all heads before he starts work, and again after all is done.
 
If is the usually the very first thing they do before they do anything. They don't want you waste you money or their time.
 
I will talk to the machinist Monday mourning. He is a nice man and has a good reputation plus my buddy is very friendly with him. I don't know that he didn't check the head for cracks and i would think that doing so would be standard procedure. It is entirely posible the head developed that crack when it was torqued down. Whose to say and what matters now is either i get the head fixed or get another one
 
Sometimes things just happen. Maybe it was cracked, maybe not. Maybe it cracked when you torqued it. Maybe not. You are talking about 45 year old iron. How many heat cycles in 45 years? How many times did granny run it without coolant in 1973?

Believe me, I understand and feel your pain. Been there. As far as magnafluxing, I have never heard of a machine shop doing it without being paid to do it. Some include it in their valve job pricing, but it definitely costs. Maybe Colorado machine shops have been ripping me off for 35 years? LOL, nope.

I have some 906 heads I don't need. Original, never been apart off of 1969 440. But shipping to New York would be a little steep. Let me know if you are interested.

And best of luck! And do not weld it in place!
 
Well im always looking for a excuse to go out to Colorado!!!! My cousin lives in Erie,we went out there in July and we drove to Vail. Such a beautiful place. As far as the head crack,i agree with you but from now on ever head will get checked
 
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