Me and the cossie head are in crisis talks, anyone with input please contribute

**DarrenH** · 01-02-2002 06:58

I just got in from the garage, i took the remaining valves out, then the stem seals, then got my dremmel out to polish up the ports. Fate would have it that i ended up working the ports of the "impact" zone last. There appeared to be a black steak that wouldn't polish off, so i washed the port through with carb cleaner and its a massive crack in the wall of the inlet tunnel. There is infact two cracks, down the drivers side of ports 3+4. The crack starts slightly after the valve seat and are about 2 inches long each, both finishing about an inch from the inlet port opening.

**Gary** · 01-02-2002 08:14

buggrit.. what the hell did you do that engine ? no bent valves but evidence of an elephant stamping on it

I guess you need to find out whether it's repairable - a company like headway or some such ? - but would you trust a repair.... ?

methinks you need to start looking for another head.

but at least you got a practice one now eh ?

**MikeWarner** · 01-02-2002 08:24

I just spoke to Dave Franczak, he has a spare head. He will sell it to you fully reconditioned and porous proofed for a very good price. Although Dave did say it would be worth looking into saving yours first.

Email him as he does ot use the forums everyday. His address is notnormal.mk1@btinternet.com

**Haynzee** · 01-02-2002 08:50

Hmm me got head but needs new cam bearings 'lapping' in by SBD. Steve said he'd do it, but it didnt sound cheap..

If yer desperate baby, PM me, cos im trying to sell the engine whole, but would break it if need be.

**Joekont** · 01-02-2002 08:53

My condolences oddball.
I thought you'd got away with it but I guess not.

**Cemesis** · 01-02-2002 09:02

Your head was repaired previously, is it possible that this damage is from back then?

**Gary** · 01-02-2002 09:07

*boomph*.. jumps in with docs and mercilessly hijacks thread[

hanyzee what's the deal with the new cam bearings then ?, how's it done - I got a rough idea but do tell

**Trevor** · 01-02-2002 10:07

I presume the cracks are inside the inlet port, not on the face of the head?

So if the cracks are new, they only happened when you went through the water, how did so much dirt get into them so quickly? Could it be they are not new at all?

Also are you sure that it is a crack, not just a casting flaw?

**MikeWarner** · 01-02-2002 10:53

I have a casting flaw where the port spitts into two on port4. This isn't really anything to worry about, but it does look like a crack.

**Animal** · 01-02-2002 11:02

blimey!

so that's where all the damage was done... i thought you'd got away very lightly considering it's jumped 6 teeth.

I'm not sure i'd trust a head that's been repaired, especially as you'll be stressing it more as you'll be revving higher.

haynzee's got a head with no camshaft caps. to move yours across, you need to lap em in using valve grinding paste, and selecting the best fiting caps from your old head. at least, that's what i've heard from SBD.

**DVAndrews** · 01-02-2002 11:44

Lapping in the cams with paste isnt that difficult to do, just time consuming, you just linish the base of the caps a little and use a brace and bit on the end of the cam (with a suitably placed bolt locked into the thread), I've done it a couple of times on K and Cos heads, you might start with valve grinding paste but finish with a 400 grit polishing paste, you'll need to use an old sacrificial cam too.

The cracks can likely be repaired, the inlet side of the head is continually cooled by incoming air so it takes a lot less stick than the exhaust port, if you want to re-use the head there are plenty of good TIG welders who can repair it, follow this up with an ultraseal dip and it will be as good as new.

If you are going to scrap the head, wave it at me, if it cant be repaired it will be useful to section , then you can find where the fresh air is when porting.

If you're not sure if the damage is a crack then a crack developer kit can easily find out, its a spray on compound that leeches into the crack, you clean off the excess and then spray on the developer, any compound left in the crack will show up like a dogs b***.

Dave

**DarrenH** · 01-02-2002 11:54

Originally posted by Trevor
So if the cracks are new, they only happened when you went through the water, how did so much dirt get into them so quickly? Could it be they are not new at all?

Also are you sure that it is a crack, not just a casting flaw?

The crack only went black because i was grinding the surface and it then filled the crack. It cant be a csting fault cause its in both the ports the battery end of teh head (3+4) which match with damage to pistons 3+4 and the lips of inlet valves 5 through 8.

the cracks are only on the inside of the ports yes, cannot be seen externally

Originally posted by MikeWarner
I just spoke to Dave Franczak, he has a spare head. He will sell it to you fully reconditioned and porous proofed for a very good price. Although Dave did say it would be worth looking into saving yours first.

Email him as he does ot use the forums everyday. His address is notnormal.mk1@btinternet.com

I emailed him right after this thread this morning, no reply as yet

Originally posted by Cemesis
Your head was repaired previously, is it possible that this damage is from back then?

Nope, this is the first time since the cars birth that the head has been off.

Originally posted by Gary
buggrit.. what the hell did you do that engine ? no bent valves but evidence of an elephant stamping on it

I guess you need to find out whether it's repairable - a company like headway or some such ? - but would you trust a repair.... ?

methinks you need to start looking for another head.

but at least you got a practice one now eh ?

Gonna ring Bill Blydenthingy later, he does repairs. It is kinda confusing why the head has cracked rather than the guides or valves, i agree.

**DarrenH** · 01-02-2002 12:16

The pic isnt my inlet, Gary P astrasylum©

Ive drawn the white lines on, as you may have noticed

I also just went for another reccy, and these marks are noticeable on all the inboard ports, i.e both sides of ports 2+3, and on the sides nearest the centre of the head on ports 1+4. But, the marks are quite savage on 3+4 (the impact zone)

My hearts telling me Mike W is right about the casting faults, but my heads telling me the force has opened them out.

**Cemesis** · 01-02-2002 12:20

I thought your head was repaired once before. Alloy welded by someone, I remember because I didn't think you could weld alloy at the time.

Am I loosing my mind?

**DVAndrews** · 01-02-2002 12:36

I cant see why any head would crack there, although I'd conced that its possible, it looks more like mold lines to me which are quite common.. I've seen a lot of head that have been under duress, you'd normally expect a thermallly related crack near the seat, if its been caused by hydraulic lock then there would be other collateral damage.

bring the head up and lets have a look at it...

Dave

**Animal** · 01-02-2002 12:41

i had some serious casting marks on my head in that area.

cemesis, you're thinking about his sump.

**Cemesis** · 01-02-2002 12:57

Ah, OK.

Do you have a digital camera 0ddball? I assume not.

**Gary** · 01-02-2002 13:45

that's exact same area where the casting marks are XE heads - sounds like if they are cracks then it's come apart in the places where the build processes occur..

are you sure it's not just a line of pits ? - unless Lisa Riley has got intimate with your engine at some point that's some seriously goofy damage to occur.

**NAZ** · 01-02-2002 13:54

Who's Lisa Riley eh Gary?

**NotNormal** · 01-02-2002 14:03

FAO: Oddball

Sorry, I won't get the mail till tonight cos I can't access my mail account from work. Mr W has mention though.

From the picture shown as Gary said, thats exactly where the casting marks are. The top and bottom parts of the original mould join here and thats why you see the lines. My guess is your head is OK. There is no other way the head will crack in this area without some sort of external 'whack'.

You can even see on the photo shown the join line right on the edge of the inlet port on the left hand side. From here it goes all the way down pretty much to the valve seats.

Looks like your wallet is gonna be safe this time !! Carry on playing and you'll be fine.

**Gary** · 01-02-2002 14:42

that beeeeg woman who fronts you've been framed..

- she is exactly one standard metric 'porker' I believe, and likely to crack your cylinder head clean in half

**DarrenH** · 01-02-2002 16:04

thanks you guys, your help has been very much appreciated. As for my wallet being safe, if only you knew how much i'm about to spend tommrow on a little black box and some aircraft grade wiring.

You can imagine my head last night, firstly trippin out on a can of carb cleaner and carbon dust, then my subconscious saying look for damage look for damage, then uncovering what apeared to be dirty great cracks. Theres was a moment of "i didnt see that", followed by a moment of maybe i could fleece someone by using it as an exchange head, and then a feeling like my cat had died. Not my hallowed cossie head

as for lisa riley she used to play mandy dingle on emmercrap farm.

**Gary** · 01-02-2002 21:49

goodo..

it was the dust from the valves and head trippin you out is all

watchout for spiny norman

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Me and the cossie head are in crisis talks, anyone with input please contribute

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