attaboy for decent folks and a ?????

Anonymous-0 · Sep 10, 2011

hey,
there are still decent folks around I guess....Neighbor kid is "building?" a tractor for me and after all new low end stuff found a head problem. Put a request on a local forum and found one/had it in a couple days. Couple parts missing and the original seller had him new replacements the next day.... All together and the head had a freeze crack (??) and no compression on one cylinder. Contacted seller and will have a reworked/checked head with gasket on monday. No ??? about extra payment (seller said he shoulda checked the 1st one better).

Don't find that often.....

Now the ??, if a head has a crack (possibly unseen), is it repairable (and cost effective)?

Just wondering.

Dave

CWL · Sep 10, 2011

Yes many times cast can be effectivly welded if the right equipment and skill is available. I have read about rare cast iron heads being gas welded with cast iron filler material. The entire head has to be heated and cooled at a controlled rate. Probably not cost effective though.

elmersooner · Sep 10, 2011

yes there are still good people that are honest out there. glad to see it when it happens. and CWL is right about fixing cracks in heads, fellow near here used to restore old packards, hudsons, and other older rare cars---he used to send them to a guy in california that would weld them up while heating them up----not cheap, unless you are working on rolls royce from the 30's...then pretty cheap, since you won't find the head sitting on any parts store shelf.

HenryO · Sep 10, 2011

There is an epoxy that can be used for blocks and heads. Costs $100 a quart. Several members of our tractor club have used it with good results. Cant remember the name(senior moment) but can get it if you are interested. Seems to last forever. Henry

LeonardWD45 · Sep 10, 2011

Dave2, if you can find some stuff called "water
glass" you can use it. A mechanic friend swore by
it for cracked blocks that weren"t cracked bad
enough to replace.

Leonard

Anonymous-0 · Sep 10, 2011

If you can find the crack, and it is in a weldable spot, you can have a good welder heat the block, and weld it with nickel rod, or tig weld it, I have seen a good tig welder weld an old glass coke bottle, to an aluminum engine block!

TWheat · Sep 10, 2011

This was YEARS ago , (but I would say there are good enough welders around) the head on my Farmall M was cracked, took it to a machine shop, guy said I can weld it , but can't quarantee it, I said what are the chances it will hold,he said I welded dozens of tank engine heads in Africa during the War and never had one fail. It is still running with that welded head.

showcrop · Sep 10, 2011

I don't think that I have seen anything of him in a year or so but there has been a poster here who it appears has a business specializing in cast repair. 18 months or so ago he posted pictures of some of his handiwork. It appeared to me to be very good.

attaboy for decent folks and a ?????

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

CWL

Member

elmersooner

Member

HenryO

Member

LeonardWD45

Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

TWheat

Member

showcrop

Well-known Member

Similar threads