Is this head scrap?

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J4BPX
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Is this head scrap?

#1

Post by J4BPX »

Cleaning up a set of 79 heads just in case my the valve seats on my 75 heads are beyond salvage. The left hand cylinder head had quite a lot of calcium deposit under the gasket once I'd cleaned it off and a couple of the cooling channel holes were fairly blocked up. It was almost as if the PO had been using straight tap water in the heads. Where I cleaned off the calcium the heads are pitted and there is also some erosion around the edge of the valve depression. Is this acceptable or is this head scrap and / or could it be salvaged with a skim? Heads seem to be easily available in the US but not in the UK so I am just interested if it is worth saving.
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#2

Post by MSGT-R »

Pin hole corrision is never good. I may be clear through to the water jacket.
The gasket surface must be clean and flat or it won't seal.
You can try a clean-up pass, but if a couple of thousandths won't do it, I would suggest to go find another head.
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#3

Post by Whiskerfish »

The ridge deterioration around the combustion chamber would be a concern. I would take a head gasket and lay it on there to evaluate how much impact that might have on the sealing surface of the gasket.
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backyardbob
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#4

Post by backyardbob »

I had a similar condition on my 77, machined .007 off the surface and it worked out ok.
i finally made it past the junkyard dogs!!
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#5

Post by MSGT-R »

Use a thicker head gasket or a gasket shim if a lot comes off to keep the timing belts from having too much slack.
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#6

Post by robin1731 »

MSGT-R wrote:Use a thicker head gasket or a gasket shim if a lot comes off to keep the timing belts from having too much slack.
I wouldn't worry about that. The tensioners are there for that. But too much and you start getting in to valve to piston clearence issues.
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#7

Post by MSGT-R »

..and that's at least 10 thousandths or more.
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#8

Post by J4BPX »

Sorry. I'm metric - is 10 thousandth equal to .254 mm?
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#9

Post by ericheath »

Yup.
Whatever I suggest here should be given ample time for a moderator to delicately correct. I apologize in advance.
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Re: Is this head scrap?

#10

Post by MSGT-R »

Oops.. sorry about that.
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