Cylinder Head Issue....

[LxVert]

Hey everyone,

I had my heads standing up and one head fell over; when the head hit the cement floor it put a chip in the bottom machined surface area. The chip at the widest point is 1/4 inch and starts in the combustion area then extends towards the outside (exhaust side) approximately a 1/4 inch also. I measured the depth of the chip and its 0.07 inches.
Is this going to create problems with compression and correctly sealing?
Is my head done for?

 

[PAzYearazzUP]

That is 0.70" deep extending out from the combustion chamber to the cylinder surface. That will push compression out that galley, burn your head gasket, let alone lose compression is she is junk.

If you weld it, she might warp from the welding. Now you surface it to make sure. So you a have to surface the other head so they lay parallel with the intake manifold. The compression goes up. You might have a hotter running engine or knock more is run premium and now you look at all that machining and welding is you go and pull a junker off some low miler and you might cheap out or break even with the machine/weld money and time it took to run to both places that want or might not want to take on a come-back is a band-aid patch is face it = She is JUNK!

 

[uedlose]

how about some pics. so we can take a look.lay the head gasket on it if it is in the fire ring then it should be fixed. .07 is not much to take off just have the other head milled the same like said.

 

[LxVert]

[/IMG]

I don't have a head gasket to put up against it. I dont believe that shaving down the head would be an option, I just had the heads milled down not to long ago and the machine shop said that they went as far as they could before I would develop ptv issues.

 

[Maryland Stang]

Get it welded, have it milled and then install the head and check for clearence issues. Even if there is an issue you can advance or retard the cam by 2 degrees and fix the issue. It may cost you a couple of HP but it's far cheaper then buying a new head.

 

[uedlose]

if that is just on the edge of the combustion chamber then I would smooth out the sharp edges and run it if it is not in the fire ring I would not worry about it at all

 

[2002BLGT]

Get another head , I wouldnt trust that

 

[2000xp8]

I'm guessing that is an e7 judging by your sig? May not be worth any more time or effort if it is.
I'd just pull the valves and springs out, and get another. Then send them both in to the head shop.

 

[HEADGAMES]

your not going to easily weld that...cast iron has to be brazed not welded. I agree with a previous poster, if it is inside the fire ring then your good, just get rid of the edges, if not...It is repairable, but how much are you going to spend? I would say in the hood of $2-300

 

[LiquidGT]

I could be wrong, but being right by the spark plug could be a problem. Even if it could be welded/brazed it would still drive me nuts, I would have to have the peace of mind. Unless some expert chimes in and says, "Why I've fixed heads like that many a time and ran them down the track.", then maybe I would use it.

It's a common E7, you'll probably come out the same money wise if you can just buy one head than fixing that head.

 

[LxVert]

Alright, thanks for the input everyone.
Seeing as the weather prevents me from driving the car anyways looks like I will just not waste my time with those heads, and save up over the winter for some aluminum heads; maybe afr's or something along those lines.

 

[Airborn406]

I concur with, run um. With the edges removed there would be no hot spots, so if it is a daily driver with a little playing around now and then? won't make any dif.

 

[LxVert]

View attachment 281902

Hey so I found a head gasket around the house and this is what it looks like up against the head.

 

[Foxfan88]

smooth the edges up to get of potential hot spots and it will work fine.

 

[dcurtis]

smooth the edges up to get of potential hot spots and it will work fine.

I second that, it will be fine