Crack in head

[Tom Walker]

Please have a look at this and advise if this head is unuseable, can I use it as it is, or does it need fixing? This is one of a pair for sale over here.

Cheers, Tom.

[G.M.]

Tom I don't know about over where you are but there are so many heads laying around over here it's not worth the chance of using it. It's hard to see in the picture how far the crack runs. Heads are not worth much due to the cost of shipping. I wouldn't use it as it is. G.M.

[Tom Walker]

Thanks for your advice GM. The problem is that most of the stuff over here is from UK cars, and not much early stuff. So I'm looking for pump-in-head heads, to suit my flat top pistons. At the moment I have domed heads=very low compression which is great for my starter motor, but not much else!!

If you click on the thumbnail, and then the next picture, it comes up quite well, and you can see a couple of cracks, one big one, between water ports, but not into a combustion chamber. So I was thinking there may not be much of an isssue, except water coming up that stud...?

[ford3]

Tom, that crack is so common that ford even had a number for it, its a crack into a bolt hole, you can have it welded and resurfaced if it makes you real nervous, you can see the same type of crack in blocks, ive run many with that problem and had good luck, if it really bothers you put in a block sealer, i use sodium silicate (water glass), if you use water glase FOLLOW DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER, do not let radiator tubes become exposed to air with it in engine,, heat and air is what fixes the crack, drain and flush engine as stated in directions, do not drive car with it in engine, that stuff will seal a crack that you can put the edge of a knife blade in, if it were mine i would just run it but keep an eye on things, running hot or water in the oil

[El Rat]

The problem is water migrating up the stud! If I had to run it I would use aviation Permatex on the stud / block interface and put plenty of RTV between the stud and the bolt hole in the head. Even an "O" ring around the stud and under the head washer. Just saying...

[ford3]

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what ever he wants to do is fine, its not terminal, in the usa guys would just replace the head, but where your at just run what you got

[Karl Wolf]

Originally Posted by ford3

Tom, that crack is so common that ford even had a number for it, its a crack into a bolt hole, you can have it welded and resurfaced if it makes you real nervous, you can see the same type of crack in blocks, ive run many with that problem and had good luck, if it really bothers you put in a block sealer, i use sodium silicate (water glass), if you use water glase FOLLOW DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER, do not let radiator tubes become exposed to air with it in engine,, heat and air is what fixes the crack, drain and flush engine as stated in directions, do not drive car with it in engine, that stuff will seal a crack that you can put the edge of a knife blade in, if it were mine i would just run it but keep an eye on things, running hot or water in the oil

I've seen the blocks crack at the stud holes to water- that's the one that has the Ford part number. And, can be ignored.
I've seen a bunch of these heads, not as many as some- but never one cracked like this...
I would get another head, absolutely. It will cost (a lot) more to do a functional repair than to replace. Cast iron being what it is, a repair would be questionable at best. The blocks break regularly, the heads usually are ok.
Karl

[JWL]

I would want to examine the head more closely before using it. The upper crack would not be troublesome. However, what appears to be a crack about half and inch beside the center stud hole could be a problem. Also, looking inside the water housing it appears to show a crack between the upper and center area?????

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

I've stripped engines with that crack in the heads, the engine had been running fine, probably had that crack for years. Around here we usually just fine another head. But in your case where there scarcer than hens theeth, I think I'd just V out the crack a little and put the JB weld to it then after 24 hours file it smooth, put the Permtex to the studs and torque it down. When in doubt punt. Walt

[Tom Walker]

Thanks gents for all the helpful advice. I clearly dont want to spend much on these in view of the risks involved, but the head may well work ok.

Cheers, Tom.