[502ben]

I have a set of rec. port BBC heads and one dropped a valve. The chamber is beat and has a hole that needs welding. I can get this done by a friend for free but wanted to know if there's anything special I should do? Like strip the whole casting and warmit up in the bbq? I've done that 25 yrs. ago with cast air seeder shovels and it worked good. I'll get it magged first to make sure its worth it or not. And before you ask I'm just saving it cause they are a ported set of 990's. I'll try to get some pics later.

[vinniekq2]

There are professional shops that weld heads. The person doing the welding is either qualified or not.If the heads are worth saving then save them,good luck.

[502ben]

I'm not worried about the the guy doing it. But at his shop they don't do alot of heads. It's more farm and oilfield stuff but they said its no problem to weld cast. Just thought I'd ask if there's anything else to pass along.

[hcompton]

Originally Posted by vinniekq2

There are professional shops that weld heads. The person doing the welding is either qualified or not.If the heads are worth saving then save them,good luck.

Got to agree here. You need someone that has done a lot of heads.

You said it was broke in the combustion chamber?

I ask because its a hard place to weld i am not even sure welding the head like that is possible but i have also not seen the head. If it was not it a high heat area on the other side of the water jacket i would thing yeah go ahead and get any good welder that has experience with cast to weld it up.

But soft weld rod will fill in nice and fix about any hole. Put the patch under a load and it will take hundreds of psi if done correctly. Now put that same load at 600 degrees and its like filling the hole with silly putty. It wil just blow right out even after extreame pressure testing at normal temps.

Also be sure its clean i think you need to do some speacial cleaning process with cast thats oil soaked. Or the oil trapped in the pores pf the metal will make a terrible weld by introducing carbon and oxyegen to your welds.

Box it up and send it to a PRO someone that does heads all day long for mega dollar deisel equipment engines. It will be money well spent. Also have it fully tested for other cracks before you put it in the box. Any other damage is surely the end of this heads life.

Oh PLEASE post some pix. Its always nice to see first hand what the issue is.

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

Yes, post some pics.

I heat heads and blocks in my industrial oven that I bake blocks to clean in. Just turn the heat up. Get the part to correct temp. Then weld right in the oven. Re-heat and slowly cool and shot peen. Used to do lots of Buicks this way.

I have also drilled a round hole in the quench area where the head of a valve broke it. Filled the spot with a cast iron pipe plug. Welded it up and milled it flat. Still out there running.

I have a set of 990's on one of my vehicles that were free. They were on a boat motor that wasn't correctly winterized.

Cracked along the valve cover rail on both sides. Heated in oven, welded hot with soft MIG wire. Then pressure checked/milled flat. They work great now.

[502ben]

It's more on the quench side. And I do like the plug idea.

[hcompton]

Unless it has small valve seats which it does not appear too. That head is junk. Look closly at the valve seats notice the space around the seat. You will not be able to cut the seat out and install a new one since the hole is larger than the seat. And the two seats are very close together already.

Save your money. Yes maybe someone could fix it but would require both seats the be removed welded up as well then cut back out for the seats. After all this work you will still have a head that is question able.

buy a new head or buy a new set of afr alum heads. The money that it will cost to fix that head is beyond its worth. Unless you have emotional attchments i would let it go and start over. Sorry to see it they look like nice work.

[jumbo2]

If the broken valve did that to the head could we see a picture of the piston ? I never in a million years thought that bbc cast iron head could be damaged like that reminds me of my grandpa's old saying about breaking a cast iron piss pot

[502ben]

I don't have the motor they came off of. And I did find another one that also comes with one head beat from a dropped valve.

[jumbo2]

thats crazy to see the force break and push the cast in like that , I have a new appreciation for connecting rods lol