Cylinder Heads - Rebuilt

[Bob Heritage]

I posted a while ago about somebody that I know that can spray ali and rebuilt cylinder heads back to their original thickness. I have had some feedback on this and got some quotes.

To weld any corroded parts and skim back to flat, spray the ali to build up the thickness, reface the heads back to +/- 1mm of original spec. Would cost £520 per pair.
Renew valve guides and re-cut the valve seat when the above work is being carried out- Would cost £30each.
To completely rebuild the heads to original thickness, with new guides, valves, buckets and re-shim, excluding cam and assuming the cam is true and not out of line or bearings scored. would cost £1400 per pair.
All plus p+p. or collected.
I am not a trader, but I am prepared to be the go between if it helps anybody out, but any sign of negative comments etc then my offer stops. If anybody sends their heads to me, make sure that they are packed well as the same packaging will probably be used for their return.
So you could get fully reconditioned heads that should last many years for £700 each.
I must express at this stage that I do not want to take the benefits and hard work away that SOCTFL have done in re-manufacturing the new heads and all credit to them for their efforts. But I do know that the cost will be above many members budget.
One other request is that if anybody has scrap heads lying about or old valves (which would be used for masking) that they would like to donate, then it might be possible to recondition them for exchange purposes.
I would also recommend that you clean and flush through the heads before being sent. If it is just the re-facing that is required then all that is needed is the bare heads with valves still in tact.
PM's welcome.

Hope it helps
Bob

[Seaking]

Thank you Bob for your efforts I will keep this post for future

Cheers Glenn

[jasper]

Thanks for this , DOHH iv just put some new heads on my car otherwise I would of gone for this
Will have to see if I can afford to get my old set done up as spares
John

[Dave M]

Nice one Bob, one of my spare heads has an inlet manifold bolt hole that has broken through into the waterway, is this something your guy could repair whilst doing the refurb work?
Cheers Dave

[Paul Goldsmith]

Thanks Bob, great to know there's other options

[1959terry]

Bob, have they completed any heads and if so are there any before and after photos?

[Bob Heritage]

Nice one Bob, one of my spare heads has an inlet manifold bolt hole that has broken through into the waterway, is this something your guy could repair whilst doing the refurb work?
Cheers Dave

Hi Dave,
I assume that you have gone through to the water chamber when helicoiling. My gut feeling is to thread right through and fit a slotted stud in the bottom of the bore with lockshield on the thread if there is enough depth, failing that I suppose the hole could be filled and re-cut. I'll ask when I next see him.

Bob

[Bob Heritage]

Bob, have they completed any heads and if so are there any before and after photos?

None on a Stag yet Terry, he does a lot of parts for Lotus though. If somebody wants their heads done, I will photo before and after and post them on here.

[Philip Wardle]

Well done Bob, you're quite right that the SOCTFL heads won't meet everyone's needs, wants, or ability to pay. One of the ideas behind the new heads project was that we would be able to add to the supply of good used heads for reconditioning initiatives such as this one.

[Bob Heritage]

Phil, I have PM'd you regarding new heads.

Bob

[new to this]

Bob

do you know if a crankshaft could be metal sprayed the bring back to standard size bearings ?

thanks dave

[Ian Durrant]

Bob

do you know if a crankshaft could be metal sprayed the bring back to standard size bearings ?

thanks dave

My experience of a metal sprayed crank/camshafts is not good. My Dutton had a 1300cc triumph spitfire engine and the thrust bearings failed and the crank thrust faces were damaged. A guy in my Dads factory's father worked at Ford in Dagenham and he took the crank into work and metal sprayed the thrust faces and reground them (probably on Fords overtime ) I rebuilt the engine and the thrust failed again but this time the crank wore and the thrusts still looked like new.

Then on the stag I had a jack shaft seize and the chain bent the LH cam shaft damaging the front cam bearing in the head. I took them to a machine shop and they bored the front bearing and metal spayed the cam bearing and reground it to fit. Within a few thousand miles the cam was knocking and I took the head to a well respected machine shop in Cirencester and they did the job properly using Rover 2000 bearing shells and re line boring all the bearings and caps. That has lasted.

Now the head could have been a finish issue where the metal sprayed cam was too rough and wore the aluminium of the head but the crank must have been too soft after metal spraying. Maybe it could have been hardened, I simply don't know, but I have regarded metal spraying as a bodge ever since having problems for the second time.

[Ian Durrant]

I should add i regard metal spraying bearings as a bodge, I have no experience or knowledge of metal spraying the heads themselves.

[new to this]

My experience of a metal sprayed crank/camshafts is not good. My Dutton had a 1300cc triumph spitfire engine and the thrust bearings failed and the crank thrust faces were damaged. A guy in my Dads factory's father worked at Ford in Dagenham and he took the crank into work and metal sprayed the thrust faces and reground them (probably on Fords overtime ) I rebuilt the engine and the thrust failed again but this time the crank wore and the thrusts still looked like new.

Then on the stag I had a jack shaft seize and the chain bent the LH cam shaft damaging the front cam bearing in the head. I took them to a machine shop and they bored the front bearing and metal spayed the cam bearing and reground it to fit. Within a few thousand miles the cam was knocking and I took the head to a well respected machine shop in Cirencester and they did the job properly using Rover 2000 bearing shells and re line boring all the bearings and caps. That has lasted.

Now the head could have been a finish issue where the metal sprayed cam was too rough and wore the aluminium of the head but the crank must have been too soft after metal spraying. Maybe it could have been hardened, I simply don't know, but I have regarded metal spraying as a bodge ever since having problems for the second time.

ian

thanks, i have a full engine to rebuild on mine, pistons are +20 not looked at crank yet, i know i need some welding on heads and valve guides,was planing to do heads first just to spread the cost out a little, still got a lot of body work to do as well,

hows yours coming along ?

Dave

[73stagman]

I have to agree with you Ian. Metal spraying crankshafts is a horrible bodge (I know in the ship repair industry they even use two part epoxy to build up shafts simply because of the dramas in removing long propeller shafts from the bowels of a ship and that's before they get them anywhere to be machined properly.)
However that's a completely different application from metal spraying non moving (at least we hope!!!) cylinder head faces that other wise would not seal against a flat faced gasket.
The metal spraying technique is well documented onto ferrous based steels but I didn't know it could be done onto ally! Clearly not all heads can be repaired this way with some being cracked internally or damaged in other places away from the face. So the SOCTFL heads will still be required but at least there are other options whilst those heads are being brought into the real world!