Cracked the head... how did it happen?

[Dave]

Just looked over the head's combustion chamber and my tech's at work told me the cracks that I see in the valley of the chambers between the valves are from running too lean. My valves are pretty light brown, but the plugs look a little tannish on the electrode, but red on the porcelain with no salt and pepper.

Was it leaning out or the head itself getting too hot that cracked it?? I noticed my temp. gauge going nuts and staying pretty high in the past 3 weeks, but I disregarded it thinking it was a faulty gauge...

I'll get pics tonight... looks like I'm swapping over everything to the spare head. Good thing I got one.

[cordes]

Seems like it is just what these castings do. I have not read a definitive answer as to why though.

[turbovanman²]

Dave, I feel like taking that head and smacking you with it. You've been around long enough to know the cracks between the valves are normal. As for the tan colour, that is normal, black is NOT normal. Black is burning oil or running rich.

Temp guage going nuts, sticky thermostat, no hole drilled, plugged heater core, plugged rad or the best one, head gasket starting to go. Do the #4 coolant mod while you have it apart.

[Dave]

Dave, I feel like taking that head and smacking you with it. You've been around long enough to know the cracks between the valves are normal. As for the tan colour, that is normal, black is NOT normal. Black is burning oil or running rich.

Temp guage going nuts, sticky thermostat, no hole drilled, plugged heater core, plugged rad or the best one, head gasket starting to go. Do the #4 coolant mod while you have it apart.

Haha. I thought cracks between the valves aren't normal, and pose heating problems? That's what I get for believing the freaking tech's here.

I'm taking pics as soon as I get home and puting them up. Help me out here Simon, I have not that good of an idea as to what I'm looking at.

I just installed a 180 t-stat, no hole drilled, where do I drill?

[Dave]

EDIT: Taking the head to OhioRob's tonight and picking up some gaskets, I'll have him take a peak.

Such a relief now to know that I can still use this head.

[cordes]

Drill hole toward the outside of the t-stat, and install it with the hole at the 12 o'clock position.

[The S is Silent]

The hole in the t-stat goes just wehre Cordes says, and it helps prevent vapor lock behind the thermostat. It also lessens the shock to the engine when the thermostat opens.

[Mario]

Tell you what Simon, I'll drive the three wheeler to your place if you smack Dave in the head with the head.

[turbovanman²]

Tell you what Simon, I'll drive the three wheeler to your place if you smack Dave in the head with the head.

Hahahahaa, deal,

[Dave]

Kool. Thanks guys. It runs tomorrow.

[BIG PSI]

Dave, I feel like taking that head and smacking you with it. You've been around long enough to know the cracks between the valves are normal. As for the tan colour, that is normal, black is NOT normal. Black is burning oil or running rich.

Temp guage going nuts, sticky thermostat, no hole drilled, plugged heater core, plugged rad or the best one, head gasket starting to go. Do the #4 coolant mod while you have it apart.

Simon,

How about I put Bryan on an Airplane and send him over to your part of the world. Maybe you can help him be a good mechanic. He loves to do that kind of work. Let me know!!!!!!!!!!!

Chuck

[puppet]

Not trying to stir anything up here but if those tech's that looked at the head detemined that the cracks went passed the seats, they may be right. Between and below are two different things.

[Mario]

There's a good chunk of material there. They'd have to be pretty deep.

[turbovanman²]

Not trying to stir anything up here but if those tech's that looked at the head detemined that the cracks went passed the seats, they may be right. Between and below are two different things.

You can send me any head that has those cracks, I'll gladly take them off your hands,

There is aprox 1-3 inches of material under there. Theres a one in a million chance anything will happen.

Chuck, sure, send him out.

[Mario]

Chuck, sure, send him out. He could use some good head.

[Dave]

Uh oh... Simon.

[tryingbe]

I want to see some head to head action!

[TrrboJeep]

Dave, I feel like taking that head and smacking you with it.

Bryan... if the heads not cracked all the way through, it just means you're not running enough boost!
I'll trade you a set of Autozone plug wires for it!

[GLHS0658]

In all the 2.2/2.5 Heads I pressure tested over the years, I found only 1 that actually leaked between the seats. The cracks were wide and deep in 2 combustion chambers.\

Mike