Edelbrock Head Issue - Anyone else have this problem?

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Detroit Iron

Detroit Iron

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My car, '64 Barracuda with 340, wouldn't turn over all of a sudden. Long diagnosis story short.... water got into cylinder #7 and it was hydrolocking. I pulled the head and found where the coolant was getting in.

These heads are Edelbrock's initial release of the aluminum head for Chrysler small block, so they are about 15-18 years old.

I'd like to know if anyone else had the same issue with Edelbrock heads. I'd like to know what causes this, or was there a flaw in production. Thanks for the input.

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If that's the head, it looks like aluminum corrosion. Did you keep up with fresh coolant every few years?
 
Electrolysis ate the aluminum.
That's why they make zinc anode radiator caps, drain plugs and a couple of other methods of anti corrosion.
Of course it could have also been a thin or porous area in the casting, and it looks like both to me.
 
Sure looks like corrosion to me. You could fix them and have them checked. 65'
 
At least it's aluminum and easily repairable. I would be concerned about other places in that head as well as the other one.
 
I’ve had my Edelbrock as cast, OOTB, on the car for a little longer than yourself. I got them in, *I think* it was ‘96 or ‘98. No issues. They don’t have a ton of miles, but many miles are on them. I recently disassembled them. Some of the valve tips took a beating last time around with bad set of lifters collapsing creating lash problems and no lash caps. They came out pulling some guide material with it. The reason I took them apart was because 2 valves leaked a tiny tiny bit of break kleen when I was cleaning and doing a basic check for the next engine.

I figured perhaps, just perhaps, a little addressing of the valve seat area would do. I quick hit with some stones on a old machine and slam it back together and I’ll be OK.

A little welding will do the trick I think.
 
My guess during the casting process there was a weak spot in the aluminum maybe pocket of bubbles or slag: contaminates that collected in that spot and was weak and with the heating up and cooling with the antifreeze it ate away or broke apart the weak spot? Grind it out to clean up the hole inside and out and have a welding shop aluminum weld it up and then file , grind and or sand it smooth. I had to do that on an edelbrock performer intake where the coolant flows and to seal up the heat cross over port hope this helps? Yes also use that zink anode rode 2-3"'s long for inside the radiator to counter act the chemical reaction between the coolant and the aluminum. You can buy one in the speed catalogs jegs ,summit
 
The things that people forget, wonder who else is about to end up like this. Take it to a machine shop, they can fix it.
 
Get a Ph meter and check the coolant and see what it is. That is the only way to tell if it is out of range. I get so tired of hearing people say you didn't change the coolant and it killed your motor when they don't even know what a Ph meter is.

That looks like a porous casting to me.
 
rumblefish360 said:
I’ve had my Edelbrock as cast, OOTB, on the car for a little longer than yourself. I got them in, *I think* it was ‘96 or ‘98. No issues. They don’t have a ton of miles, but many miles are on them. I recently disassembled them. Some of the valve tips took a beating last time around with bad set of lifters collapsing creating lash problems and no lash caps. They came out pulling some guide material with it. The reason I took them apart was because 2 valves leaked a tiny tiny bit of break kleen when I was cleaning and doing a basic check for the next engine.

I figured perhaps, just perhaps, a little addressing of the valve seat area would do. I quick hit with some stones on a old machine and slam it back together and I’ll be OK.

A little welding will do the trick I think.
Click to expand...

why didn`t you clean the edges of the valve tips up w/ a file before you pulled them out, don't goof up the guides that way .
 
I hate to say it but the Volvo or Saab Blue coolant stays stable longer than any thing I have seen It's all I ever ran in all my bikes and never seen any corrosion at all.
 
Detroit Iron said:
My car, '64 Barracuda with 340, wouldn't turn over all of a sudden. Long diagnosis story short.... water got into cylinder #7 and it was hydrolocking. I pulled the head and found where the coolant was getting in.

These heads are Edelbrock's initial release of the aluminum head for Chrysler small block, so they are about 15-18 years old.

I'd like to know if anyone else had the same issue with Edelbrock heads. I'd like to know what causes this, or was there a flaw in production. Thanks for the input.

View attachment 1715381224

View attachment 1715381225
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Porous casting.
 
While I agree 100% that aluminum should have a coolant that is friendly to it, that's more than corrosion. Even for that length of time. The deck on those heads is 5/8" thick. Grab a 5/8 wrench and look at that gap. There had to be an air bubble in the casting right there. No question about it.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Take it to a machine shop, they can fix it.
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Oh yea.

Oldiron440 said:
I'll add it to the list of things I've seen on an Edelbrock head and I've seen a lot of junk heads just out of the box....
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You did read that of the heads age being it is it a new head OKTB into the car. He said;
These heads are Edelbrock's initial release of the aluminum head for Chrysler small block, so they are about 15-18 years old.
Click to expand...

RustyRatRod said:
Hell, we're luck now if Edelbrock even casts a thing over here anymore.
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Are you saying Edelbrock doesn’t cast there heads here in America? It’s all a lie?

famous bob said:
why didn`t you clean the edges of the valve tips up w/ a file before you pulled them out, don't goof up the guides that way .
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You assume to much.
I’ll answer that in my thread on the my Edelbrock heads.
This is not my thread.

famous bob said:
AGREE , HOW DO U PEOPLE THINK CHINA GETS IT COPIES SO CLOSE ?
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Easy, purchase a few heads and start in with the band saw. Make molds and improvements along the way.
This reminds me of a FBBO thread where a fella went nuts on a set of Poly 318 heads. He made rubber like molds to mimic the heads chamber for custom pistons. This also reminds me of a few threads here where I enquire about the material used to make rubber molds of the head ports.

To invent is Genius.
To take the genius item and improve upon it is smart.
To copy is to flatter & rob the genius of there reward.
To copy & improve upon an item, make cheaply and resell is just being a pirate. Just like insurance & taxes. It legal. I’m not saying it’s right, just legal and easy.
 
Yes. I'm saying Edelbrock doesn't cast all their stuff here. You don't have to do every process in this country to claim "MADE IN USA". I know a local porter well who says he started noticing Edelbrock quality getting on par (going down) with import heads about the late 90s. He's called and talked with them before and said it was like talking to a merry go round. Never got a straight answer. He actually really likes the Pro Comp castings. Says they are very high quality.
 
If you don't have PH test strips, here's a good way to test your coolant for acid. Your radiator/coolant will actually produce voltage. (electrolisis) Not a good thing for corrosion.

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