You may have listed the part numbers somewhere but if you repost it and where you live I know I will keep my eyes open for you. Let us know if you are open to buying a pair and it will save a little work.
My 422 smallblock build
- Thread starter SSG_Karg
- Start date
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You may have listed the part numbers somewhere but if you repost it and where you live I know I will keep my eyes open for you. Let us know if you are open to buying a pair and it will save a little work.
SSG_Karg
Enhanced member
These are 810 castings but we milled the saddles off to run blocks. So basically they are “race heads” now.
Open chamber for 59* block. I suppose I could look for either an econo head or a race head, just need to machine it accordingly. Also, mine oil the rockers through the deck.
I’m just really bummed because I have so much time and money wrapped up in this top end already. Now I’m probably looking at another thousand bucks or more.
Ya I know it stinks. That’s why I abandoned ship. What was that old saying my Dad used. Once shame on you. Twice shame on me.
Rat Bastid
Dunamis Metron
Maybe they could have been closed up enough to pass a pressure test but I doubt it. If you didn’t do the PT yourself you can’t be sure how it was done. I’ve seen some pretty shitty techniques for pressure testing.
On top of that, they should have been magnafluxed first. I never pressure test iron first. In fact, I very rarely PT iron. I only do it if I find something I can’t determine exactly what it is.
I don’t have any single castings left, but I’ll make a call today and see what I can find. I doubt it will be a late model casting though.
mopar65
Well-Known Member
Hi
I know nothing about W2 heads. But I was just on moparts race car/ parts for sell section and somebody had a set of 208 valve ported W2 heads for sell. I do not know the person selling them. But if you want I can send you the link to them.
SSG_Karg
Enhanced member
Little update.
I was able to source a single replacement head for the cracked one thanks to a VERY helpful member here on the board. He has been a huge help to me throughout this project and I don’t know how to thank him enough. I won’t name him but he’s free to take a bow if he chooses.
As for the cracked head, I used a small dremel bit to grind a small groove over the cracks and cleaned the casting the best I could. Then I handed it over to my brother and he attempted to tig weld it using EZ-Rod which is supposed to be the ticket for welding cast. Well, after he ran the first bead, the crack reappeared right in the center of the weld bead, almost like the crack just rose to the top of the weld. So, no bueno.
I’m going to give it one more shot with the welding but this time I’m going to heat the head in the oven before I weld the crack one zap at a time and with my MIG then back into the oven for cool down. IF that doesn’t crack, I’ll then pour a little epoxy into the water jacket in the corner where the crack is and stand it on end in an attempt to seal it from the inside. If that all fails, it’s getting thrown off the highest bridge I can find and focus on getting the replacement head prepared. It’s going to need a lot of machining and porting to make it work.
At this point I really regret going down the W2 rabbit hole. It’s gonna take a long time and a lot of 11 sec time slips for me to get over this hassle.
I was able to source a single replacement head for the cracked one thanks to a VERY helpful member here on the board. He has been a huge help to me throughout this project and I don’t know how to thank him enough. I won’t name him but he’s free to take a bow if he chooses.
As for the cracked head, I used a small dremel bit to grind a small groove over the cracks and cleaned the casting the best I could. Then I handed it over to my brother and he attempted to tig weld it using EZ-Rod which is supposed to be the ticket for welding cast. Well, after he ran the first bead, the crack reappeared right in the center of the weld bead, almost like the crack just rose to the top of the weld. So, no bueno.
I’m going to give it one more shot with the welding but this time I’m going to heat the head in the oven before I weld the crack one zap at a time and with my MIG then back into the oven for cool down. IF that doesn’t crack, I’ll then pour a little epoxy into the water jacket in the corner where the crack is and stand it on end in an attempt to seal it from the inside. If that all fails, it’s getting thrown off the highest bridge I can find and focus on getting the replacement head prepared. It’s going to need a lot of machining and porting to make it work.
At this point I really regret going down the W2 rabbit hole. It’s gonna take a long time and a lot of 11 sec time slips for me to get over this hassle.
That’s why i bailed when mine cracked. I almost gave the ported Victor away and two sets of econo rockers. A few years later I bought a set of race heads with Norris rockers and sold those too.
PRH
Well-Known Member
You may want to get a hold of this place:
Or try
www.facebook.com
Cast Iron Repair Engine Applications - Turlock, CA - LOCK-N-STITCH Inc.
Metal stitching & crack repair of antique cast iron racing engine by LOCK-N-STITCH Inc.
www.locknstitch.com
Or try
LOCK-N-STITCH Inc.
LOCK-N-STITCH Inc., Turlock, California. 883 likes · 121 were here. Cast Metal Restoration
www.facebook.com
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
The oven won’t get the cast iron hot enough. Get a professional weldor to do it. If you choose to do it yourself, heat it with a torch.
autoxcuda
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Yes take it to a professional that does head crack repairs.
You are likely making it worse trying to do this yourself.
I brought a block once to a place that specializes in fixing diesel heads, blocks and cranks. They used furnaces to heat as part of their welding process. They were able to fix a long crack in the lifter valley that was formed by freezing. Cannot tell the block was fixed. When it was rebuilt it was pressure checked first and passed.
PRH
Well-Known Member
The nice thing about the lock n stitch method is you’re not cooking the head during the repair process…….which often gets the head hot enough to require redoing the guide and seat work.
Brian Hafliger
Well-Known Member
4mopwr
Well-Known Member
I've had luck heating the head with a torch and mig welding the repair then reapply the heat and slowly back off the heat. You can use welding blankets to hold some heat in.
SSG_Karg
Enhanced member
I found a professional weld shop fairly local to me that supposedly has the ability and experience to make the necessary repairs. I will be dropping the wounded head off at their place in the next week or so. They said that they would like to bead blast it clean and mag the entire thing for cracks. I’m going to give it a shot.
On another front, I’ve been searching for a good deal on a carburetor for this engine. I currently have an ancient Holley 650 DP on the shelf but I don’t think that will be enough carb for the stroker. I found a low use 950 DP from Willy’s carb shop. I’m very tempted because the price is right but nervous that it might actually be too much carb. Any thoughts about the 950 on a 422 with W2s?
Appreciate your input.
On another front, I’ve been searching for a good deal on a carburetor for this engine. I currently have an ancient Holley 650 DP on the shelf but I don’t think that will be enough carb for the stroker. I found a low use 950 DP from Willy’s carb shop. I’m very tempted because the price is right but nervous that it might actually be too much carb. Any thoughts about the 950 on a 422 with W2s?
Appreciate your input.
SSG_Karg
Enhanced member
Hahaha, thanks John. I’ll take that as your approval. Remember, this is just a street driver.
Back in the 1970’s I removed a 750 DP and installed an 850 Dp on a very high 11 second engine. Boom 11.82 almost out of the box. Street driven every day.
mygasser
Well-Known Member
you can tune a carb that's maybe too big to run good. if your carb's too small it'll always be too small and you can't tune it 'bigger'.
neil
neil
SSG_Karg
Enhanced member
Making forward progress again. Porting the replacement head using the DC porting templates. I’m super busy this time of year between working full time, coaching baseball in the evenings, and camping with the family on the weekends so finding even a few minutes here and there to work on it is tough. I’m picking away at it though and hope to have everything back together before the end of summer
PRH
Well-Known Member
Since you’re working on a replacement head, I have to assume the welding situation didn’t pan out.
SSG_Karg
Enhanced member
You are correct. The welding process was a failure. The cracks reappeared right along side the weld bead. It was better than it was before welding, so I attempted to seal the cracks from the inside by pouring epoxy into the water jacket and standing the head on its corner. It initially worked! But after reopening the coolant passage in the deck surface it showed a leak again. At this point I knew it was a lost cause and decided to use the replacement head I bought from a member here. After $700 worth of machining, it is now ready to be ported and assembled.
What is the replacement head?
SSG_Karg
Enhanced member
Just like the one it is replacing, it started life as a first generation 810E econo head. It was then machined to remove the rocker pedestals, opened the intake valve to 2.08”, cleaned up the deck surface, cut the guides down for positive seals, and lowered the spring pocket a bit.
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