Re: Welding cracks in a 359 aluminum head?

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2016/5/3 9:20:10

Even if the cracks can be successfully welded this is not a repair without risks. It is possible the welding will result in some warpage of the head which might have already been a pre-existing problem. Generally aluminum heads of this length are surface-milled and not surface-ground as the aluminum tends to load the grinding wheel. And especially if the head had been surfaced in the past you have a risk of uneven compression chamber volumes (differences in CR) and even the risk of not having enough remaining clearance for the valves to open without hitting the head. Been there, speaking from experience here.

I wonder if there are enough senior 1954s out there to make a new head project worth the investment? I heard a while back that such a project was being contemplated but never heard more about it since.