This Oldsmobile 324 Rocket cylinder head has a crack, watch John Edwards as he repairs is at Costa Mesa R&D Automotive Machine. (949) 631-6376 Be sure to "Click" and SUBSCRIBE.
This repair method is a tried method used for the last 50 years plus. I can remember my grandfather making me sit and tap holes for taper plugs when i was 10 years old working in his achine shop during the summer. so many old slikks have been forgoten in this use and throw away mentality we have today. It is nice to see some places still have the skill and knolage to do this
Very nice and smooth repair John Edwards. I've used this process 12-15 times over the yrs. and had no return problems. I've also drilled the end of the cracks, ground out the crack, and welded it with brass. It also works fine. But your way always made me sleep better at night. Once again, good job.
Had to do this to a 6.5" crack on the side of a slant 6 Chrysler block years ago. Never did leak and is still running today. Best way to repair a crack in cast iron!
Very difficult to successfully weld cast iron. You can't TIG weld it like you do with alu. For iron, you need to ARC weld with a nickel based rod. The high arc temps may (will) compromise the material, and consequently, cause more cracks to appear. John knows what he's doing.
my opinion is that, that is 100% reliable work. it wont ever fail on those points if the gasket is coolant and ignition/knock are maintained properly... but better to confirm those type of things with John himself. I don't have any real experience on that, i simply remembered that John had published that video before, i fetched the link real quick and shared it
Thanks for pointing this video out... :) Preheat is essential for this kind of work. Just one qestion to this pin method: How does the pins handle vibration and heat differences over time?
i have an old...old book that covers many of these old school repairs it is real interesting some of the trade secrets that are dying! They no longer train to repair the problem, just bolt on a new one! Sad!
@@lukatrades dang dude, I was just about to ask the same, lol. But 11 years is a lonnngggg time to expect the same account to still be in use. But, ditto, what's the book's name???
@@user-xp5id1kh4r you can search for repair guides for engines you need, cant remember what were the names of those..they are on an old pc that doesnt work anymore
thankyou, i learned something new. this is being used on airplanes as well to stop the cracks. if someone said "why they didn't weld it?" well research more, cast iron is not impossible to weld & it needs a different process and approach of welding , differentwelding rod, amp., before and after welding preheating & there are some which are no preheating at all, there are different cast irons as well, there are even cast steel as we know, what he did is another technique which is tested & proven dates back previous time. do some experiment, try pulling reasonable size sheet with tear, now try the other one but put first a hole circle at the end of the tear & let's see what you feel.
...but it was cracked. I wouldn't risk the crack growing. This seems like the best solution to me. In fact, it is the same process that they use to isolate cracks on certain aircraft components (except with rivets instead of tapered bolts).
This is the first and only crack I have ever seen in an Oldsmobile engine since 1955 when I g go first started working on Olds engines. It had to have been caused by extreme heat due to low coolant.
That is to say, it work hardens. I'd think it also expands the plugs, to get them as tightly together as two seperate pieces of metal can be, without having to turn them that hard, which would just strip the threads and rip it all out.
I remember doing this 40+ years ago in the auto machine shop, but each drilled hole would slightly drill into the plug you just installed, thus totally eliminating the crack.
Metal stitching cast iron has been done for decades! What caused the crack?...a tensile (stretching) force. Drilling a hole at each end of the crack relieves the tensile force. Now plug stitch it and apply a compressive force! If that head cracks again, it will be some place else.
Hello! I'll be working on the block head soon. About the same as in your video. Please tell me where I can find conical cast iron bolts for repairs?! Or do you make them yourself?!
I don’t understand what sealed the crack between the two pins you installed? It’s couldn’t be just the light peaning you did with the air hammer? I have little crack on a 3 cylinder Yanmar diesel I need to fix. It’s right between the exhaust & intake valves. I’ve never pinned a cylinder head. It’s inside the combustion chamber and under the seats. So I’m sure I’ll have to either have new seats installed or hopefully they will be able to just grind them out when doing the valve job. I’m working on almost zero budget. Also need to know where I would acquire the pins, tapered reamer and or tapered tap if I use screw in pins. Jig also if required. Any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
I'm very surprised by that aproach... Of course I know nothing of crack repair, but my question is, did you not weld it because the weld would not penitrate the crack enough? Or would it be too dificult to get back into shape afterwords?
I would imagine that this repair works fine on an intake seat, but what about an exhaust seat? Wouldn't it be best to remove the seat, repair the crack, rebuild the seat landing and then install a new seat?
It just seems like this would create another crack or making the same crack worse. I understand this is how it's been done for a long time especially with cast iron. Using actual metal stitches across the crack makes more sense to me. How does that fare with high heat and pressure over time?
how would u fix a vw aircooled head that has a crack between the valves and do u know why my heads cracked there?bug was running really hot but don't know if that was beacause of the cracked heads or the hot engine cracked the heads,what u think?thanx
Your video deals with iron cylinder heads, but what is your technique with an aluminum head? Ford Escorts have a serious problem with cracked aluminum heads, and the conventional remedy is to junk even an otherwise machinable but cracked head. I came across your video while looking into the JBWeld epoxy product.
I understand what you did by stitching in relieving both ends of the cracks so that it doesn't do it again but why didn't you use 5 or 6 pins put one more pin in the middle just two and two on either end? that's still leads down into that exhaust chamber won't it leak there too..?
Are the tap and plugs available from a company or do you use a standard tap and make the plugs? I do quite a bit of repairs on aluminum and cast iron castings, which I weld or braze. However there are some castings I get that just are horrible to work with and do not weld well. The tap and plugs would be handy for me to keep on hand just in case.
Hi my mk6 Transit jumped a tooth. The chain was realigned but it wouldnt start..(lack of compression) the head had tiny cracks around the bolt holes and the bolts were loose. What ir thoughts buddy on a fix? Thanks
Great video. I've never seen a head repaired in this way (i'm only familiar with the welded method). I fail to understand how installing a few threaded plugs in the affected area effectively seals up the full length of the crack. Please enlighten.
Fusion welding risks distortion. Generally you cannot weld cast iron. Stitching is the only way. I've done it for nearly 50 years and here is the criticism of what I was watching. Normally the use of a gauge will dictate where the next hole is to be drilled even on the shape of a combustion chamber. The second drilled hole is half a stud away from the first. I have even known crankshafts that have broken the web by the journal be stitched together again. I have stitched the straight eight block on my 1954 Packard Patrician and that was 35000 miles ago. All the best from Nick Jervis UK 🇬🇧 Ask the man who owns one
Don't know if your even still on TH-cam hopefully still alive and doing well no offence but sound like a older gentleman but I could be wrong. But question is a hairline crack on TOP of cylinder head under cam cover starting on very front of head right under cover and extending all most to number 2 spark plug hole(4 cylinder) something that could be fixed like this or repairable don't have pictures but just wondering in general. There's NO videos here or anywhere I can find or even written info on the web I can find about a crack on TOP of head. Thanks for any info
My machine shop found a small crack near a freeze block in my engine block I was getting rebuilt. He recommended stitching it kind of like this. Will that type of repair last?
How does inserting a wedge into a crack close it up? I know nothing about this method but it seems to me that it would widen the crack rather than close it. Is cast iron impossible to TIG weld? I would have thought that to be the preferred method but as I've already admitted I know nothing about this. I know that aluminum heads are routinely TIG welded I didn't know that you could not do that with cast iron. Interesting.
Cast Iron CAN be difficult to weld and has been known to be difficult historically, however, with new alloys like "EZ weld" there isnt even the need for a pre heat and controlled cooling process anymore, which means on a job like this you could simply V out the crack nice and deep, wipe with acetone and TIG with either nickel (old method) or a modern alloy rod with high elongation like EZ Weld. The end result would be FAR superior to the method shown in this video. More machinable, structurally integral rather than structurally compromising, and best of all in an area like cylinder heads youll get a 100% sealed repair, no relying on metal to metal pressure to prevent leakage or pressure loss. In my honest opinion the method shown in this video completely stone age and quite frankly I cant believe its still used. Hope this helped pal.
It plugs it by inserting tapers (so they won't be in danger of pushing through, and so that cylinder pressure can't loosen them, only tighten and seat them better) that entirely replace the cracked area - the seams should be under considerably more pressure than the actual head/fire-ring/block stack, I'd think, it shouldn't leak or anything. As I see it, each taper is drilled and threaded into it's neighbor, they act as keys that (especially once peened and expanded/formed to each other) make it physically impossible to turn any but the last - which I assume you try to place at least partly outside the chamber. I can easily see it leading to warping problems or all sorts of future problems - I already posted my own attack on it - but logically it should do the job, even if I'd rather have a weld.
This is just sealing the crack, not mending the metal. It's an accepted way of dealing with small cracks, though. Cast iron CAN be unpredictable when welding it. As long as you terminate the crack, either method is pretty good. I'd bet that this pinned head is still going strong.
i over heated my car and now the top is warped .. i never had to fix stuff like that before but if i can do it my self and save money i can learn fast.. once i thought i had a bad head and paid 800$ to have it fixed but i got over charged it should have cost 200$ at best.
+fiatnutz gosto muito do seu trabalho mas já vi esse procedimento em alguns lugares e não concordo, o correto ai seria um reparo com solda tig e não pinos com rosca q só vão causar uma carga lateral abrindo ainda mais a trinca, o correto é fundir a peça novamente com solda tig, ou mesmo mig se for ferro fundido
personally I live in an area where cast iron heads are V6 and V8 heads are 25 bucks, OHC are 57 and DOHC are 80. So it's just cheaper to go pull another head.
B Ann Quite a few the guy who runs it pulls the old stuff aside and will either sell parts or the whole car. He don't just slap it with a salvage title he hangs on to it for people who rebuild engine to come in. He has one of the most successful businesses in the area. lol.
scdevon Naw, they're a dime a dozen. Someone please send me a dozen freight collect. Also I'd like a straight 8 complete just to clean up and hang on a stand.
I would drill the holes like you do. but i would remove all of the crack. and then heat the materiel to around 200 degreas celsius. weld one string at a time with a esab OK 92.18 elektrode. prick in order to stabilize the cast iron. Love your movies!
I dont know anything about this process....but why only plug each end.....isn't there still a crack between the plugs this guy fitted....4 plugs I think?
This repair method is a tried method used for the last 50 years plus. I can remember my grandfather making me sit and tap holes for taper plugs when i was 10 years old working in his achine shop during the summer. so many old slikks have been forgoten in this use and throw away mentality we have today. It is nice to see some places still have the skill and knolage to do this
Very nice and smooth repair John Edwards. I've used this process 12-15 times over the yrs. and had no return problems. I've also drilled the end of the cracks, ground out the crack, and welded it with brass. It also works fine. But your way always made me sleep better at night. Once again, good job.
You're the real deal old school mechanic. Thank You for the wisdom
This brought back memories.i used tio pin heads about 30 yrs ago.spme of my work is still going strong.
Had to do this to a 6.5" crack on the side of a slant 6 Chrysler block years ago. Never did leak and is still running today. Best way to repair a crack in cast iron!
Very difficult to successfully weld cast iron. You can't TIG weld it like you do with alu. For iron, you need to ARC weld with a nickel based rod. The high arc temps may (will) compromise the material, and consequently, cause more cracks to appear. John knows what he's doing.
yes i saw the title of the vid and thought for sure it would be welded up, learn something every day , thanks John :)
my opinion is that, that is 100% reliable work. it wont ever fail on those points if the gasket is coolant and ignition/knock are maintained properly... but better to confirm those type of things with John himself. I don't have any real experience on that, i simply remembered that John had published that video before, i fetched the link real quick and shared it
It's the most cost efficient method and the resurlts are very good.
i dont know why but something tells me john has more then a rough idea of what hes doing so id trust him with that method
Great video John.
Thanks for pointing this video out... :) Preheat is essential for this kind of work.
Just one qestion to this pin method: How does the pins handle vibration and heat differences over time?
Love these videos. Keep 'em coming
i have an old...old book that covers many of these old school repairs it is real interesting some of the trade secrets that are dying! They no longer train to repair the problem, just bolt on a new one! Sad!
I know this is old comment,but could you tell me the name of that book if you see this?
@@lukatrades dang dude, I was just about to ask the same, lol. But 11 years is a lonnngggg time to expect the same account to still be in use. But, ditto, what's the book's name???
@@user-xp5id1kh4r you can search for repair guides for engines you need, cant remember what were the names of those..they are on an old pc that doesnt work anymore
Ths is a tried and true repair method, how would you make the same repair?
thankyou, i learned something new. this is being used on airplanes as well to stop the cracks. if someone said "why they didn't weld it?" well research more, cast iron is not impossible to weld & it needs a different process and approach of welding , differentwelding rod, amp., before and after welding preheating & there are some which are no preheating at all, there are different cast irons as well, there are even cast steel as we know, what he did is another technique which is tested & proven dates back previous time. do some experiment, try pulling reasonable size sheet with tear, now try the other one but put first a hole circle at the end of the tear & let's see what you feel.
...but it was cracked. I wouldn't risk the crack growing. This seems like the best solution to me. In fact, it is the same process that they use to isolate cracks on certain aircraft components (except with rivets instead of tapered bolts).
An interesting method, basically replaces the crack and surrounding area with new metal.
This is the first and only crack I have ever seen in an Oldsmobile engine since 1955 when I g go first started working on Olds engines. It had to have been caused by extreme heat due to low coolant.
awesome true master !!
What do you use for Peening? Is it a pneumatic hammer? Looks like a very handy tool. Thanks.
Wow I definitely learned something new. Thanks a lot! Is this the typical way to repair a crack in a cast iron head?
The head is made from cast iron. It can be welded, but requires furnace brazing - which I don't have or use.
I enjoyed watching this video, It is very informative!
28 Year Master, L-1 Technician
Very interesting, what tools do i need to perform this operation.
Have you tried penetrating silver solder? we had some at school meant for repairing cast iron cracks, never got the chance to try it.
Very cool video!
" what does peening do?"
Peening compresses the metal and strengthens it.
Similar to bead blasting, it forces the iron molecules closer together.
That is to say, it work hardens.
I'd think it also expands the plugs, to get them as tightly together as two seperate pieces of metal can be, without having to turn them that hard, which would just strip the threads and rip it all out.
Thanka..very good information
Good video!
Glad to see this method. Got a Cat head that cost 6500 to replace. Screw paying that much.
Nice work, tidy repair!
I remember doing this 40+ years ago in the auto machine shop, but each drilled hole would slightly drill into the plug you just installed, thus totally eliminating the crack.
Metal stitching cast iron has been done for decades! What caused the crack?...a tensile (stretching) force. Drilling a hole at each end of the crack relieves the tensile force. Now plug stitch it and apply a compressive force!
If that head cracks again, it will be some place else.
any updates on the air flow head?
ive seen some silver solder crack penetration, are these any good?
Hello! I'll be working on the block head soon. About the same as in your video. Please tell me where I can find conical cast iron bolts for repairs?! Or do you make them yourself?!
I don’t understand what sealed the crack between the two pins you installed? It’s couldn’t be just the light peaning you did with the air hammer? I have little crack on a 3 cylinder Yanmar diesel I need to fix. It’s right between the exhaust & intake valves. I’ve never pinned a cylinder head. It’s inside the combustion chamber and under the seats. So I’m sure I’ll have to either have new seats installed or hopefully they will be able to just grind them out when doing the valve job. I’m working on almost zero budget. Also need to know where I would acquire the pins, tapered reamer and or tapered tap if I use screw in pins. Jig also if required. Any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Are the plugs made of cast iron as well?
Does a tapered pin expand the crack when they're tightened down?
To consolidate the pins with surounding material.
I'm very surprised by that aproach... Of course I know nothing of crack repair, but my question is, did you not weld it because the weld would not penitrate the crack enough? Or would it be too dificult to get back into shape afterwords?
Called stitching? Old techniek never used it.. Those drill holes have to overlap each other, right? For cast iron the best solution?
Tnx for posting..
Is it possible to repair a crack between the intake and exhaust valves?
What do you use for cutting fluid on your taps?
I would imagine that this repair works fine on an intake seat, but what about an exhaust seat? Wouldn't it be best to remove the seat, repair the crack, rebuild the seat landing and then install a new seat?
It just seems like this would create another crack or making the same crack worse. I understand this is how it's been done for a long time especially with cast iron. Using actual metal stitches across the crack makes more sense to me. How does that fare with high heat and pressure over time?
wow, I had no idea this is how you repaired a head crack. I always thought it was done with welding.
It can be done with welding, this is just one of a few different ways you can repair a head crack.
It sure is interesting to see how many people know your job better than you do John.
Very nice 👍🏼
How far from the end of the crack its good to trill? Right at the end or some mm away?
I would like to see a video of that!
how would u fix a vw aircooled head that has a crack between the valves and do u know why my heads cracked there?bug was running really hot but don't know if that was beacause of the cracked heads or the hot engine cracked the heads,what u think?thanx
cheers for all old timer's, now days just pull out and put new...
Your video deals with iron cylinder heads, but what is your technique with an aluminum head? Ford Escorts have a serious problem with cracked aluminum heads, and the conventional remedy is to junk even an otherwise machinable but cracked head. I came across your video while looking into the JBWeld epoxy product.
Is this available for aluminum cyl heads too? Or is that a different procedure?
what about the areas between the plugs? Aren't these areas still cracked?
Pin stitching is the best way to repair a cast-iron cylinder head. The repair is actually stronger than the metal of the head.
I understand what you did by stitching in relieving both ends of the cracks so that it doesn't do it again but why didn't you use 5 or 6 pins put one more pin in the middle just two and two on either end? that's still leads down into that exhaust chamber won't it leak there too..?
would it work if you grind the crack open and weld a bead down the crack?
Same question I have.
What sealer are you using?
Thanx.
Are the tap and plugs available from a company or do you use a standard tap and make the plugs? I do quite a bit of repairs on aluminum and cast iron castings, which I weld or braze. However there are some castings I get that just are horrible to work with and do not weld well. The tap and plugs would be handy for me to keep on hand just in case.
What brand are these? I've use lock-n-stick before but not inside a combustion chamber.
good stuff
Tengo el mismo problema en unas cabezas small blok chevy saludos de México
@skylineracer360 Relaxes the metal.
We use TIG welding for aluminum. There are plugs available for aluminum, but we prefer welding.
Neva mess with an old timer
@30GB most likely it would crack again cause the weld causes tension in the metal.
Sir, is it possible to repair 2 mtr long bore Gage extension rod?
Hi my mk6 Transit jumped a tooth. The chain was realigned but it wouldnt start..(lack of compression) the head had tiny cracks around the bolt holes and the bolts were loose. What ir thoughts buddy on a fix? Thanks
Great video. I've never seen a head repaired in this way (i'm only familiar with the welded method). I fail to understand how installing a few threaded plugs in the affected area effectively seals up the full length of the crack. Please enlighten.
You don't need to understand the how's or the why's, just accept it as old school voodoo magic, and move on...
@@timc9893 LOL 👍
can this be done to a GM Vortec 5.7 head?
It's a ceramic sealer from Pioneer.
wonder wat it did after it was installed and ran under heat n pressure
that is crazy
I want to see how he got that out
Fusion welding risks distortion. Generally you cannot weld cast iron. Stitching is the only way. I've done it for nearly 50 years and here is the criticism of what I was watching. Normally the use of a gauge will dictate where the next hole is to be drilled even on the shape of a combustion chamber. The second drilled hole is half a stud away from the first. I have even known crankshafts that have broken the web by the journal be stitched together again.
I have stitched the straight eight block on my 1954 Packard Patrician and that was 35000 miles ago.
All the best from
Nick Jervis UK 🇬🇧
Ask the man who owns one
Don't know if your even still on TH-cam hopefully still alive and doing well no offence but sound like a older gentleman but I could be wrong. But question is a hairline crack on TOP of cylinder head under cam cover starting on very front of head right under cover and extending all most to number 2 spark plug hole(4 cylinder) something that could be fixed like this or repairable don't have pictures but just wondering in general. There's NO videos here or anywhere I can find or even written info on the web I can find about a crack on TOP of head. Thanks for any info
My machine shop found a small crack near a freeze block in my engine block I was getting rebuilt. He recommended stitching it kind of like this. Will that type of repair last?
That should say freeze plug not block.
@arcticwhitepaint - Experience.
Did you broke your drill at 5:30?
See if you can find a copy of my book "Sunnen's Complete Cylinder Head and Engine Rebuilding Handbook" I describe the who process there.
How does inserting a wedge into a crack close it up? I know nothing about this method but it seems to me that it would widen the crack rather than close it. Is cast iron impossible to TIG weld? I would have thought that to be the preferred method but as I've already admitted I know nothing about this. I know that aluminum heads are routinely TIG welded I didn't know that you could not do that with cast iron. Interesting.
Cast Iron CAN be difficult to weld and has been known to be difficult historically, however, with new alloys like "EZ weld" there isnt even the need for a pre heat and controlled cooling process anymore, which means on a job like this you could simply V out the crack nice and deep, wipe with acetone and TIG with either nickel (old method) or a modern alloy rod with high elongation like EZ Weld. The end result would be FAR superior to the method shown in this video. More machinable, structurally integral rather than structurally compromising, and best of all in an area like cylinder heads youll get a 100% sealed repair, no relying on metal to metal pressure to prevent leakage or pressure loss. In my honest opinion the method shown in this video completely stone age and quite frankly I cant believe its still used. Hope this helped pal.
It plugs it by inserting tapers (so they won't be in danger of pushing through, and so that cylinder pressure can't loosen them, only tighten and seat them better) that entirely replace the cracked area - the seams should be under considerably more pressure than the actual head/fire-ring/block stack, I'd think, it shouldn't leak or anything.
As I see it, each taper is drilled and threaded into it's neighbor, they act as keys that (especially once peened and expanded/formed to each other) make it physically impossible to turn any but the last - which I assume you try to place at least partly outside the chamber.
I can easily see it leading to warping problems or all sorts of future problems - I already posted my own attack on it - but logically it should do the job, even if I'd rather have a weld.
This is just sealing the crack, not mending the metal. It's an accepted way of dealing with small cracks, though.
Cast iron CAN be unpredictable when welding it. As long as you terminate the crack, either method is pretty good. I'd bet that this pinned head is still going strong.
How so?
i over heated my car and now the top is warped .. i never had to fix stuff like that before but if i can do it my self and save money i can learn fast.. once i thought i had a bad head and paid 800$ to have it fixed but i got over charged it should have cost 200$ at best.
The purpose of peening is to expand the metal into the crack so it's a more solid fix?
I guess that was a lucky crack, you get some cracks that are unrepairable due to location im sure?
Welding it will further damage it unless a lot of time and care are taken. A lot
But how would you repair a crack if it's deep down in this valve slot?
+fiatnutz gosto muito do seu trabalho mas já vi esse procedimento em alguns lugares e não concordo, o correto ai seria um reparo com solda tig e não pinos com rosca q só vão causar uma carga lateral abrindo ainda mais a trinca, o correto é fundir a peça novamente com solda tig, ou mesmo mig se for ferro fundido
LOrd of Flies as fezes que saem da sua mente só entregam cada vez mais quem você é!
Sdvten search goodson they have the plugs for repairing cracks.
personally I live in an area where cast iron heads are V6 and V8 heads are 25 bucks, OHC are 57 and DOHC are 80. So it's just cheaper to go pull another head.
How many 60 year old 324 olds heads do they have there ?
I'd bet NONE !
B Ann
Quite a few the guy who runs it pulls the old stuff aside and will either sell parts or the whole car. He don't just slap it with a salvage title he hangs on to it for people who rebuild engine to come in.
He has one of the most successful businesses in the area. lol.
Please post contact info for his business .
Not for a 324 Olds they're not. Do you know how old and obsolete this head is?
They stopped making this engine in 1956.
scdevon
Naw, they're a dime a dozen.
Someone please send me a dozen freight collect.
Also I'd like a straight 8 complete just to clean up and hang on a stand.
I would drill the holes like you do.
but i would remove all of the crack.
and then heat the materiel to around 200 degreas celsius.
weld one string at a time with a esab OK 92.18 elektrode. prick in order to stabilize the cast iron.
Love your movies!
I dont know anything about this process....but why only plug each end.....isn't there still a crack between the plugs this guy fitted....4 plugs I think?
I don't know about this one ?
it may seem to work for a little while but the only true way to fully get rid of a crack is to drill it out and either reweld it/ do what he did.
plugging the hole?
Same way.