Any success in welding Saturn heads? Or, what is the head interchange on a ’94 Saturn Twincam?
A family member’s SL2 lost power steering, and everything else driven by the serpentine belt. The PS pump is sitting askew. One bolt is broken off in the head. Another bolt has broken out of its hole.
Sorry for the cellphone quality pics.
I’m not optimistic about repairing the broken boss.
So, what heads swap? I see a couple of potential donors - 97’ seems common, for some reason - on CL and in the paper, but I’ve heard something about sensor/wiring differences. Anyone know?
Of course, I’m also considering the inevitable mission creep in a high mileage car – timing chain, gaskets and seals, transmission (automatic) …
jEdit - oh, yeah, there's a chip out of the PS pump bracket. Not as big a deal.
I would imagine that any 1.9L twincam head would work, I can check tomorrow at work.
Any chance a machine shop could repair your current head after removal?
The catalog is showing me different part numbers for every year but I can't see why they would change the head design.
I'm not a saturn guy, but it seems to me that if you have the head off anyway, a decent machine or welding shop should be able to TIG that back together for you. Probably charge you $50-75 if you bring the whole thing to them (head, broken bits.) Is a new used head cheaper than that?
If it's a '94, you need a '92-'95 head. '91s are just wonky (and rare anyway) because it was the first year, and after '95 they went to an electronic EGR valve, and therefore a different EGR mounting shape/size. Plus one coolant temp sensor instead of two, but that doesn't really matter, long story.
And the head design for DOHC changed again mid '99, because they went to a 9-bolt exhaust header design instead of 5 bolts.
I'm with the Dr., that may be able to be welded back together. Or you could find a '92-'95 junkyard head, do the valve seals and have it milled, and swap them. Good way to refresh the head gasket, too.
Is it really sad that I can repeat that all from memory?
Thanks for the input, everyone.
Junkyard heads go for about what I'd pay for the whole car. Ok, maybe a little less.
I'll probably pull it and bribe the welder at work to give it a shot. I'm a little concerned about weld quality on cast aluminum in a stressed area, but ... we'll see.
That, and I need to see if there's not one more bolt broken, bent, or pulled out on that setup.
Twin Cam, I'm glad that someone knows that stuff - and shares.
