I cant get my pics to load. So will have to work with descriptions.
A set of 1998 (old style) brodix t1 heads. Massively ported (actually done fairly well according to my engine builder) the ceilings of the heads have been pretty hogged out and there are multiple holes through into the spring seat. Probably do to core shift. The porter just kept porting so that all the ports "matched" and then epoxied them.
I dont know how many hands they went through to get to the guy who i got them from or what the story is but he couldn't "get them to seal" and the motor ran poorly/smoked. So he tore it down.
The epoxy must have came loose. Looks like avery small peice may have slammed into the quench area of the head repeatedly. scoreing it up a little. Cost to repair was quoted at $550 to him. He just stripped them and basically was throwing them out. They have been sitting for years.
Ok, so my plan was to pick up some aluminum washers slightly bigger than the spring seat and then machine them down so that they fit very snuggly and then epoxy them in place. Actually may make the holes a little bigger and have the washer protrude into the runner slightly.
Doing it this way hopefully accomplishes three things. Restored strength to the spring seat. Very little epoxy in the runner and almost no way for any to fall in and the aluminum can be ported back to match the other ports without risking new holes. (Shame to waste all that port work)
This is a challenge car, we can't weld it and the budget won't cover the welds. So this is my "free" solution and if successful will add a huge boost to my HP numbers. At lease three if not all of the helicoils (almost every bolt hole in these heads are coiled) on the intake side need to be redone as well.
These heads have had a rough life.... But they are no joke and need to be saved!
Sounds cool! I love rescuing abandoned mechanical things.
Will be awesome if it works!
No good advice on the corvette forum and no advice here?
I figured this kind of repair would be rignt up your alley.
"Cant be welded." I can weld the crack of dawn with a Mahogony rod. You will find what you need here, including skills development.
Oh. They can be welded.
But the cost of 5 welds is greater than the value of the bare casting.
Now if i could find some one in or near Michigan to weld them up for a six pack.... But its beyond my skill and outside my budget.
Worst case is i just throw more epoxy in and run them. But i had thought this solution to be better.
Try a Vo tech welding class? The instructor may do it as a teaching exercise.
Try the Kellogg Community College RMTC instructors. I work with a few guys going to school over there right now and I'm hoping that I will be going back in the spring.
I'm in Climax (between Kzoo and BC) and work across the street from the RMTC at Denso if you need someone to drop them off.
I may just weld them myself.
I welded all kinds of metal with mig tig arc and gas as a young man.
Guess i just need to do some research.
Possible to epoxy cups into the spring seats?
Epoxying cups in is the solution ive settled upon...
But my attempts to get advice on alternative repairs were brutal and i had decided to keep it to myself...
So thanks for asking!
Late question. If the ports were so hogged out, and you can see holes in the spring seat area, I am thinking , it only a matter of time before this valve springs crack thru the week epoxy bond, and the springs plunge into the overly hogged out intake,exhaust ports. There is not too much metal left in there.when those springs are open you have a couple 100 inch pound's of force, and closed still allot of force pressing down on the weakened area, now think this happening at 1000 to 6000 rpm.
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Zombie thread. Curious what happened, though.
