324 Oldsmobile Cracked Cylinder Head Repair

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324 Oldsmobile Cracked Cylinder Head Repair

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Күн бұрын

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.

Пікірлер: 177

@bad406camaro 11 жыл бұрын

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

@robertdavis6708 11 жыл бұрын

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.

@briancannizzo8667 7 жыл бұрын

This brought back memories.i used tio pin heads about 30 yrs ago.spme of my work is still going strong.

@authmaax 12 жыл бұрын

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

@bowtie4315 11 жыл бұрын

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!

@scrfce123 12 жыл бұрын

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.

@thesuccessfulbarber 5 жыл бұрын

You're the real deal old school mechanic. Thank You for the wisdom

@futten3230 12 жыл бұрын

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

@mikldude 13 жыл бұрын

yes i saw the title of the vid and thought for sure it would be welded up, learn something every day , thanks John :)

@fiatnutz 11 жыл бұрын

It's the most cost efficient method and the resurlts are very good.

@stetsonwalker 12 жыл бұрын

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 4 жыл бұрын

I know this is old comment,but could you tell me the name of that book if you see this?

@user-xp5id1kh4r 3 ай бұрын

@@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???

@lukatrades 3 ай бұрын

@@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

@scrfce123 12 жыл бұрын

...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).

@edsmith9846 Жыл бұрын

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.

@cid4887 8 жыл бұрын

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.

@jonesgerard 10 жыл бұрын

" what does peening do?" Peening compresses the metal and strengthens it. Similar to bead blasting, it forces the iron molecules closer together.

@dav3fk 9 жыл бұрын

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.

@fiatnutz 11 жыл бұрын

The head is made from cast iron. It can be welded, but requires furnace brazing - which I don't have or use.

@pedro-kg7jr 9 жыл бұрын

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.

@byonbill9499 6 жыл бұрын

It sure is interesting to see how many people know your job better than you do John.

@daled8221 Жыл бұрын

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.

@mgordil7 4 жыл бұрын

Glad to see this method. Got a Cat head that cost 6500 to replace. Screw paying that much.

@simoncrabb 11 жыл бұрын

An interesting method, basically replaces the crack and surrounding area with new metal.

@CharlieAtkins 12 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed watching this video, It is very informative! 28 Year Master, L-1 Technician

@potsmoker5000 13 жыл бұрын

Great video John.

@steisje 12 жыл бұрын

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?

@douro20 12 жыл бұрын

Pin stitching is the best way to repair a cast-iron cylinder head. The repair is actually stronger than the metal of the head.

@amirmanyakala7949 4 жыл бұрын

cheers for all old timer's, now days just pull out and put new...

@compucar03 13 жыл бұрын

Wow I definitely learned something new. Thanks a lot! Is this the typical way to repair a crack in a cast iron head?

@fiatnutz 12 жыл бұрын

Ths is a tried and true repair method, how would you make the same repair?

@MrRichard57000 6 жыл бұрын

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..

@dodger59 8 жыл бұрын

What do you use for Peening? Is it a pneumatic hammer? Looks like a very handy tool. Thanks.

@kevinkatz7027 5 жыл бұрын

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?

@xRoderxx 8 жыл бұрын

Neva mess with an old timer

@86Ivar 12 жыл бұрын

@30GB most likely it would crack again cause the weld causes tension in the metal.

@240sxmetal 11 жыл бұрын

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?

@ashleybabao2154 8 ай бұрын

Very interesting, what tools do i need to perform this operation.

@nickjervis8123 5 жыл бұрын

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

@herbienbrian2 13 жыл бұрын

wow, I had no idea this is how you repaired a head crack. I always thought it was done with welding.

@Anarchy-Is-Liberty 3 жыл бұрын

It can be done with welding, this is just one of a few different ways you can repair a head crack.

@michaelatkin9649 4 жыл бұрын

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?

@evilcowboy 10 жыл бұрын

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.

@banno6938 10 жыл бұрын

How many 60 year old 324 olds heads do they have there ? I'd bet NONE !

@evilcowboy 10 жыл бұрын

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.

@banno6938 10 жыл бұрын

Please post contact info for his business .

@scdevon 9 жыл бұрын

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.

@banno6938 9 жыл бұрын

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.

@fiatnutz 12 жыл бұрын

To consolidate the pins with surounding material.

@fiatnutz 11 жыл бұрын

We use TIG welding for aluminum. There are plugs available for aluminum, but we prefer welding.

@gasousman 11 жыл бұрын

what about the areas between the plugs? Aren't these areas still cracked?

@checkmatenate Жыл бұрын

Very nice 👍🏼

@l0tf1 13 жыл бұрын

Love these videos. Keep 'em coming

@satamanschmidt3428 10 жыл бұрын

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.

@freedomman06 10 жыл бұрын

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.

@dav3fk 9 жыл бұрын

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.

@scdevon 9 жыл бұрын

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.

@moka1529 10 жыл бұрын

awesome true master !!

@bobgreene2892 4 жыл бұрын

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.

@user-tc6jx1qy4o 4 ай бұрын

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?!

@warrenparker6287 3 ай бұрын

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.

@arockpcb1347 6 жыл бұрын

Welding it will further damage it unless a lot of time and care are taken. A lot

@johnnywhite9956 10 жыл бұрын

I don't know about this one ?

@izzynutz2000 8 жыл бұрын

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..?

@texasbmx246 12 жыл бұрын

I guess that was a lucky crack, you get some cracks that are unrepairable due to location im sure?

@thudymat 12 жыл бұрын

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.

@russsboy 9 жыл бұрын

thanks from russia !

@fiatnutz 11 жыл бұрын

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.

@DirTyOhGee 13 жыл бұрын

Very cool video!

@richardstrach6104 6 жыл бұрын

Thanka..very good information

@JGprojects 11 жыл бұрын

Nice work, tidy repair!

@THEMOWERMEDIC1 13 жыл бұрын

any updates on the air flow head?

@jessicaripley5654 3 жыл бұрын

Don't know if your even still on KZfaq 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

@KrazyPolak87 13 жыл бұрын

The purpose of peening is to expand the metal into the crack so it's a more solid fix?

@elliott1787 13 жыл бұрын

@skylineracer360 Relaxes the metal.

@fredbcj 12 жыл бұрын

ive watched it and understand it ,but i would always weld or braze it. more caverties and weak spots wont help a problem,this will just add problems later ,ie it is a fix not a cure ,blooming good cure and fair play ,for the boke who invented this,top man

@bigmike11676 9 жыл бұрын

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?

@bigmike11676 9 жыл бұрын

That should say freeze plug not block.

@BraindeadLemming 10 жыл бұрын

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.

@86Ivar 12 жыл бұрын

Have you tried penetrating silver solder? we had some at school meant for repairing cast iron cracks, never got the chance to try it.

@michaelmixon2479 6 жыл бұрын

Good video!

@conflyyto 8 жыл бұрын

+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

@conflyyto 7 жыл бұрын

LOrd of Flies as fezes que saem da sua mente só entregam cada vez mais quem você é!

@GuessThisPrice 11 жыл бұрын

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.

@timc9893 4 жыл бұрын

You don't need to understand the how's or the why's, just accept it as old school voodoo magic, and move on...

@theadventurebiker 4 жыл бұрын

@@timc9893 LOL 👍

@kringle02 5 жыл бұрын

I’m not bein sarcastic at all so please don’t take it that way I’m asking so I under stand how it can work . My question is you removed metal at the begaing of the crack and end and plunged it ,what king of metal did you use to plug it .In my mind cast iron is going to expand at a rate different from the metal you used when it heats up causing it to crack again .does your technic stop that ,I’m really interested in more information ,best regards Chris .

@sdvten 5 жыл бұрын

The "plugs" are soft steel. One of the companies that makes them is Lock N Stitch. This is really the best repair method for most cast iron parts. Especially if the part sees regular heat/cool cycles.

@josephastier7421 2 жыл бұрын

Is it possible to repair a crack between the intake and exhaust valves?

@fiatnutz 11 жыл бұрын

It's a ceramic sealer from Pioneer.

@Anarchy-Is-Liberty 3 жыл бұрын

Are the plugs made of cast iron as well?

@sdvten 11 жыл бұрын

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.

@micbanand 11 жыл бұрын

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!

@nickaxe771 Жыл бұрын

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?

@razorlight201 4 жыл бұрын

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

@trevorbyron9448 Жыл бұрын

But how would you repair a crack if it's deep down in this valve slot?

@DatBlueHusky 13 жыл бұрын

would it work if you grind the crack open and weld a bead down the crack?

@antonioosoriokory 8 жыл бұрын

Tengo el mismo problema en unas cabezas small blok chevy saludos de México

@86Ivar 13 жыл бұрын

ive seen some silver solder crack penetration, are these any good?

@mattlf9120 4 жыл бұрын

Does a tapered pin expand the crack when they're tightened down?

@SoobikPisik 12 жыл бұрын

How far from the end of the crack its good to trill? Right at the end or some mm away?

@UKtegi 11 жыл бұрын

Is this available for aluminum cyl heads too? Or is that a different procedure?

@vwkenart 11 жыл бұрын

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