H'i all.
I've just stripped my townie 2ct and the head is cracked on No4 cylinder between the valves, is there any repair for this as I did hear about silver solder but it might be for cast heads only.
Or has anyone out there got a good cylinder head (help) I have spent so much on this little baby and I love it to bits but it don't half cost alot to keep running.
Hope someone can help,
Regards,
René

- (#1033) René Medcraft (Rhondda), 30 Apr 05 15:06

Hmm, if it's any consolation, no.4 is where they usually go, René.
No easy fix for that. The only way is remove valve seats, weld, finish, machine valveseat cutouts, refit seats. And you really need to resurface the head after all that too.
There are heads out there. Before going down the recon or specialist Jap-dismantler route, ring round the non-specialist breakers local to you and see if anyone is breaking a Carina, 2C Corolla, Liteace, or early Avensis diesel. A Jap import Camry TD would be spot-on if you can find one. Some of the coolant hoses differ but the fittings will interchange on the head; and in theory the valves differ but that isn't much of a problem...

- (#1033) David Miller, 30 Apr 05 18:22

Hi I am having head teouble as well, and just b4 I have my head right off. can I ask a ?

1 lots of white smoke and then none at all.
2 Ran motor and took off rad cap fed the motor half a liter and more of water which dissapeared with some bubbles and a bit of back pressure.
3 filled the rad right up to the top and left it all night to see if the water would seep into the barrels causeing vast clouds of smoke on start in the morning.
4 no smoke in the morning.

am I right in thinking that a cracked head would need pressure to force the coolent into the barrels?

ps. have bypassed the fuel filter and checked all the breather hoses.

- (#1033) Paul, 1 May 05 17:08

hi paul,
if there is no water coming out of the exhaust after leavin it all night under pressure it is possible that the cylinders are ok, but the head or gasket is a possibility as i pressurised mine and the drop in pressure was very slight and on starting up the pressure raised about 15psi on the pressure gauge.
my head is cracked but i've taken it to have a pressure test professionally because they say that it might not be leaking as vauxhall astras crack there very regularly and dont leak,
i'll keep you posted on the result.
regards.
rené.


- (#1033) René Medcraft (Rhondda), 4 May 05 03:03

René, I think you'll find that if it's cracked between the seats it'll be leaking. The alloy is pretty thin there, the water jacket is very close...

- (#1033) David Miller, 4 May 05 03:48

Hi Dave,
Yes the head is cracked so its a new head phoned all the local dismantlers and they seem to know the situation about the Townies overheating problems, so it looks like a new one for me.
The cheapest one I can get so far is £535.00 plus the dreaded, so I'm going for that as I do not want to do this job again and I'm doing the radiator fan job.
I hope I will be able to get the fan switch to go into the top hose on its own as I have two rads to go on.
will let you know how I get on.
Regards.
René

- (#1033) René Medcraft (Rhondda), 4 May 05 16:51

BBCspares has a reconned head complete for £485 plus the dreaded....

- (#1033) neil (torbay), 4 May 05 17:21