Cracked Head - Yikes.

[jojofilo88]

Hey guys,

I've been sort of MIA for a while, my car's been running great, and I sort of stopped checking in on the posts day to day to limit how much I was spending on improvements to the car. I was hoping this year would be a year I just enjoy the car, and don't have any major projects...Lady A had other ideas (although they were my fault).

I store the car at my grandfather's, about an hour from my house. Went out to the car this weekend excited to get my first ride of the year here in New England. Knew I'd have to take it out of storage (check the fluids, refill the radiator since I run water in the summer and drain it for the winter, check the tires, etc).

Started filling the radiator, and found water gushing out of a huge crack on the top of the head. So much for the year of no fixes! Can't blame the car though. In the fall when I went to drain the radiator, I opened the petcock and nothing came out. There is a plastic sheet under the car, and it was wet, as sometimes the petcock leaks on my car. I assumed the water in the radiator had all leaked out because it had been sitting for about a month since the last time I drove it. Turns out it must have already frozen (this was in late October / early November).

Check out the damage in the attached pictures. Looks like I'm switching back to using coolant, which I had been avoiding since it sprays on the side of hood if it leaks or overheats occasionally. I was using water with a rust inhibitor the last few years with no issues, but at least for fall and winter, I'm planning on switching back to coolant so it can't freeze in the winter.

I got the head off over the weekend. Need to look over the block some more next time I'm near the car and ensure it's ok, but it appears the damage was only on the head. You can see in one of the pictures that the cylinders were holding water, which had leaked into them due to the crack. I'm thinking because the cylinders held water that there shouldn't be cracks in the walls, but need to do a little more inspecting before knowing for sure. I got the water out of the cylinders this weekend.

[Mitch//pa]

If your car sometimes overheats I would fix that also.. A radiator that does not have full flow will slowly destroy an engine.... Hope your block is ok. Once everything is squared away you can run coolant without the fear of it blowing all over the car...rusty water looks nasty also all over the paint.. Oh this might involve spending 7 bills for a good radiator..
Your drain cock probably got clogged from rust that's in the block. So much for rust inhibitor.

[jojofilo88]

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions Mitch. The radiator is usually good. Occasionally it will bubble out if I'm not paying attention going up a hill. Other times it would leak where the tubes clamp to the metal. I'd just have to tighten down the clamps. My grandfather had the radiator replaced by a local Model A shop - A's and More in Stafford Springs, CT - before I got the car from him (about 15 years ago at this point I think).

[C26Pinelake]

The location you live in pretty much demands the use of anti freeze. If the leak is fixed you won't have to worry about the hood issue. Unfortunately ignoring the water leak is responsible for a hefty repair bill. Wayne

[Brentwood Bob]

I have seen a blocked return tube above the petcock leading me to assume the block was dry. Rust had bridged over the petcock. Check the return tube when you survey the block.
Doesn't hurt to run some soluable oil in the coolant IMHO.
Bob

[jojofilo88]

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Good point...I'll be sure to check that line as well. I was thinking of replacing that petcock as well, so that in the future I don't think "well sometimes it leaks, so that must be where are the water/coolant went"

[tbirdtbird]

"The radiator is usually good. Occasionally it will bubble out if I'm not paying attention going up a hill."

This is not normal.
The cooling system needs attention.
You have a lot of rust accumulation inside the block because of no antifreeze/anti-corrosion (which is part of antifreeze).
You will have trouble until you are able to embrace this.
Use a Gano filter in the upper hose or use a section of nylon stocking as a filter at the upper rad. neck.
I promise there is rust accumulation in the rad tubes at this point also.
Sorry about the head

[mshmodela]

Gee sorry for your loss... Well take your time with nuts if they are rusted... Like the study of Geology -time and pressure... Let time do the work....

[H. L. Chauvin]

Looks like the head I have from our unpredictable freeze in 1962 ..... while away, in our enclosed garage, it got down to a record (18) degrees the first day ...... record (8) degrees the second day ... had no anti-freeze in engine because my original radiator was constantly leaking ..... luckily the block did not crack.

Cracked heads, rather than finish painted good heads can be used to remove and install Model A engines, depending on engine lifting type methods ...... does not matter if they get scratched ..... cracked heads in one's shop are also good for a friendly reminder of ............. ????????? ...... you guessed it!

[jojofilo88]

tbird - I will take a look over the cooling system (I have an experienced Model A guy in the area who helps with my car, so I'll have him look it over as well). I think looking for any blockages is a smart idea. I do use rust inhibitor in the water, and I regularly flush the water through the system, usually a few times a season.

mshmodela - i'd add to your comment by saying "time and pressure...and PB40!"

[Aok]

Bad news about the head, my car when I got it had a crack in the block in the valve area. Wound up installing a complete new engine , was not happy about the cost but that was 3 years back now I am happy with the new engine. Point being a head is better the a block and might be time to spend some extra cash and get a high compression head and turn a problem into a improvement.

[J Franklin]

Now is your good excuse to buy a higher compression head!

[Rowdy]

Sounds like a good oportunity to upgrade to a HC head. Sorry to hear about the cracked head though. Rod

[Dick M]

I highly recommend, at the very least, you have your radiator boiled out and rodded at your favorite radiator shop. That will let you know if the radiator is still good or beyond repair. You will have options if a new radiator or a new radiator core is required. You can add more fins to the inch, and/or increase the number of rows of tubes when ordering a new radiator or radiator core. Either or both option(s) will result in better cooling. Further, while you have the radiator out, you can fill the block with your favorite block cleaner and do a reverse block flush to clear out as much scale as possible. Last, I would recommend that you replace your head with the Snyder 5.5:1 head. It costs about the same as a stock head, gives you more power when climbing a hill, and you can use the stock head studs. Remember, a clogged radiator and/or scale in the block will always cause your car to run hotter. Best of luck!

[PC/SR]

Sometimes the petcock gets blocked by crud. Put a nail up it if nothing comes out initially.

[chap52]

You have to do it right. Get that radiator looked at. Like Dick M said, flush the block.
Sounds like you were having "not normal" conditions for awhile. Time to enjoy the warm garage and get it ready for a late spring cruise.
Bummer about the head, I would go with the Snyder head also.

[tbirdtbird]

I am with #13.
While the head is off, take a section of bowden cable sheathing (bowden cable is what the old fashioned manual choke cables were made of: a wire inside a spiral-wound sheathing), and chuck it in your cordless drill.
Remove the water inlet on the driver's side so you can have full vision of what is going on.
Adapt an air tip (normally connected to your air compressor) over to a garden hose. Stuff rags down the cylinders and protect the valve passageways so that water does not enter the valves. Use the bowden cable to agitate all over the place around the water jacket. Use the now water tip to gently pressure wash the water jacket; all the crud will flush out the inlet. I have made up a plate that bolts onto the inlet that has a 1/2" pipe fitting and a shutoff valve on it and I run a piece of old heater hose to the valve, and stick the other end of the hose in a bucket. This way I can flush all I want and not have rusty water blowing all over everything. I can even shut the valve, mix up some lye, and partially (and carefully) fill the water jacket and let it sit for 3-4 days. Then flush again and then use the bowden cable again, and then flush again. I repeat until I get no more rust out of the jacket. This is a way to do a good cleaning of your water jacket with the motor still all assembled. You will be amazed at the crap you get out of there, even if you used rust inhibitor. There will be the most crud sitting behind cyl #4 because the engine is tilted back 3°.
Under no circumstances do you want any of the lye to get inside anything but the water jacket. It will destroy bearings. I get lye at ACE hardware; they have it behind the counter. You have to ask for it. When I am done the water jacket metal is back to a raw cast iron gray color, clean as can be.

Lye is caustic do not get it on anything or on your skin or eyes. We greatly prefer lye to muriatic acid, which can be very very hard to neutralize after you are done.
This process mimics the hot tanks of yesteryear whereby engine shops had a heated vat of lye that they let bare blocks sit in for days or weeks. The lye will NOT eat the metal. Muriatic acid will.

If you use the nylon stocking trick I mentioned before be sure to check it every 100 miles and change to a new piece if it has collected any rust. Keep dong this until the nylon is clean.

We have done this to several motors with exceedingly good results

[glenn in camino]

When I put a B head on my sport coupe, I didn't notice a crack in it's side. It started to leak water, so I put some alumaseal in the radiator and have been driving it ever since (3000 miles so far). Your problem looks too big for Alumiseal.

[jojofilo88]

Thanks for your thoughts and comments everyone. A bit of work in front of me still but I appreciate your words of wisdom. I'll be relieved when she's back up and running.

[Mike V. Florida]