TR2/3/3A TR3 head welding

[Adrio]

I don't want to highjack Sam's thread on his head removal etc. so I starting an other one sice I am very interested in the weld repair of a head. I have a spare TR3 head (my TR# is running with a TR2 head right now)that has a small crack between the intake and exhaust valves on number three.
My question is, how much did it cost (and was it hard to find someone that could) to have the head welded and how long did you drive it before you sold it. Any one else have experience with weld repairs on heads they could share with the group?

Adrio

 

[Geo Hahn]

When I pulled the head off my TR4 for a valve job I was shocked to see this:

Yowsa! Based on what I know of the car this would have been done long ago, possibly 40+ years ago.

The machine shop I trust pronounced it A-OK and complimented the work done. They themselves are reluctant to attempt this.

I think it is sometimes called 'stitching'.

This repair, however, was between coolant passages between 2 & 3 where there is a llot of meat to work with. The spot you descibe may have to be handled quite differently.

 

[vivdownunder]

Find your nearest Metalock workshop. I've had heads with as many as 8 cracks stitched up perfectly, and none have failed while I had the cars.

Cheers,

Viv.

 

[glemon]

I had my Healey head welded up, there was only one guy in my area that would do it. I think it was in the $150-200 dollar range, I did not keep the car a real long time but the guy that did the work said he would not do it if he could not make it is good (better I hope since the old one cracked) as new, and I had enough other people I know that had used him that I did not really even give it a thought after the motor was done (was more worried about my amateur assembly skills than his professional welding skills).

 

[TR3driver]

This repair, however, was between coolant passages between 2 & 3 where there is a llot of meat to work with.

A crack in that location is also no big deal, because there is coolant on both sides of the crack. Many people just leave them alone, with no ill effects.

(better I hope since the old one cracked)

ANY cast iron head will crack, if sufficiently abused. Usually the crack is noticed so long after the abuse that the two things are not connected, but pretty much anything that makes it past the break-in period without cracking will only crack after that if it's abused in some way (like being run low on coolant).