Crack in head....

[Mix01FLHT]

How hard is it to repair a crack in a twincam head?  Buddy pulled his heads only to find a crack between the valves on one of the heads.  Wants to know how much and who can fix it. 

Any help here??


TIA

Mix

[wfolarry]

Replace it. It's cheaper & better. If the head cracked between valves meaning right in the middle the crack is so deep that you would have a hard time cutting it out & filling it back in. If it's a later head with the garbage mixed in they weld like chit. Add in the cost of replacing seats, machine work etc. & you'll see it's not cost effective.

[Dennis The Menace]

Yeah, start hunting a good used one.  If he had head work done, he will have to pay to have it done on a replacement.  Sucks, but if its cracked, the best option is replace it.  Not saying it couldnt be welded up for a temp fix until he has more coin, but dont expect it to be a permanent fix, IMO.

Crack like that makes me wonder if it was torqued properly..I bet not.  When he replaces it, he should follow SM spec on sequence and torque.  JMO.

[Admiral Akbar]

Crack like that makes me wonder if it was torqued properly..I bet not.  When he replaces it, he should follow SM spec on sequence and torque.  JMO.

Thanks, Need that..

Max

[BUBBIE]

Where is Jerry Branch when we need him?

Hope he is still and doing good..

signed....BUBBIE

[bigblock6912]

jerry is doing well. not a daily fixture at the shop tho.

[BUBBIE]

jerry is doing well. not a daily fixture at the shop tho.

In 1995 I had an 883 to 1200 and was going to get Branch Heads.. I already bought wiseco 10.5/1 pistons. Wanting to use his bathtub heads, I called the shop expecting to get the recorder but the voice came on,,,, Jerry...

I called it my late night build with Jerry Branch..
It might of been posted here...

I do remember how he suggested to build it, me wanting low end torque and I could not use his heads with my pistons.. so Yada yada on how.., Then I asked him; What about cams???

His reply, Shouted back over the phone to me""" There you go,,, you wanted low end torque Now you want to cam it all away... """ put it together like I said Then go find a pole and climb it... call me back and tell me what you think.

Glad to hear he is well.  He helped me build a very fast bike over the phone, and for Free.. What a Guy...

Thanks Jerry Branch...

signed....BUBBIE
 

[Barrett]

I wouldn't even think about a repair job on something that is so inexpensive.

[PC_Hater]

I wouldn't even think about a repair job on something that is so inexpensive.

How times change!
I love to see old bikes that were kept running by the owners as best they could with various repairs. There was a famous 1920s Norton single, the head was held on by a screw-type car jack jammed between the cylinder head and the frame top rail. It did tens of thousands of miles like that.

Meanwhile, put the cracked head away safely - somebody might be glad of it in 50 years time, and now go and buy a used or new head.

[02FYRFTR]

I have seen HTCC heads suffer the same problem and also heads that have had the seats replaced.  If it is the rear head, I would also check the exhaust side of the piston for scuffing, suspect over heating. Talked to a CNC porter a couple of weeks ago, crack rear head scuffing rear head did not recommend changing the head out.  ?

[dakota224]

Why mess with it, buy a used one on e-bay , there anr a bunch of them there..

[Mix01FLHT]

He was not the original owner of the bike.  Heads were ported and polished by someone in Colorado, dont know whom..  Would have to buy a set of heads and send them out for reworking. Bike was 100/100 tq/hp before crack on a 95"



Mix

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Replace it. It's cheaper & better. If the head cracked between valves meaning right in the middle the crack is so deep that you would have a hard time cutting it out & filling it back in. If it's a later head with the garbage mixed in they weld like chit. Add in the cost of replacing seats, machine work etc. & you'll see it's not cost effective.

Scott

[02FYRFTR]

Score another one for the parts changers !!!  We definitely are in a throw away society.

[Rusty Steel]

Score another one for the parts changers !!!  We definitely are in a throw away society.

NO... If you want a throw away society, go over to Japan.

[Admiral Akbar]

If we were a throw away society, you wouldn't be able to find any used heads..  Max

[FXDRYDR]

   

[timtoolman]

If you had your own tig unit. a few thermo pyrometers to watch heat input  some  extra time depending on how expensive/ rare  the heads were  it would be a easy fix  id do it, but just everyday heads  id replace it.  But then i welded on nuc reactors for 20 years,  easy fix

[Princess Butt]

Cost effective, it's better to replace with good used or even a set of new takeoffs.

You can try to weld and machine, and there are guys out there who can do that kind of work. Problem is, they're expensive. If you're working with a set of Panheads, then you pay the man to fix them. For a current production engine, you just go get another set.

If I'm around in 50 years from now, a cracked cylinder head won't matter as much as the memories I'll hopefully still have. Memories of great rides, great friends, and great times.