Head/Block damage serious?
Head/Block damage serious? So, I've been tearing down my engine to replace my camshaft and lifters after that tell-tale clicking we all know and hate... Got to the heads and found this:
All pictures are driver side at the front-most lifter, no other signs of damage elsewhere. The pushrod was broken into 2 pieces, one was bent a fair bit the other had a worn lip from where it bored the hole shown in first pic
Top of head looking down
Sidewall of head
Bottom of head looking up (sry for lack of light, but you get the idea)
The block itself
From my thinking it seems like I may have dodged a bullet, as I reason that the regions damaged will not affect the strength and workability of the heads/block (nothing rests there, no real damage done to the face of either component that would suggest it would trap air), but I am not experienced with such things and would like some advice.
Simply put, do the heads/block look alright and ok to run?
The mating face of the block is slightly compromised, since I am thinking of putting the same heads back on will it matter since their wounds "match"?
In a perfect world I know I would chuck the block and heads and any sign of damage and buy new everything but I want to avoid that if at all possible.
All pictures are driver side at the front-most lifter, no other signs of damage elsewhere. The pushrod was broken into 2 pieces, one was bent a fair bit the other had a worn lip from where it bored the hole shown in first pic
Top of head looking down
Sidewall of head
Bottom of head looking up (sry for lack of light, but you get the idea)
The block itself
From my thinking it seems like I may have dodged a bullet, as I reason that the regions damaged will not affect the strength and workability of the heads/block (nothing rests there, no real damage done to the face of either component that would suggest it would trap air), but I am not experienced with such things and would like some advice.
Simply put, do the heads/block look alright and ok to run?
The mating face of the block is slightly compromised, since I am thinking of putting the same heads back on will it matter since their wounds "match"?
In a perfect world I know I would chuck the block and heads and any sign of damage and buy new everything but I want to avoid that if at all possible.
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
From: houston, texas
hard to say. i had the exact same failure. after i bought my car it was ticking. i thought it was the junk headers, but after i put my TSP's on i knew it was a lifter. chose to drive it anyway and...same photos. anyway. my pushrod did not hit the block. only the head. the part of the block that was damaged does not see combustion pressures, so if it were mine i would try to lightly file only the risen areas of the damage. try to keep the area you file to a minimum though you dont want create a valley there. what kind of head gaskets and bolts are you putting back in it?
hard to say. i had the exact same failure. after i bought my car it was ticking. i thought it was the junk headers, but after i put my TSP's on i knew it was a lifter. chose to drive it anyway and...same photos. anyway. my pushrod did not hit the block. only the head. the part of the block that was damaged does not see combustion pressures, so if it were mine i would try to lightly file only the risen areas of the damage. try to keep the area you file to a minimum though you dont want create a valley there. what kind of head gaskets and bolts are you putting back in it?
What do you mean by kind? Felpro is the brand for both gaskets and bolts.
