Richard,
I've just been through the same issues with heads. I had 5 heads to
choose from I took all the high port heads( 2xTR3, 2xTR4A) into a
machinist friend of mine who has been doing jobs for me for 20 years.
All 4 heads that he magna fluxed for me where cracked through the water
jacket web area between #2 & 3 cylinders, 2 of the heads had cracks from
this water jacket to the head stud holes on one side or the other, and
one head had a crack between the seats of the #4 cylinder intake and
exhaust valves. He was very familiar with these heads only in Massey
Ferguson Tractors form. In his opinion the crack in the web between the
water jackets is not important to be repaired but is going to plug it
for me anyway and all the other heads in his opinion are easily repaired
and would be as reliable as new. The biggest cost involved is putting in
new seats @$22.00 each installed, valve guides $9.95 each installed,
plus valve grinding which I can't remember the price off the top of my
head but it was the most reasonable charge. The head that was cracked
between the seats only required that both seats be replaced to fix that
crack. There are shops here that charge $135.00 to recondition a 4
cylinder head that includes hot tanking the head, magna fluxing for
cracks, installing new guides(steel extra for bronze), refacing the
valves and seats. But it doesn't take long for the price to go up from
there if you need seats, surfacing, and cracks repaired. You can buy new
heads out of the UK in both iron and aluminum they start at around
$800.00.
TR4 & 4A heads will fit you will get a modest increase in performance
out of a TR4A head they flow better.
Based on what I've seen so far and what other have told me unless the
heads these suppliers are selling are new castings the probably have had
cracks repaired in them as well.
Lastly I have a low port lemans head and manifolds in very good
condition that I would sell but it is only correct for an early small
mouth TR3 or very late TR2 and shipping would be very high based on the
weight.
Doug Hamilton
1960 TR3A
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