These heads can be successfully welded as part of a complete rebuild if
the shop has the right equipment. Welding cast iron requires heating up
the work piece in an oven, welding, cooling down in an oven slowly to
prevent heat induced stresses, finishing off the excess weldment, and
then installing new valve seats, guides, etc. and surfacing.
The head should be completely filled with coolant under normal
circumstances, so if you are seeing steam it is because you are losing
coolant through the crack or somewhere else. This is why they crack!
Usually there is plenty of evidence of dried, crusty coolant around the
cracks or under them and they are easy to spot.
Find a good head if you can, but welding is also a viable option if done
properly.
Stuart MacMillan
Seattle
'84 Vanagon Westfalia w/2.1
'65 MGB (Driven since 1969)
'74 MGB GT (Restoring)
Assisting on Restoration:
'72 MGB GT (Daughter's)
'64 MGB (Son's)
Parts cars:
'68 & '73 MGB, '67 MGB GT
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