The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Found a crack in my head!

(not my skull) I have a 49 Chev 2 ton with a '59 261ci. I took the head off to rebuild it and after a hot tank and sand blast I found a crack that goes from the intake seat across the water jacket into the exhaust seat! Now i have to explore my options of what heads will fit onto this block?

rippintare,

Aren't these fixable by a good automotive machine shop. I have seen pretty nasty cracks repaired by the drill and plug method.

This would require two new seats in that combustion chamber, but I have had that done several times on cracked heads. Maybe location doesn't make this type of repair feasible.

If the 261 head is specific to that engine, it might be a bearcat to find a good replacement.

Stuart

i did think of getting it welded but headmasters charges about $100/inch. (not in the budget). The guy i bought my truck off has a '51 235ci but i don't know if you can make them work. (different oiling setup i'd imagine)

Yeah i was kinda thinking that the 261 head might be hard to find.(there is a swap meet next weekend here in town so i'll keep my fingers crossed........)


Here is a couple pics of the damage.


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h37/rippintare/SUC52900.jpg
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h37/rippintare/SUC52901.jpg
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h37/rippintare/SUC52902.jpg

when i had the machine work done on the 261 of my 55 first series 2 ton they found the head to be cracked, i just had a head from a 235 reworked, drilled the steam holes and she's been uh-haulin ever since.

thats good news. I'm not too clear on what the steam holes are and where i would have to drill them?

The 51 head will be off a babbit-pounder engine, and I don't think it will fit the 261. The 848 head fits both late-model 235's and 261's, I believe. The "steam holes" are small coolant passages that can be drilled into a 235 head by using a 261 head gasket as a drilling guide, I think.
Jerry

look at the combustion chamber side of the 261 head,there should be a steam hole in between the combustion chambers, roughly an 1/8 inch or so in diameter i think. what i did was i took the new head gasket,it will have these holes already in it, i used it as a template on the 235 head, center punched, then carefully drilled the holes with the proper size drill bit, be carefull not use to much force, wouldnt want to break the bit off in the head. i believe the 235 head i used was from a 1956 engine.

according to Patricks Antiques out west its 1954 full pressure 235's or newer.

also if i remember correctly as this was a few years or so ago..he had also mentioned that the 235 head had a slightly smaller combustion chamber, for a slight increase in compression, and slighty better flowing ports.

ok, thanks for the info guys, I now know what i'm looking for and the steam hole issue will be no problem. much appreciated.

I hade the same issue with my 261. I used a 235 head and drilled the steam holes. I have pictures i you need them or want to look thru my webshot album. It will work and I remember the new head cost me about $120.

Start here if you want 848 head pictures: http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2430370260080243953ZpWlhB

I got a buddy who has a head out of a '54 Bel air he will give me. Will this one out of a car be the same? Just to clarify. The steam holes are the 2 small ones between the 1st and 2nd cyl, 3rd and 4th and 5th and 6th cylinders?

bttt

I don't know about the car but you can check the numbers to make sure it will work or not. Yes the small steam holes are just as you have written. You can see them in my picture link above.