Is this fuct?

[ditch_bound]

I pulled my head off of my motor to put a metal head gasket and studs in and this is what i found. (pretty isn't it)

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture129.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture127.jpg

I never heard it detonating but it obviously was. I was wondering if anybody has experienced this before and was curious what you did about it. I was thinking of welding the damaged area and then having it machined back down. I was also thinking about leaving the piston alone maybe a little buff job or something. Let me know what you think.

[los_inc]

i would just get a new block and call it a day

[ditch_bound]

i have two spare blocks but dont know their condition. this motor ran fine and compression test was within 10 psi on all cylinders

[spdfreek0o]

I say, since you have spare blocks, clean this one up and run it till it blows. You should probably fix what is causing detonation though.

[MELLO*SOS]

FYI to get the Cometic MLS head gaskets to seal up correctly (on the RB at least -- I would assume the SR/KA is the same) the block and the head both need to be machined. There is a specification of the smoothness of each surface required, call up Cometic for the details.

The block looks fine from those images you posted -- but the squish areas on the head on #3 and #4 cyl look a little fucked. Why not swap a clean head from your other motor onto this one? Why is cyl #3 full of oil?

Also I am always curious how you guys who do a head gasket swap with the motor in the car (I assume this is in the car still?) get the old head gasket material off the block without filling your cylinders, oil and coolant passages with crap? I did mine with the block on a stand, with the block tilted so the crap falls to the floor instead of down the passageways... GL

[ditch_bound]

#3 isnt full of oil but it looks like it. the motor is out of the car. the block is fine its just that my #4 piston is pitted real bad, and am wondering if it would be foolish to use it in the condition its in.

[MELLO*SOS]

I'd clean it up somehow if possible, otherwise all that crap will probably cause hot spots and pre-ignition.

Can't you swap a piston from one of your other blocks? Should do new bearings too if you go this route.. GL

[spdfreek0o]

It wouldn't be a good idea to just throw a random piston in there. They need to be close to the same weight, within tolerance. Put in all 4 pistons from another block, new rings, bearings(if it needs it)... and scrap that head.

[lazierhobo]

if you are spending the money on a metal HG and studs, then take strip down the block have your local machine shop deck it. then with the head i would say a good engine shop could port that head te get rid of the pitting. then get the head resurfaced. dont waste your time by not resurfacing both surfaces. if you hear all the bad stories about people and cometic HGs the reason why is they dont take all the right steps to install them. if you cut corners at the point it will come back to get you later on. .do it right, do it once

[ditch_bound]

I decided to weld the quench area and am getting it machined amongst other things here are some pics.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture131.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture132.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture133.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture134.jpg
i have high hopes. fuck throwing away a head thats stupid!:rawk:

[S14DB]

You didn't remove the valves before welding?

Good job on fixing and not trashing. New pistons and rings and you'll be set to got the machine shop.

[ditch_bound]

nope. i didnt feel like putting in new seals. i didnt get it hot enough while i was welding it to concern me either. im not touching the block other than buffing out the high spots on #4. that motor had decent compression and im going to go with it. i might be crazy but ill make it work. unless my machinest tells me im completely retarded when he actually sees everything but over the phone talking to he and others they said i will be fine and i feel confident as well.

[ditch_bound]

if people care i will update this post so people can see the outcome. lmk if there are some people interested. or you can tell me im a dumbass anyway lmk.

[Chez]

I'd be interested to see how long the motor lasts. And how many miles are on that motor now?

[scottie]

What did your spark plugs look like? Usually you can tell if you are detinating that bad from looking at your plugs. I hope i dont find that when i take my head off!

Scott

[DJ_Sunrise]

nice work.. what kind of welding is that? yea, keep us updated, id be curious to know what the shop sez and what not..

-Bart

[rubberbiscuitt]

i've done a bunch of welding, including a little cast iron, and i've never welded cast aluminum. what do you pre-heat cast alum to?

[Jonnie Fraz]

Pretty nice job...Not to be an ass but, I think I would have spent a little more time cleaning the area before welding, You have a little porosity in the welds more than likely from oil. I hope it does not come back to bite you when you get it machined. Let us know how it turns out.

[ditch_bound]

scottie- actually one of my spark plugs did break off in the number 3 cylinder if you look you can see an indentation from where the tip broke off but honestly the plugs never looked bad.

Dj sunrise- TIG welding with 4043 filler wire. my machine shop told me to clean it and go ahead and weld it. He said its not that big of a deal. That head is has a great cast very little contaminants it welded perfect. After welding this i would be confident welding on another head anyday.

Rubberbiscuitt- Preheat, fuck it. i know preheat helps in some cases ive dealt with but typically i dont. im sure people will have something to say about that but whatever. After its machined down there will be very little filler left in the head.

[ditch_bound]

Pretty nice job...Not to be an ass but, I think I would have spent a little more time cleaning the area before welding, You have a little porosity in the welds more than likely from oil. I hope it does not come back to bite you when you get it machined. Let us know how it turns out.

i actually cleaned it really well with degreaser, brake parts cleaner, and diluted acid, and also wire brushed the shit out of it and used a toothbrush. the perosity you see is on the #3 where i didnt clean it directly before welding with alcohol. regardless its a cast head so there are cavities for contaminants too hide regarless of how much i you clean it. If the perosity is that bad ill weld the mf again its free to me. maybe if someone else has been through the same thing they could shed some light on this. Thanks for everyones interest. I havnt posted much of anything before and was waiting to hear a bunch of shit from people.

[blu808]

Looks like a bunch of stuff was bouncing around inside. possibly a spark plug ground strap?

[ditch_bound]

I forgot to mention that is what happened in #3

[Chez]

Rubberbiscuitt- Preheat, fuck it. i know preheat helps in some cases ive dealt with but typically i dont. im sure people will have something to say about that but whatever. After its machined down there will be very little filler left in the head.

Actually I have done exactly this on many dirt bike cyliners before sending them out have them bored out. you should have no problem with the welds from using the process you did for cleaning however not knowing exactly why you had all those pits in the head in each cylinder except for no. 3, would make me nervous. In my case I'm just filling the gouges in the cylinder due to a blown up piston. It will be very interesting to see how long it holds up...cant wait to hear more.

Chez

[driftin_180sx]

looks like a nut went thru the engine. thats not from detonation.

[breakindrifts]

I'd like to see updates.

[ditch_bound]

sure thing. you guys are pretty doubtful huh?

[zavala]

yeah i am, i own my own shop in tenn with a inhouse machine shop and i wouldn't recommend anyone reusing that piston at all. if your piston looks like that what do the cyilinder walls look like? also instead of refilling the space with metal like you did you could have had then mechined out either by hand or by machine to give you a more hemispherical combustion chamber and a much better flowing one too. plus those valves are pitted really bad too. but hey, do what you want. it's your motor

[ditch_bound]

the piston walls are perfect. my machine shop is machining my head right now. my valves are not pitted at all, the picks indicate otherwise but they are fine. yes it is my motor.

[ditch_bound]

updated pics. (kinda shitty)
cost me $100.00 for the machine work.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture190.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture191.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture193.jpghttp://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture192.jpg

[johngriff]

Dude, that is badass.

Check out my blog in my sig, and if you lurk on freshalloy, you will see some other people have taken it all the way out, to a full hemi chamber, per the specs of the GTI-R.

Are you sure your filler was the same as the head? I can see the discoloration between the metals pretty clearly. It makes me worry about rapid expansion/contraction. Other wise, i like.

[skate07]

updated pics. (kinda shitty)
cost me $100.00 for the machine work.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r144/ditch_bound/Picture190.jpg

wow, thats super cheap, make sure and take the feelers gauges ot that thing.

im sure they decked it, whats the new compression ratio?

[ditch_bound]

I used 4043 aluminum filler wire. i think the discoloration is because you are welding solid filler wire onto a cast material, they are just different.

they ended up taking off .0008.

[johngriff]

What did you heat the head to before welding?

[Bryants95240sx]

I believe he said he didnt heat it