Club 80-90 Forums

Coming back along the coast road last week, had a steady loss of power (over 20 miles or so), getting dark so carry on (bad move). Don't make it and after AA towed it the last 10 miles or so home would barely run at all. Investigation found a split in the carb mounting so I changed it and it now ran but very badly, and it turned out only on two cylinders. Nothing wrong with the ignition but while turning it over by hand I realised there was very little compression in nos. 1 and 2 so took the head off. Looks like either the gasket (fitted 5000 miles ago) was duff or I ballsed up fitting it as there is a massive burn out between the cylinders. Either way now a scrap engine. Third engine that van has killed (one before I had it).

[img:500:434]http://www.muchos.co.uk/members/dingleyhythe/head.jpg[/img]

[img:500:329]http://www.muchos.co.uk/members/dingleyhythe/Block.jpg[/img]

a good engine rebuilding firm should be able to sort that head , i've had them welded up that have been worse than that ,,,, ask around if anyone knows any local to you that might be able to do cyl head welding ,,, , then phone engineers and ask them how they do it ,,,,, because from what i remember it needs to go in an oven to get it realy hot before it can be welded if not it may not be a very good job ,, this is how i've had them fixed in the past ,,, golf diesel engine

that might well skim up ok ive had heads and blocks skimmed that i thought was totally sha*gged!

I think it's too deep to just skim (will need to check what the max that can come off is, block a few thou would do but the head is mm deep). I do know someone who can weld it (has done a cast iron turbo mounting for me in the past and that survived). Trouble is by the time I add up the costs (depending if it will fit my milling machine to skim but I think it is too long, if it will then the welding isn't too expensive) but I will also need all the normal rebuild parts and a second hand engone is likely cheaper - really depends if a suitable donor car comes up locally.