Ford 1700 head cracked

[Stoneconst]

Hi, everyone. I have looked at this site and forum sence i bought a Ford 1700 off ebay for $2500. The tractor has. New paint and looks very good with 3047 hr. The engne runs and everything works as it should but there was a noise in the enging. I pulled the head and it is cracked all to pieces. There is a crack between the valves on both cylinders and running off at angles from all the valves. My questions is with this much welding and machining. Were can i find a good head at a good to fair price. Anyone have a good head for sale. There is people on this site that has 1700 tractors that have gret wisdom so any help is greatful thank you

 

[jones6780]

Do you have photos to post? My head was cracked and the machine shop pinned it and it is working great. Have you taken it to a automotive machine shop to see what they say?

There are photos of my repaired head in the following link http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/new-holland-owning-operating/137188-1700-engine-rebuild.html

There are some tractor junk yards that may have a head if yours is not repairable.
Russell

 

[Stoneconst]

Thanks for the pics, but yes i talked to my head guy that has done other machining for other projects. The cracks run deep any can be fixed. ($12
00.00 or so complete). I was hoping that i might be able to come up with a bare casting that is good.
I noticed in the pic of your top of engine block that yours is like mine. If you look at the water jacket openings some are not open at all but are inline with some of the ones on the head. Sence heat rises and the flow of coolent can not move thru the closed off jackets i think it is creating hot spots on or in the head. I wonder if these are drilled out so the coolent can flow through all the ports in the block and up through all the ports in the head it would cool better. It is only a thought. First I need to find a head at a price that makes me want to fix the tractor an not part it out.

 

[jones6780]

Did you say $1200.00 to fix the head? My machine work cost $240.00 and that was boring 2 cylinders, installing all press fit bearings, freeze plugs, and a head job to include crack repair.
Your head may have more cracks and may require welding instead of pinning but that still sounds high priced.

Russell

 

[Ford tractor]

Hi, everyone. I have looked at this site and forum sence i bought a Ford 1700 off ebay for $2500. The tractor has. New paint and looks very good with 3047 hr. The engne runs and everything works as it should but there was a noise in the enging. I pulled the head and it is cracked all to pieces. There is a crack between the valves on both cylinders and running off at angles from all the valves. My questions is with this much welding and machining. Were can i find a good head at a good to fair price. Anyone have a good head for sale. There is people on this site that has 1700 tractors that have gret wisdom so any help is greatful thank you

To correctly (so it won't self destruct quickly) repair cast iron, you must use the correct weld AND the correct thermal cycle with heating the part up before, weld it hot, hold it hot and slow slow slowly cool it down to keep it from hardening up. That can easily cost 150 to 200 per crack and is why it's typically not cost effective to repair more than one crack.

Search the tractor salvage yards (found by googling) and get a replacement. I wouldn't waste a second on a head with multiple cracks.