A new NAA project now someday a new loader

skylarkguy · Aug 15, 2012

Yeah online shopping has yielded prices on new heads between 875 and 1300$. That is the bare head price, with no valves/springs/etc. for that price I should go across town and pick up the beat but running '53 currently on craigslist..of course sneaking it into the driveway might be difficult.

Soundguy · Aug 16, 2012

i put out an email to a guy i kow that parts tractors to see if he has a used 134 head..

skylarkguy · Aug 19, 2012

Awesome thanks sound guy!

thus far here is what I have come up with:

Option 1. Bare head $385,needs a valve job, but has been magnafluxed for cracks, would require a 16 hour round trip to pick it up, or unknown shipping charge.

Option 2. Bare head $450, needs a valve job, status of cracks unconfirmed at this point but only an hour away.

Option 3. The machine shop I am using completed the magnafluxing of the head and confirmed only the 1 crack. While it does go into the seat of the exhaust valve on cyl #2 he thinks it is fixable. He also confirmed the valves are in need of guides, So for $411 he can weld the head and do the valve job.

I'd use him to do the valve job on any other head I purchased, So the question is do I go with the welded fixed head and keep the cost to a bit over $400, or to I pop for an uncracked head and end up with a final product in the $620 range? If I could get someone to sell me an uncracked head for under $300, I'd go with that but I'm not holding my breath.

I also need to confirm that the 2 head options I have found thus far are 7/16 head bolts.

Soundguy · Aug 20, 2012

sounds like fixing yours is the most economical.

otherwise the uncracked head would be my choice. sounds like driving or shipping makes it way more $$ though.

skylarkguy · Aug 27, 2012

Well I found a local head, for an only moderately high price. The oddest part of this is that when I called the local place they quoted me a price. When I dropped by and asked again they quoted me a price that was $100 bucks less, so I bought it. Customer service is certainly a bit odd at times. Any way I had my local machine shop do a valve job with my valves from my original head. Here are photos of the new and original head, along with one showing the crack.

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Soundguy · Aug 28, 2012

sounds like you are on your way!

skylarkguy · Sep 19, 2012

Well things are moving slowly as other projects take precedence. I have the new head bolted on, valves are adjusted. Got to get the manifold on and procure a radiator before a test run. Here are some pictures. I'm a little concerned that the rocker arms aren't very flat compared to the newly resurfaced valves