Cracked Head Problems

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So I bought a 99ish 24V to part out. After pulling the head tonight I found it cracked in several places FML!

So what do you guys do with them? Scrap em? Boat Anchor?

Are the Valves and Springs worth anything to anyone?

Just trying to recover some of my cash?
 
Have you pulled the valves to see how far the cracks go?
 
The cracks are around the valves. I haven't pulled the valves yet. Was going to take it to the machine shop to have it checked before I sell it, but when I seen the cracks I just stopped. 4 different cracks in 2 cylinders. Il get pictures in the morning.
 
Mine had cracks at every exhaust valve the last time I had it off. Machine shop said run it as long as it doesn't leak. Its been over five years and no issues. I would have it checked and go from there.
 
I just installed a cracked head on my truck to keep things moving, I'm gonna do new motor later on. It had ~8 hairline cracks IIRC and I've been running it for a short amount of time, it never leaked before from what I could tell, and isn't leaking now, I'm not worried about it. I baby the truck when warming up anyway, easy enough. Actually I remember my guy at the machine shop said something if they go too far down in the ports that is a non usable head, where ever that point is I can't remember. $.02
 
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So the small valves are normal. Ive never pulled a head off a cummins that wasn't cracked some where. Now the big crack from the valve to the injector hole would have me concerned. Needs to be checked but I would say that crack is bad enough that its going to be scrap
 
Looks like normal Cummins cracks to me.

Have it pressure checked and run it.
Chris
 
Kinda what I was thinking...I am going to have the machine shop check.
 
I had the same thing happen to me. Cracks were big enough to see without cleaning anything but it still pressure tested good. It's been sitting off to the side since I pulled it off the motor. The machine shop said it was ok to run but no telling for how long. I've been keeping it for a mock up for all the fantasies I think I'm going to build....
 
Talked to my machine shop guy, we are going to pressure check the head and go from there. He said most of the Cummins heads he gets are cracked.

Does a pressure checked/verified head have a market value?
 
If it pressure checks ok I would run it. Especially that 24 v head there are no seats to worry about falling out. When I ported the head and cut the intake off my race truck it had a bunch of small cracks in it but it wasn't leaking I decided to use it because if I messed it up it was just a cracked head. That was back in 2007 about 50,000 miles and hundreds of races ago. Hopefully it doesn't start leaking at the next race ! Lol
 
The only reason I get concerned about the crack from the valve to the injector hole is ive had 12v heads on my puller do that and it will burn out the copper injector washer.
 
DISTURBED said:
The only reason I get concerned about the crack from the valve to the injector hole is ive had 12v heads on my puller do that and it will burn out the copper injector washer.
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That's why I didn't run the head, and I still won't run a cracked head (too poor to fix everything is something melts down and violently disassembles itself) but if enough people don't have any issues running a head cracked like that then I have no problems making someone a deal with a head like that. All cracks disclosed of course.

Prior to this thread I had always heard that cracks around the valves was normal and not to be worried about unless it was big enough to catch a nail on or if it cracked to the injector hole.
 
whitneyj said:
That's why I didn't run the head, and I still won't run a cracked head (too poor to fix everything is something melts down and violently disassembles itself) but if enough people don't have any issues running a head cracked like that then I have no problems making someone a deal with a head like that. All cracks disclosed of course.

Prior to this thread I had always heard that cracks around the valves was normal and not to be worried about unless it was big enough to catch a nail on or if it cracked to the injector hole.
Click to expand...

Now the stresses my puller sees aren't real world in a lot of cases but I wouldn't be as concerned on a street truck with a crack like that as long as you aren't doing anything to the head. I wouldn't spend money doing P&P and o-ring on a head like that.
 
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From my experience all VP heads crack and I have yet to have one that caused a problem.
But I have never had good luck selling them with cracks
 
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