341 replies to this topic

[elwill]

said to me several times that its not their problem and they wont be touching it again.

Love it, as if that was ever going to be their decision after they screwed the head!

I doubt it will make you feel any better, but at least you've saved everyone on here from the same fate at these idiots hands. Also, they will lose a lot in terms of business and reputation from this crowd. Especially considering how many people here own multiple cars/go to car shows. I would say don't bother trying to lock the thread (even if it were possible), if they read it they are only more likely to cough up I'd imagine.

Keep us posted.

[Nev]

I was told that its not possible to weld this type of damage

Told by who exactly - a TIG welder who's actually tried such things in the past ?

Any alu is weldable so long as the welder has a good AC controlable TIG welder, knows the grade of metal and knows the thickness of the material (which thankfully will be thick). The question is more about whether the weld will cause localised stress once the head warms up and thus cause further cracking.

I know if it were my head, thats what I'd try first. For £10 and 15 minutes effort surely it's worth it? You've spent 10 times as long just typing on here...

[Seb.F]

I severely doubt any kind of repair is possible, it cracks the head all the way through straight through all the internal waterways.

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

I was told that its not possible to weld this type of damage

Told by who exactly - a TIG welder who's actually tried such things in the past ?

Any alu is weldable so long as the welder has a good AC controlable TIG welder, knows the grade of metal and knows the thickness of the material (which thankfully will be thick). The question is more about whether the weld will cause localised stress once the head warms up and thus cause further cracking.

I know if it were my head, thats what I'd try first. For £10 and 15 minutes effort surely it's worth it? You've spent 10 times as long just typing on here...

see below

ok, took it off and as i pulled/wiggled upwards i herd squelching (like Wellingtons in the rain).. put it to one side, looked down each spark plug hole and sparker 1 (closet to the expansion tank is wet and the other 3 are dry.. as no water or liquid is ment to be down any of the holes;

i assume this means that it is an over tightening of plug 1?

that is actually cylinder number 4

100% caused by over-tightening the spark plug at some point

Head is scrap and not repairable

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

there own report however is NOT irrelivant and has everything i need.

Whose report are you referring to?

I'd guess the garage that did the work originally. Stuwy said that they didn't do work they had claimed to have done so I wouldn't put it past them to have put something incriminating as well. Good luck with the repairs and sorting it all out mate.

GSS' report

[Nev]

With all due respect to Vocky (and I do repsect him!), he hasn't seen the crack/head and until a welder has actually seen the extent of the crack he/i/you can't give a catagorical opinion. From looking at the pics it seems like the crack is on the top of the cam cover, a very easy place to get a weld onto. Assuming that is the limit of the crack it's a possibly fixable problem IMO. It's not like the weld would even need to hold back a lot of pressure as your water system only runs at a few PSI. I bet the material is more than 3mm deep there, so there will likely be plenty of meat for the weld to mate into and little risk of blow through/penetration. Honestly mate, you need to be a bit more proactive rather than just whingeing on a forum, which wont fix anything. If that were my head it would be either fixed with a quick seam weld along the crack or exchanged by now. I have a far bigger problem than you at the moment (my brand new clutch is slipping) and apart from a couple of 1 line postings on the forums I have just got on with taking the whole engine + gearbox out, in order to inspect whats gone wrong.

Edited by Nev, 28 September 2011 - 07:35 AM.

[Seb.F]

And you would be happy welding a head up with a crack that may well go straight through? I wouldn't.

[VX-GT]

I would suggest that the damage was caused on removal of the old plug, (which was probably over-torqued) not fitting the new one

[Pidgeon]

'Fraid I'm with Nev on this one. I deal with these matters on a daily basis. I'm happy to help but if you think you know better than the experts, I'll save my time for those who appreciate it.

[Sutol]

With all due respect to Vocky (and I do repsect him!), he hasn't seen the crack/head and until a welder has actually seen the extent of the crack he/i/you can't give a catagorical opinion. From looking at the pics it seems like the crack is on the top of the cam cover, a very easy place to get a weld onto. Assuming that is the limit of the crack it's a possibly fixable problem IMO.

Nev I think it's gone where mine did from spark plug removal/insertion on no.4 pot. This is where the actual plug is threaded in, the amount of metal web is extremely thin making it a very difficult thing for a tig welder to work on. But hey it's scrap anyway so worth a try.

I would suggest that the damage was caused on removal of the old plug, (which was probably over-torqued)
not fitting the new one

This was my conclusion when mine went. The plug had also not been disturbed for about 6 years according to the service records and I know from my limited experience that when removing plugs that have been in for a long time on other cars they sort of cold weld themselves in. This makes them very difficult to get out and when they do eventually give they go with a crack (noise that is).

[vocky]

The z22se head always cracks right at the bottom of the spark plug hole (usually number four plug hole as thats got very thin casting). To weld aluminium requires the surfaces to be spotless. What I really would like to know is; A - how the feck they could access a crack at the bottom of a 100mm deep, 40mm diameter hole to clean it B - how the feck a welder could get a tig welder into the same hole and weld up the crack to stop it ever leaking again IT'S FOOKED

[vocky]

I would suggest that the damage was caused on removal of the old plug, (which was probably over-torqued)
not fitting the new one

This was my conclusion when mine went. The plug had also not been disturbed for about 6 years according to the service records and I know from my limited experience that when removing plugs that have been in for a long time on other cars they sort of cold weld themselves in. This makes them very difficult to get out and when they do eventually give they go with a crack (noise that is).

Removing the old plug causes the initial fracture, tightening the new plug up causes the fracture to open and finally the heat from the engine expands the crack

It can vary depending on each cylinder head, sometimes removing the old plug creates the leak, sometimes the new plug is over-tightened and the leak appears straight away, sometimes it takes a week to start leaking

[vocky]

this picture shows where the crack occurs

[Sutol]

exactly where mine went. I now put a bit of copper slip on the thread and make sure they're removed yearly.

Edited by Sutol, 28 September 2011 - 08:59 AM.

[MrSimba]

I have a far bigger problem than you at the moment

No... you don't.

Edited by MrSimba, 28 September 2011 - 09:01 AM.

[Seb.F]

I have a far bigger problem than you at the moment

No... you don't.

Yeah, kind of inclined to agree there

[Nev]

I have a far bigger problem than you at the moment

No... you don't.

Oh? Explain pls, perhaps you know more about my car than I do... seems funny to me considering you've never seen it, worked on it or know what is wrong.

Even I don't know whats wrong with it yet, so how can you? Bloody armchair mechanics.

Edited by Nev, 28 September 2011 - 09:12 AM.

[MrSimba]

ok... Stuey took his car to be serviced by a professional garage whom he trusted - and they proclaimed to be - VX specialists who subsequently wrecked his engine and have since denied all responsibility leaving him with a potentially four figure sum for repair. I'd reckon that was a 'bigger problem' than a slipping clutch.

[Nev]

exactly where mine went. I now put a bit of copper slip on the thread and make sure they're removed yearly.

That sounds like a good preventative tip Sutol

[Nev]

this picture shows where the crack occurs

Yup, impossible to weld that. I had thought the crack was at the top of the head though?