2.9 Head Cracking

[zukirider21]

Hey I was just wondering if the head cracking issue on 2.9's is easily found (will regular magnafluxing find it, or is it tough to find), where exactly do the cracks occur, and if I were to have cracked heads welded (if it's even possible), do the repairs usually hold or should I just go ahead and get the aftermarket world heads?

and NO, a 4.0 swap is not an option lol.

 

[adsm08]

I've never heard of welding cracked heads, but magnafluxing will usually find it. The aftermarket ones are still your best bet.

I think they crack around the top of the valves. There is a good article on it here somewhere.


Just curious though, why are you so worried about 2.9 heads when your profile says you have a 302 CID?

 

[zukirider21]

used to have a 302. turned out to be a piece of sh!t. terrible gas mileage, no overdrive even with 31's and 3.54's was miserable, engine had no balls (cant even imagine the mileage on it), leaks all over the place, and the trans was on it's way out. I really needed to do a total overhaul of the entire swap project, and I have no time (race season starts in about a month and if my truck's not ready im SCREWED). So I sold the old 302 and trans and now a 2.9 is on it's way in. I kept all the original wiring intact just for this purpose

 

[adsm08]

Ok. I can feel that. It always sucks to come into someone else's mess.

 

[Surrey]

Here, this explains the 2.9l and its head problems.

http://therangerstation.com/tech_library/2_9_Page.html

About a full page length down they discuss the heads. Look for the pictures.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Been welding cast iron and aluminum cylinder heads forever.

 

[zukirider21]

Ok. I can feel that. It always sucks to come into someone else's mess.

yeah the guy i bought the engine totally screwed me over. but to be honest alot of it was my fault. many things i should have gone over before i put the engine in. i was dumb and impatient and ended up rushing things. i have however, learned more than i ever could have imagined about the swap, and now im confident that i will have no problem doing it right the next time. but for now, i'll be doing it in my buddies truck for one last practice run

 

[AllanD]

Hey I was just wondering if the head cracking issue on 2.9's is easily found (will regular magnafluxing find it, or is it tough to find), where exactly do the cracks occur, and if I were to have cracked heads welded (if it's even possible), do the repairs usually hold or should I just go ahead and get the aftermarket world heads?

and NO, a 4.0 swap is not an option lol.

THE place I look first a crack on a 2.9 head is by the base of
the rocker shaft towers and on my own personal engines thre times I've had the crack propagate around the lower edge (relative to the letters) of the cast in ford emblem

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[zukirider21]

ah thats what i was looking for! thanks for the info ill take a look. but im probably just gonna end up with aftermarket heads...

 

[AllanD]

I have never SEEN or even heard a credible report of a 2.9 engine that cracked the head inside the chambers.

I have seen a head that had been professionally magnafluxed and reinstalled into the engine
(wasting a gasket set and a set of head bolts) leak exactly as it did before it was taken apart.

Because the machinist checked ONLY the CHAMBERS.



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