cylinder head mystery/ no water jackets!!

[paulv]

i just started disassembeling my 4.0 ho from a 92 cherokee.(milage unknown)

i bought this engine complete.
when i pulled the rocker cover it was like my worsed nightmare.. just black grease half an inch thick!!

when i cleaned the cylinderhead (7120) i found out that ALL the water jackets where welded shut!!
if i didnt know any better i would say it came from the factory like this.

the cylinders look great..

what should i do with it???

need your help!

thanks

paul

the netherlands

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[Muad'Dib]

The water jackets that are pictured are blocked anyway from the head gasket. This helps promote flow from the back of the head to the front. As long as the water jackets in the front and back of the head are good, then i don't see why it wouldn't work. I'm betting you wouldn't know any better anyway.

Now, do you trust someone else's JB weld job?? I don't think i would personally use that head on a stroker build, but on a stock rebuild i might go for it... especially on a super tight budget.

Maybe someone else will chime in also.......

[SilverXJ]

I don't think that is a problem. Those holes are blocked anyhow by the head gasket. The ones that are open are the ones that are the smaller hole on the cam side. I would make sure they line up with the gasket. I don't know if it is factory, but if not it may have been done so that the head could be put on a 4.2L block.

On the oil sludge. Crappy oil or infrequent change.

[lafrad]

If its JBWeld, a good machine shop can get that crap out with the proper hottank/shotpeen treatment.

Is it needed? well, i would do it because its just near impossible to properly clean all that out before reassembly. nice to have the head KNOWN to be good.

if its really welded... well.. good luck. I would get the head cut to make sure the surface is flat. welding puts a lot of stress into cast iron!

Sludge is sludge. whole engine is getting put togther clean again, just make sure YOU change your oil regularly

[SilverXJ]

If it is JB weld you could probably knock it out with a drift/chisel.

[paulv]

there are only 2 waterjackets open at the rear of the engine..

should i try to drill out some waterjackets?? ( maybee just small holes 6 mm ) and yes the head mill be milled for straightness.

the plan was to build a 4.5 liter stroker ( standard 4.0 pistons 4.2 rods, 4.2 crank )that will run on lpg (liqued petroleum gas) 9.8-1 compression so it will get hot!!
hei distrib. offenhauser intake, borla header. 3000 cfm flexalite electric fan!

it will be hard to find a nother good head for a stroker here in the netherlands (and expensive)
should i'll try to find a nother head ??? ore stick with this one?

thanks for your help

paul

[SilverXJ]

If it is welded, leave it alone. If it is JB weld I would knock it out. It wouldn't be a major problem if it cam apart down the line because it is just the cooling system. Dirty doesn't mean much there. Are the water ports (small circular holes) on the valve/cam side of the head not open?

[lafrad]

Can you take some more pictures of the WHOLE head? maybe a picture of the water jacket ports that ARE open?

How about some snapshots of the head gasket that was on there when you took it apart?

you really want the crossflow on the head. It allows the block and head to cool properly. As has been said, the head gasket itself seals all those holes... so having them blocked off isn't THAT big of a deal.

get it cleaned at the machine shop and a good straight cut taken across it, and be happy with it.

[paulv]

the head gasket was a normal one, whit holes for the water pockets.. the small holes under the combustion chamber are open.
does the water flow from the block to the cylinder head, ore from the head down to block.?

i'm thinking to keep the head as it is.

but wil use a high volume oil pump,colder thermostat . and i also got a 3000 cfm flexalite electric fan..

thanks for your help!!

paul

[amcinstaller]

guys that swap these heads onto 258s usually weld or jb weld those holes shut. perhaps you could get some money out of that head by selling it to someone who might want those holes filled, and get another if these heads are common, easy to get ahold of, and youre still concerned.

[paulv]

they where jb welds.
took me 2 hours to get them out and clean the holes.

thanks
paul
the netherlands