Cheap Fix For 2-3 Cylinder Crack?

I really dont think thats going to work. I would have drilled that crack out and welded it.

 

What about the valve seats? The crack would run right through them - or am I missing something?

When I had this done with line of threaded stitches, they also installed hardened valve seat inserts.

Apart from that, I would have used a steel plug insert, not brass.

 

One point I don’t like is the fact that that brass plug is tapered thread. That act like a wedge on the two cracks. That and I guess he doesn’t own a file for skimming off the brass to deck height?
I like seeing the little Kubota B6000 when he’s showing his modified radiator cap. We’ve still got one with a trencher and push blade.
-Donny

 

I am the current owner of the MD in the video. The guy I bought it from (who posted the video) was very honest about all the issues it had, but is interesting to see the work actually being done. I ended up taking much of it apart as it ran fine but wasn't roadworthy. It will be a while before I get it back on the road, but will report back if there are any issues. I plan on running the engine as is for as long as possible and will probably swap to something else if it dies.

 

It haven't run it for about 8 months and drained most of the water out of it when I stripped it down to the frame/drivetrain. At the time the oil looked good, but I never drove it more than a mile or so, as it had virtually no brakes and the body was barely hanging on.

 

But then you need to pull the engine and deck the block. I'm also more than a little skeptical as to how long that will last and I extremely doubt you will get good exhaust valve sealing with that. TK needs to give us a status report when he gets that back on the road with some miles on it.

With those cracks, it could end up in the 2 & 3 cylinders also. That rarely ends well. All that said, if a swap is in the future anyway, I would run it just to see what happens.

 

Interesting fix. Instead of the brass hose barb how about using an allen head brass plug which could be seated below the deck surface? Then drill it out to the biggest ID you dare. No hack saw; no flapper wheel; no filing. Some brass filings in the coolant won't hurt nuttin'.

And why didn't he adjust the valves?

 

Considering how I feel this particular "repair" is so FUBAR, drilling out the crack and welding it up with a TIG then just sanding the weld down with a die grinder would have been a bit less FUBAR.

But lets be honest. I would fix that crack with a V8 or at least some V6 engine. I probably wouldn't have even taken the head off to find out whats wrong with it.. But I have little faith the guy who did this "repair" is up to that task.

 

This. Or a small industrial diesel. Or maybe that crate LS 4cyl I keep seeing advertised . Right now I am trying to get it back to a solid foundation before thinking about an engine swap.

 

I'm not sold on the small industrial diesels, especially the V2203. The only thing you really gain with that engine is some economy-along with being really hard to start when it's 10 degrees or lower. The turbo version of that resides in my Toolcat 5600 and is sufficient for most stuff but the top speed for that is about 18-19 mph. It struggles with deep snow and the 84" blower-as in slow. I also have my reservations about that LS headed 4 cylinder. Is it really worth the effort over the stock two headed LS version? If keeping the rest of the stock drivetrain, I'm a diehard 4.3L fan. The only exception to that would be a 225/231 that needed no work to use.

 

Personally would have pinned the cracks and decked the block. The cracks most likely migrate under the valve seats as well.