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Hey, I received two heads in the mail and the thick fin on the same plane as the cylinder mating surface for both heads(1.7L inj,T4) was bent(like you pushed the corner) on one touching the second fin and has a line crack showing for about 50mm long, 5mm above the hole for the main studs ; the other has the same main fin bent almost touching the second fin but the hair line crack(fades to lite crack) is 45mm long but goes though the main stud hole center for that corner!! Are they usable? Should I have them(the crack) ground and arch welded so the fin doesnt crack off from the heat?
Thanks Bill
p.s. I posted this in the engine rebuild forum and got a suggestion of using a dura Fix product? Has anyone used it and too bad we couldnt use it for the copper point plate wire! http://durafix.com/
p.s.s Hey the head number is 022-101-372 told for a 1.7L 914? Cant find that number anywhere without a letter? The valves seem to measure out and has the CHT hole but no breather tube holes; can I still drill for those?

Hey Bill, I Rebuild Marine engines mostly Diesel for a living, and though I haven't rebuilt to many VW engines "yet" . I would Honestly be quite rauched if I had recieved heads with bent fins. I find it quite interesting that both of them are bent in the same way, they must have been dropped or abused in some way. any sign of abuse would have me checking them very closely for warpage at the sealing faces. as for the cracks you could try a dye check just to see how far the cracks really go and to check for any more. as far as a fin breaking off I think it would effect your cooling causing uneven heat dispersal which can lead to head warpage. I guess bottom line is if you can find better ones and you didn't pay too much for them, go with something else.

Hi and thanks for your reply! I am feeling along the same lines as you with the step back and be suspect! I'm not going through another rebuild without it being finished to the best possible result and not skipping steps!
I did that by not lapping the jugs to the heads! I see though why a real rebuild of talent and not speed is costly! To have a engine that is balanced and of the best possible build up is the way to go if you can!
bill

Its rare that they bend from crackig. Some castings had warps in the fins from teh factory. Yes, its worth it to weld them. If there are no cracks and just bent fins...its worth to heat them evenly in a head oven...and wedge the fin outward to see if itcan be straitened. Ask Jake and HAM what they would do. Ray

Hi Ray, thanks for the reply! Both heads have one corner top left fin bent to touch the second fin if you were looking at the head and you were looking at the valves and the pushrod tube hole were facing up! One has a line crack about 50mm long going along the bend bottom 45 deg. triangle and 5mm above the hole for the main stud to go through, the other has a line crack that fades and is about 45mm long and goes through the main stud hole center! Do you think I should get it tested for leaks and then have the fin cracks arch welded? Think they should grind the crack and bend the fin back and fill the grind and smooth it out?
Thanks Bill