I dropped my block off at the machine shop the other day and apparently the guy is very familiar with the lt motors. he recommended doing something i havent heard of and not sure if anybody has experience with this "tip". he suggested welding a bridge on the water passage near the chamber. described it as a sort of half moon shape. I havent looked at my heads recently so not sure what the port actually looks like, but he said this would help keep the head from lifting or leaking if it raised a bit. Its supposed to increase structural integrity i would assume. should i consider this or not?

 

anybody? ive searched on this site and found nothing just curious if it was worthwhile. i know you would most likely have to mill the head again since welding it would probably warp it but does anybody actually do this?

 

I don't see how putting heat into a cast aluminum head would add structural rigidity. I've never heard of it, not saying it isn't done or that your machinist is bsing you though.

 

I don't quite understand how the weld will help anything. But it is ok to weld aluminum into the heads if need be. The set of AFR's I put in had places where aluminum was welded in and then ported. Doesn't hurt anything if done properly. Also heard of hard core folks out there adding weld to their combustion chambers so they can remill them to a different, higher performance, shape.

 

If the casting had been designed that way, yes it would have been stronger...but going in and welding on a head and softening it in the process is not a good thing to do for the "just in case" it overheats....use good quality headbolts and don't let the motor overheat and you will NEVER see a problem.

 

This man speaketh da truf!