Ashyukun
Ashyukun GRM+ Memberand New Reader
10/24/12 1:30 p.m.

A pair of cylinder heads that I picked up in hopes of using them on my Challenge car ended up being pretty badly cracked and unusable (or extremely unwise to use on a car that I plan to drive 800 miles to and from the event...). What creative things can I do with them besides just scrapping them for a few bucks or donating them to a friend with a boat to use as anchors?

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac MegaDork
10/24/12 1:32 p.m.

Bookends.

McTinkerson
McTinkerson New Reader
10/24/12 1:32 p.m.

Wine rack? Depending on the valve stem locations you may be able to enlarge them enough to fit the necks?

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
10/24/12 1:33 p.m.

Take what spares you can use out, then use this for inspiration:

https://images.google.com/?q=car+part+furniture

Kenny_McCormic
Kenny_McCormic Reader
10/24/12 1:36 p.m.

Practice porting?

wspohn
wspohn Reader
10/24/12 1:37 p.m.

On a serious note, you can put them on a power hacksaw and section them so that you can actually measure the casting thickness of various areas. This can be invaluable in porting, to know where the meat is, or (even more important) isn't!

Giant Purple Snorklewacker
Giant Purple Snorklewacker MegaDork
10/24/12 1:37 p.m.

I got $40 at the scrap yard for an all aluminum BMW head which I then converted to Pulaner Octoberfest. It was a pretty good trade IMO.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac MegaDork
10/24/12 1:41 p.m.
GameboyRMH wrote: Take what spares you can use out, then use this for inspiration: https://images.google.com/?q=car+part+furniture

I wonder how much of this stuff i could make before SWMBO went crazy...

foxtrapper
foxtrapper PowerDork
10/24/12 1:55 p.m.

I agree with slicing them to examine and measure, and practicing some porting on them. Then scrap em.

novaderrik
novaderrik UltraDork
10/24/12 3:21 p.m.

do the bandsaw cutting thing, but also do it with a junkyard 350 and build a cool functional cutaway engine display with an electric motor to slowly spin it... it would be an awesome conversation piece in the living room..

Ashyukun
Ashyukun GRM+ Memberand New Reader
10/24/12 3:30 p.m.

In reply to novaderrik:

I don't actually need to find a junkyard 350, I already have one that I largely won't be using- though since the useless block (350 bored 80 over with pitting...) is part of my Challenge budget scrapping/selling it actually does me some good, unlike these heads which will simply never go into the budget.

jhaas
jhaas HalfDork
10/24/12 4:13 p.m.

I was shopping for replacement vortec heads for a set that were cracked. Most shops offered to weld them up and rebuild them.

then i found a new in box set of GM vortecs on craigslist for $300!! its a shame they went on my worktruck, which is now for sale.

oldeskewltoy
oldeskewltoy Dork
10/24/12 4:52 p.m.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: Practice porting?
wspohn wrote: On a serious note, you can put them on a power hacksaw and section them so that you can actually measure the casting thickness of various areas. This can be invaluable in porting, to know where the meat is, or (even more important) isn't!

these.......

iceracer
iceracer UltraDork
10/24/12 5:33 p.m.

Boat anchors ?

Ashyukun
Ashyukun GRM+ Memberand New Reader
10/24/12 9:07 p.m.
jhaas wrote: I was shopping for replacement vortec heads for a set that were cracked. Most shops offered to weld them up and rebuild them. then i found a new in box set of GM vortecs on craigslist for $300!! its a shame they went on my worktruck, which is now for sale.

Lucky! These are Vortecs too, sadly. They're cracked pretty solidly into the chamber though, and the guy at the shop didn't suggest anything about welding them. All I've seen are other used sets in the $300 price range... I'm figuring it would be better to take my chances with another junkyard-pulled set for a quarter of that since I'm going to have to get anything I buy that's not NIB tested...

wae
wae Reader
10/24/12 10:29 p.m.

Stupid question, but can you take them back for yard credit?

sobe_death
sobe_death HalfDork
10/25/12 7:17 a.m.

Melt, mold, pour. Make something cool!

Ashyukun
Ashyukun GRM+ Memberand New Reader
10/25/12 8:56 a.m.
wae wrote: Stupid question, but can you take them back for yard credit?

Unlikely- I didn't pay the $5/head for the warranty on them that the yard offers. Had I, I'm sure I could have done so- and I will be on the next set(s) I pull...

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