A14 Head Cracked

[Flashing_Banana]

It's been awhile sense I've been here, and now, I need some help. I tore my A14 apart and sent the extra block and old head to the shop to clean them up, they hot tanked the block and I'm currently still waiting on my cam bearings and freeze plugs so they can put them in for $20, worth not having to rent the cam bearing tool. Quick question about the cam bearings, there should be 5 right? Anyway, they cleaned my head and found that between the valves the head was cracked. Just to put it politely, I spouted a lot of profanity. So, I either need to find a shop around here that can weld an aluminum head and not mess it up or get a new head. I know that there were others here that told me to get a new head, but out here, there just aren't any old Datsuns. I really don't want to pay $321 for a new head from Autozone, that is my absolute last option. That price is just utter madness. Anyone out there feeling charitable? My head is a H72 with stock intake and exhaust.

[ggzilla]

There are a lot of wrecking yards with H72 heads, search for the part and have them send it to you mail order. I have older and newer heads, but no H72. This past weekend I saw two cars in the wreckers, but they were both 5-speed heads (not H72 heads).

 

Note that after fitting new cam bearings, you need to line-hone them according to the factory service manual.

[DRIVEN]

Aren't the H72 a less desirable casting? Seems like now might be a good time to upgrade. I do have an H72 as a spare but it's missing 1 exhaust valve and needs guides and a grind. Between shipping and machining costs it's probably not much of a bargain.

[Flashing_Banana]

I know that it's not the best head out there, but I just need something. I think it was the H89 that some considered good, I don't remember. Do all the heads share the same bolt pattern? Just some have wet and dry manifolds? I'm sure you could plug or drill the holes needed to make whichever one work. I talked to one of the shops guys today and he said that he could call around and see if he can find anything nearby. I checked craigslist for most of Arizona and Las Veags, just hoping to find something, I found a few B-210's, but they were whole clean cars. I guess I can call some of the Pick-A-Parts in Phoenix and see if they have any. The reason I asked about the cam bearings was that the guy at O'reilleys said that the box only had 4, I told him I needed 5, he looked confused.

[Dguy210]

What price range are you looking at anyways?

 

Heads are going for ~$75-80 after taxes and fees in Cali ($50 + 10 core +Env Fee +Tax), but I do see A14's on a reasonably regular basis (I will probably hit up the JY this weekend, and I will keep an eye open).

 

Shipping is probably not so cheap.

[ggzilla]

There are basically three kinds of A14 heads: round-port, oval-port, and medium-oval-port (not counting competition types). These are each available in wet or dry intake types.

 

H72 is the normal oval-port type -- used by 1974-1980 non-5-speed engines.

[DRIVEN]

Tons of info here:

http://datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=A-series_Cylinder_Heads

 

Now you can be an informed consumer :) .

[Flashing_Banana]

Dguy210, That would be my price range depending on shipping, a resurface and valve job will be $140 before some amount of tax. Then again, springing for a new head wouldn't be that much more, it does have a 3 year warranty. I just realized this, I looked at that head from Autozone again, it says it weighs 383 Lbs. Whaaaa? Thats more than a whole A14! DRIVEN, I know of that site, and I have poured over it. I even put a link to the H89 in my previous post. I know that the H72 is midrange and whatnot. I guess whatever has the same stock intake manifold bolt/stud pattern would work. The H89 says that it has a new intake bolt pattern. I'm sure to save money and whatnot, Datsun stuck with the same or similar bolt pattern. Aren't all the exhausts the same? Mine does have that little heater flap for the carb. I'm just trying to understand all of this. Thanks all!

[Dguy210]

Dguy210, That would be my price range depending on shipping, a resurface and valve job will be $140 before some amount of tax. Then again, springing for a new head wouldn't be that much more, it does have a 3 year warranty. I just realized this, I looked at that head from Autozone again, it says it weighs 383 Lbs. Whaaaa? Thats more than a whole A14! DRIVEN, I know of that site, and I have poured over it. I even put a link to the H89 in my previous post. I know that the H72 is midrange and whatnot. I guess whatever has the same stock intake manifold bolt/stud pattern would work. The H89 says that it has a new intake bolt pattern. I'm sure to save money and whatnot, Datsun stuck with the same or similar bolt pattern. Aren't all the exhausts the same? Mine does have that little heater flap for the carb. I'm just trying to understand all of this. Thanks all!

 

Yeah, I saw the 383, I'm sure they misplaced a decimal point there. I really wonder if these are truly new heads or merely rebuilt.

[ggzilla]

There were no H89s sold in USA. You can find a competition head easier than an H89.

 

There is only one "bolt pattern" for all A14 heads.

[DRIVEN]

There were no H89s sold in USA.

No kidding? Learn something new every day. Mine was bolted to an A15. Wonder how it got here.

[ggzilla]

It probably came as part of a "good used japanese engine". Hold on to it, it is very desirable as the best of the mild factory heads -- it has a closed chamber for slightly better performance. Same compression ratio as our open chamber heads, but they are less likely to ping so can take more advance.

[Z_Rac3r]

I work at O'reillys, Sorry the dude you talked to didnt seem to know his stuff haha. And I'm suprised Autozone can get one, thats a good price for an old one... its GOT to be remanufactured... make sure its not special order and its even availible if you decide to go that route. I have a 210 I've started to tear down the engine, when I go to the shop tonight I'll pull the head and see what it is :) Would love to clean it up and see yours on the road sooner. My 210 is gonna sit back there for a while lol.

[Flashing_Banana]

Well, looks like a H89 is out of the question, I would just like to drive this thing before I have to tow it cross country. I'll be in northern Michigan sometime next month. The head from Autozone is a new head, or so said the young'n on the line. The only thing he told me is that it's a bear head. I don't know which head it's modeled after so it would be a gamble as to which one it really is. I now know from this thread that all the heads have the same bolt pattern for the intake and exhaust, just a little confusion.

Z_Rac3r, sometimes you just get a parts guy who knows the numbers and not about how to work on cars, haha. If the price of shipping plus the head and the machine work done to it comes close to the price of the new head, I might as well get something with a year warranty. If I go that route I'll take plenty of pics and stuff to let you guys know that there are new heads out there, that are in some warehouse in a box. Just hope its not a round port, that would suck.

[metalmonkey47]

Friends got one locally. I'll see if he wants it gone.

[Flashing_Banana]

Thanks metalmonkey47! Shipping cross country seems like it would be pricey though.

[Flashing_Banana]

Well, an update I guess, machine shop called this morning to tell me my block is all clean. He also said that he has a friend in Phoenix that has a head for me! I called that shop and he said he has two heads, a H72 and a H89. Sweet . He said they would be $250 and $295 respectively, for the head, resurface, valve job, and a 3 month warranty. I think this is the better way to go, because I just don't know what Autozone is selling. And, of course, I'll be getting the H89. Freeing up a few ponies is always good!