Cracked cylinder head L3830

[raven2278]

Hey everyone,

Had a the hose from radiator to motor crack and leak while snow blowing this winter. Immediatly backed up the tractor into the driveway to at least have it somewhere serviceable. Just changed the hose to see coolant leaking from what I believe is the cylinder head from a tiny crack. Now my kubota dealer thinks its done. Just the head is 1440$CA, not counting other small parts needed and the mechanics hours of work on it. Spoken to some other people and they seem to think that welding won't repair the problem long term (heating = will just crack up again constantly). Your toughts on it!!!!

 

[raven2278]

Here is a pic of the crack.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That is one incredibly odd place for that to have cracked!!!!

On a over heat, you normally only see them crack internally.
If there is no internal cracks, I would first clean it up and JB weld / Epoxy it up and see how it does, that's low enough pressure it should be fine, than if you wanted a more permanent fix have it welded.

 

[Billdog350]

X2 with Wolfman. If the compression is fine on all cylinders, no coolant going into the cylinders, and no other defects/issues are there, welding/brazing or epoxying the coolant jacket (where the crack you show is located) should be fine. It only needs to hold ~20psi or so....

If you want a solid fix, tear the head off and bring it to a good shop that can braze that crack.

If you want to get it running on the cheap for 5 minutes or up to 50 years...use JB weld. Sometimes it will last the life of the machine, sometimes it fails right away...its a cheap enough thing to try first before a tear down.

 

[D2Cat]

If you JB Weld it, take a dremel tool, die grinder, or something like that, and clean it right in the cracked spot. Make a slight "V" to let the material get a bite.

I'd spray the area with starter fluid (ether), then when you mix the JB Weld spoon it on with a nail or toothpick, then use some duct tape below the crack and bring it up over the mixture. Don't press the tape too tight or it will move the Weld. Just use the tape to hold the Weld in place while setting up.

Let it set for a couple of days. You may be surprised with the results.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Raven,

JB Weld suggestion: scuff the block one inch either side of the crack and past both ends. When you mix up the JB Weld (and on this I'd recommend using the 45 minute cure vs the 5 minute) make sure you clean off the surface with a couple good wipes of acetone and then get the JB weld spread evenly across the crack an inch in all directions. This increases the bond area and helps ensure you'll get a solid bond that holds, despite heating and cooling cycles.

I did an auto radiator this way and it lasted until I swapped out the radiators six months later.

Ray