How would a car run with a cracked cylinder head?

[-SD-]

Heres the situation with my car (1992 mazda small 4 banger):
It was misfiring last week so took it in for plugs, they said one of the plugs was too tight or stuck to get out but they will "do their best but it might break off in the head". So I said ok because I really dont have any other choice, the plug has to come out for it to be replaced. So sure enough the plug breaks off. They remove the head and on the underside of the head just over the deep end of the plug there is about a half inch crack going sideways and perfectly positioned where the end of the plug hole is. They said they dont know if it was already there or if they caused it by cranking on the plug. My question is how would my car be running all this time if there was a half inch crack on the bottom of the head near the end of the plug?

Im trying to nail these assholes for cracking my head, its a gutdamn nightmare so far. What was supposed to be a tune up is now going to run over a grand and its total horseshit.

 

[gstacker]

Damn that sucks... Did they try n pull the plugs while the engine was still hot? If so it's there fault no matter what (even if it's not) common knowalage you don't do that... Also letting it soak with some liquid wrench overnight with a lil finess would of prevented that... I'd say you have a case if u jus pulled in an they yanked the plugs

 

[Ezekiel]

You would have noticed a cracked head if it was there previously.. Car would be going through oil bigtime, also you would have trouble keeping the engine cool as well. Probably loosing coolant as well...You would also have noticed a increase in loss of power, due to a loss of compression...

Sorry to hear that bro...

 

[gstacker]

You would have noticed a cracked head if it was there previously.. Car would be going through oil bigtime, also you would have trouble keeping the engine cool as well. Probably loosing coolant as well...You would also have noticed a increase in loss of power, due to a loss of compression...

Sorry to hear that bro...

Not true, it depends on were it's cracked... If it's into a water jacket it can have oil in coolant and be blowing out steam from the tailpipe yes... But if it's cracked in the combustion chamber an leaking compresion or between cylinders it would jus have a missfire jus like Dave described.

 

[Ezekiel]

Not true, it depends on were it's cracked... If it's into a water jacket it can have oil in coolant and be blowing out steam from the tailpipe yes... But if it's cracked in the combustion chamber an leaking compresion or between cylinders it would jus have a missfire jus like Dave described.

Yes, this is true... But if it was cracked right at the plug wouldn't notice some of those issues as well?

 

[gstacker]

Just at the plug prolly jus leak out compresion an have a missfire, might not even notice it... Sounds like it broke when they forced it out tho

 

[Ezekiel]

Just at the plug prolly jus leak out compresion an have a missfire, might not even notice it... Sounds like it broke when they forced it out tho

Sucks either way... Time to invest in something a little newer than a 94 I guess...

 

[chewyxrage]

You have a '92 mazda? lmao @ driving around w/ the jacket

I'd buy a newer car first before the bike

 

[-SD-]

You have a '92 mazda? lmao @ driving around w/ the jacket

I'd buy a newer car first before the bike

its my work car bor
but funny nonetheless

 

[gstacker]

So what's the vedict??

 

[gstacker]

License plate frame reads "my other car is a fiat" lol

 

[gstacker]

So what's the verdict?

 

[-SD-]

Looks like im gonna have to pay the full repair bill. since the crack is on the bottom of the head, no one can see it until they removed the whole head, which was after they tried to remove the plug and it broke. Based on where the crack is and how small it is, nobody knows if the crack was made from originally putting the plug in (doubt it), or anywhere in the 18 years since the cars been alive, or just now when they tried to remove it. I even tape recorded the guy with my phone trying to get him to admit they caused the crack by removing the plug, but I got nothing basically. Oh well at least my car will run like a fuckin top now lol

 

[Scotsman]

If the crack had been there for a while you would most likely have carbon scoring inside the crack. If it was just shiny metal they cracked it when they pulled the plug. See if you can get ahold of the head.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[-SD-]

If the crack had been there for a while you would most likely have carbon scoring inside the crack. If it was just shiny metal they cracked it when they pulled the plug. See if you can get ahold of the head.

Cheers,
Scotsman

I can get a hold of the head and try to take a photo.

 

[kx250rider]

Only a mechanic or machinist looking at that particular crack could say for sure how the crack would affect the engine running. But I will say that a cracked head sometimes doesn't affect how an engine runs at all. An example is on my '85 Toyota turbo-Diesel pickup, which has four cracks; one in each cylinder between the inlet & exhaust valves. When I had the block & head rebuilt at 200K miles, the machinist said the cracks weren't causing any leaks, and we just left them as-is. He also said that he's seen about 90% of those particular heads with the same cracks. On the other hand, you could have a crack that would cause any kind of problem from overheating/losing coolant, to misfiring or burning oil, or just a rough idle but otherwise runs fine.

If I had to guess, I'd say the crack was already there and caused an exhaust leak which would weld the spark plug to the head, while not enough of a leak to be noticeable in driving it. A decent machinist will be able to tell for sure.

Charles

 

[RottenWillow]

Looks like im gonna have to pay the full repair bill. since the crack is on the bottom of the head, no one can see it until they removed the whole head, which was after they tried to remove the plug and it broke. Based on where the crack is and how small it is, nobody knows if the crack was made from originally putting the plug in (doubt it), or anywhere in the 18 years since the cars been alive, or just now when they tried to remove it. I even tape recorded the guy with my phone trying to get him to admit they caused the crack by removing the plug, but I got nothing basically. Oh well at least my car will run like a fuckin top now lol

So what is the repair going to be exactly? Replacing a head really isn't a big job and you can get one for that car for pretty cheap if you use one of those used car part finders on the Internet. I got a transmission a few months ago for $375 with a warrant and shipping with only 35k miles. A head replacement really isn't a big job, but a shop will ass rape you for it. It's just part swapping. Doesn't require any particular expertise. You just need a good spot to do the job and some decent tools.

In the end it'll save you a buttload to do the job and keep the old car that, presumably, doesn't carry a monthly payment.

 

[gstacker]

^^^^ ya I'd jus get a low mile targo motor an change the whole motor for tha same price or somtimes less than having a shop do jus a head job

 

[RottenWillow]

^^^^ ya I'd jus get a low mile targo motor an change the whole motor for tha same price or somtimes less than having a shop do jus a head job

But then he'd need a hoist and would also have to mess with the transmission. A bigger dude could pull a little I-4 head by hand.

 

[jnevin]

But then he'd need a hoist and would also have to mess with the transmission. A bigger dude could pull a little I-4 head by hand.

The jacket itself could hold that I-4 up while it was curling a sequoia.

 

[digimon7068]

Not true, it depends on were it's cracked... If it's into a water jacket it can have oil in coolant and be blowing out steam from the tailpipe yes... But if it's cracked in the combustion chamber an leaking compresion or between cylinders it would jus have a missfire jus like Dave described.

and if it gets down in the crankcase. . .even a little bit. . .it can wipe out your main bearings and you're talking complete overhaul. . .in which case, it would be cheaper to find a junkyard model with a good donor motor (i.e., rear end collision) and swap out the motor.

 

[ortiz34]

and if it gets down in the crankcase. . .even a little bit. . .it can wipe out your main bearings and you're talking complete overhaul. . .in which case, it would be cheaper to find a junkyard model with a good donor motor (i.e., rear end collision) and swap out the motor.

You didn't mention your abs ?

 

[digimon7068]

You didn't mention your abs ?

no. . .but you did

i think it's very cool that your title has the word "bud" in the middle of it. . .coincidence?? i think not

 

[-SD-]

So what is the repair going to be exactly? Replacing a head really isn't a big job and you can get one for that car for pretty cheap if you use one of those used car part finders on the Internet. I got a transmission a few months ago for $375 with a warrant and shipping with only 35k miles. A head replacement really isn't a big job, but a shop will ass rape you for it. It's just part swapping. Doesn't require any particular expertise. You just need a good spot to do the job and some decent tools.

In the end it'll save you a buttload to do the job and keep the old car that, presumably, doesn't carry a monthly payment.

Repairs going to be over a grand but its a good car and ive run the hell out of it without any problems. this spark plug thing seems to be an anomaly in an otherwise solid car, plus Im already $260 sunk into it from buying the head bolts directly from mazda myself (had to, the shop was going to ass rape me for a $200 mark up if they had to get the bolts from mazda)

 

[ortiz34]

no. . .but you did

i think it's very cool that your title has the word "bud" in the middle of it. . .coincidence?? i think not

looking swole
Doesn't look like trt to me

 

[gstacker]

Repairs going to be over a grand but its a good car and ive run the hell out of it without any problems. this spark plug thing seems to be an anomaly in an otherwise solid car, plus Im already $260 sunk into it from buying the head bolts directly from mazda myself (had to, the shop was going to ass rape me for a $200 mark up if they had to get the bolts from mazda)

That's cool n all but I'd never dump a grand into a 91 Mazda
I'd throw it in the gutter n go buy another lol..
Why don't u get somthing cool like a 70 camero haha

 

[Scotsman]

That's cool n all but I'd never dump a grand into a 91 Mazda
I'd throw it in the gutter n go buy another lol..
Why don't u get somthing cool like a 70 camero haha

http://www.youtube.com/user/EmployeeOfTheMonth?blend=2&ob=1#p/u/2/k4rPIuK8RaY

Fucking embed has been disabled.

Cheers,
Scotsman

 

[RottenWillow]

....plus Im already $260 sunk into it from buying the head bolts directly from mazda myself (had to, the shop was going to ass rape me for a $200 mark up if they had to get the bolts from mazda)

OMG $260 for I-4 head bolts! Manufacturers charge you enough to build their car 5x over for what they charge for their parts.

Too late now obviously, but in the future Dave there are usually Internet vendors that have even little OEM parts like that for much less than the manufacturer. Sometimes you may have to buy a larger assembly to get that little part you want though, but with a little creative thinking you can save hundreds of dollars.

 

[-SD-]

OMG $260 for I-4 head bolts! Manufacturers charge you enough to build their car 5x over for what they charge for their parts.

Too late now obviously, but in the future Dave there are usually Internet vendors that have even little OEM parts like that for much less than the manufacturer. Sometimes you may have to buy a larger assembly to get that little part you want though, but with a little creative thinking you can save hundreds of dollars.

Shop guys stood nothing to gain from me buying the bolts from mazda directly so they didnt mention anything but next time i will try that. feel like a shithook but i just want this fukker done with

 

[mrplunkey]

This is off-topic, but I have been so inspired by the shrimpy sweater that the jacket is the next target on my list of EF relics to touch.

To where could I travel so as to touch the SD jacket?

 

[jnevin]

I hear Austin is a lovely place.

 

[-SD-]

This is off-topic, but I have been so inspired by the shrimpy sweater that the jacket is the next target on my list of EF relics to touch.

To where could I travel so as to touch the SD jacket?

You must travel west my friend, past the mighty river of the Mississippi, through the great woods of East Texas, to the capital city of Austin.

 

[mrplunkey]

You must travel west my friend, past the mighty river of the Mississippi, through the great woods of East Texas, to the capital city of Austin.

Consider your location officially on my list.

 

[kx250rider]

$260 sunk into it from buying the head bolts directly from mazda myself

That was a smart move. The head bolts, if they're the self-torquing type, are one of the most important things to not go cheap on, as they're designed to stretch ONCE, and cannot be re-used. Anyone who has failed to replace them, has (or will soon) do the job all over again when the head gasket fails. I think I paid $400 for the new head bolts on my '85 Toyota Diesel.

The only other source than the mfr for head bolts I might trust, would be ARP. They tend to be the best, and in fact, they're the only ones that will work properly on the GM 350 Diesel.

Charles

 

[-SD-]

That was a smart move. The head bolts, if they're the self-torquing type, are one of the most important things to not go cheap on, as they're designed to stretch ONCE, and cannot be re-used. Anyone who has failed to replace them, has (or will soon) do the job all over again when the head gasket fails. I think I paid $400 for the new head bolts on my '85 Toyota Diesel.

The only other source than the mfr for head bolts I might trust, would be ARP. They tend to be the best, and in fact, they're the only ones that will work properly on the GM 350 Diesel.

Charles

well shit i guess that was the smartest thing i did because it sure felt like taking it up the ass for those bolts.

 

[PICK3]

well shit i guess that was the smartest thing i did because it sure felt like taking it up the ass for those bolts.

Deja Vu

 

[-SD-]

Deja Vu

yea, use more lube next time rob.

 

[gstacker]

well shit i guess that was the smartest thing i did because it sure felt like taking it up the ass for those bolts.

Taking it up the ass is not smart IMO