There are a lot of repair services that can be carried out on a cylinder head. Some lean on correcting wear damage while others seek to push the OEM design to achieve better engine performance. Despite the long list of services that you can get for your cylinder head, there are a number of scenarios that will warrant a complete change of your unit. Read on to see what they are and find out if your car is affected:
Cylinder head softness
If your engine is overheating, the cylinder head's metallic structure can weaken and start to soften. This is especially common with alloy heads. When the cylinder head gets soft, it loses its shape and this can affect the movement of intake air and exhaust gases. This can ultimately cause a blown engine or stall the vehicle. To find out if your cylinder head is affected, a hardness test is carried out to check for malleability. If the cylinder head is found to be 'soft', a new fitting is required.
Non-repairable damage
Sometimes the cylinder head may experience fatal damage that cannot be corrected. Such damage includes bent or broken cylinder head. This is often as a result of accidental damage, collisions especially. Slight damage of this nature can be fixed through reconditioning. However, when extreme, it's safer to simply acquire a new cylinder head for your vehicle.
Non-reversible machining
Some changes to cylinder heads cannot be reversed. A good example is a cylinder head that has been faced too much such that no more resurfacing can be carried out. Another example is diminished valves that no longer offer sufficient air transfer. Since the cylinder block cannot be patched up to facilitate more repairs on such a unit, the only option is to replace the head entirely.
High levels of corrosion
Mild corrosion on a cylinder head can be abated through blasting and thorough application of sealant coating. However, when the corrosion is severe, chances of abating the damage are low. To retain the integrity of the engine and prevent the rust from spreading to other parts of the car, such a cylinder head has to be replaced.
If you have to replace your cylinder head, your auto service specialist can provide an OEM or aftermarket part. OEM parts can be new or second hand. Aftermarket parts, on the other hand, are reconditioned or customized replacements that offer better performance compared to OEM parts. Your choice between the three options will be guided by costs and availability.
Contact a company such as Reconditioning Services to learn more.
Share11 August 2015
It's easy to get overlooked when you head into get your car serviced if you are a woman. I have found the trick to getting the auto repairers to take me seriously is to do some research beforehand and look at what the log book says they need to replace this service. I wish I had started doing it earlier because it's also helping me trouble shoot repair issues and I'm saving myself a lot of time and stress this way. I'm keeping track of everything I have learned on this blog so I can share it with other new drivers and help them understand their auto service requirements as well.