What is the best way to repair a set of Evans aluminum heads that are suffering from electrolysis? Pretty severe around a couple of holes. Is this a place for tig welding or is there some magic goop that will work? Any suggestions appreciated.
Best way might be to weld and then surface. But bolt the heads down to minimize warping, I'd think. I've never done it. Quickie way that might work really well, I'd try glass-beading them really clean and then applying JB Weld. Then after that dries, paint inside the holes with POR-15 to seal the parting line between the epoxy and the aluminum. Then sand the head surface smooth. Again, I've never done that, but I don't see why that wouldn't work fairly well.
Eyeing up E-pay hu? For that price I'll buy em as wallhangers! I'm sure they'll go through the roof. Your best bet would probably be to tig weld 'em up, and mill them back down, taking a little off the whole head. Probably count on $100-$150 unless your pals with a machine shop.
I saw 'em too - I'll be they do go stupidly high, but if not, I may bid - I'm not afraid of a little electrolysis!
These block letter Sharp heads welded beautifully. Both the broken fins and the corroded water passage areas. We surfaced the heads and they are like new. The same guy tried the same thing on a set of Eddie Meyers with no success. It would weld for a short time and then some imperfection in the base metal would blow up in his face. He's no new comer to repairing aluminum racing heads of all types so when he said it won't work... it won't work. So it all depends on the head and the aluminum that they were cast with. Anybody looking for some Eddie Meyer wall hangers? I've read where people have repaired the corrosion damage that didn't enter the combustion chamber with epoxy.
Thanks for the thoughts and advice. This is a set of heads that I've had for about 40 years and I still remember the price, $10. They have hung on the wall long enough. Time for them to get back to work.