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View Full Version : 348 top end "problem"?


bubbletop61
04-23-2003, 12:01 AM
I would like to ask for some help from all you experienced "W"
block guys. I :rolleyes: bought a pair of 1147 heads for the hi-horse 348 at Carlisle last Spring. As this is my first W overhaul
I did not fully appreciate what it meant not to have a combustion chamber in the head...:( The problem is that one of the heads has a lot of rust on the gasket sealing surface area between cylinders, and the rust is about .040"- .060" deep.

I have been told if I mill one head, I should mill both. Then the intake has to be milled to fit the new angle of the heads, and to allow it to sit right down into the valley on top of the block. Then the push rods have to be slightly shorter, but simply milling the heads already makes the angle of attack of the push rods more acute which is said to be a weakness in the design to start with.

I would love to hear any input anybody has on this. Information leads to good decisions, and who better to listen to than guys who have been through several of these rebuilds, and who know what works and what doesn't.

Will head gaskets compensate for any of the corrosion in the face of the bad head, or is this just a band aid on a weakness that will always be there.

Cheers, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Gar Gibb

dq409
04-23-2003, 12:12 AM
Ive got that same problem on one set of my heads though not as bad.
I`ve been told that it sould not matter and the gasket should seal. One other thing you might be able to do is have the pits welded and a light resurface done after,not enough to change any angles just enough to smooth things out again. Talk to a good machinist and go from there. Perferably one who knows "W" blocks,,,dq