[TR] Hardened seats and cracked heads

[pryner at verizon.net]

Never had a problem with mine.  Had the tr3 done by the RF in 94 been great since then.  I had hardened seats put in my mgb project car.  Machinest had no problem doing the job.  That said I did take the tr head to a local shop before sending it to the RF.  they made a mess of the head and said they couldn't get the seats to fit.  Don't know if the RF still has their cars maintenance service but I would recommend contacting them.
Pete 

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob <yellowtr at adelphia.net>
Sender: triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net
Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 07:44:21 
To: <triumphs at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [TR] Hardened seats and cracked heads

On Monday, November 22, 2010 03:32:47 pm fogbro1 at comcast.net wrote:
> List,
> 
> 
> 
> A machine shop is telling me that they will no longer install hardened
> valve seats in cast iron heads because doing so substantially increases
> the chance of the head cracking. Supposedly (they say) this is even more
> risky with highly tuned street or race engines. Are they blowing smoke or
> is this true? Comments......
> 
> 
> 
> Ed Woods

Ed,

I have the hardened seats installed on my 3, 4 and 6. So far with the 3 and 4 
no problems. The 6 motor only has about 1 hour on the engine so it is to soon 
to tell.

The machine shop I use said nothing about the process when I dropped the heads 
off. No cautions, etc.

The 3 engine is 87MM otherwise stock. The 4 is stock all the way and so is the 
6. Minor head shaving just to insure a flat surface only.

Maybe their concern is the seat will expand and contract at different rates 
than the surrounding cast iron? But if so, wouldn't my machine shop know of 
this and refused?

Curious to hear other replies.



Bob
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