thealleyboy Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I've read a lot about the Turbo head cracks, but don't recall any discussion of how they hold up once they have been repaired. I'm trying to piece together an EA82T, and EVERY cylinder head I've come across so far has the cracks that everyone bitches about. OK, not the end of the world right? I had my machine shop pal look at a pair of gen 2's. They do hold pressure (despite the cracks) and they could be reconditioned to relieve the stress in the weak spots. However, he was lukewarm about doing the work since there was no way to predict how long they would last. This guy is VERY good and his standards are high, so I take his opinions seriously. I'm tempted to go ahead and take a chance on reconditioning a set, cause who knows where/when I'll find any that aren't cracked. For those who have gone the reconditioning route, did they hold up very long? Was it worth it? I'm particularly interested in gen 2 and 3 owners, since those are supposedly improved. thanks, John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petersubaru Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I have turbo heads with NO cracks between the valves...on speculation I bought these heads from a machine shop that is closing its doors...the shop owner said the heads have been sitting there for 10-12 years since the car owner didn't want to pay the price for the cleaning and resurfacing of the heads..they look A1 and I would keep them for myself but I don't have a turbo....If you should write back ...be patient for a reponse since I don't have a computer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted February 18, 2004 Author Share Posted February 18, 2004 Hey Pete: If you want to sell those heads, please let me know. I promise you they'll go to a good home!! I'm sure there are some around, but they are sure scarce around here. Even newer Subes seem to be rare. My machine shop guy showed me a 2.2 (I think) that he's been waiting for parts for several weeks. "Interference Design", not cracks, are the problem with those newer ones. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petersubaru Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 John..I am back at the library again..I need to correct what I said earlier....they have 2 intake ports each and I automaticly Assumed they were for a turbo...is there any difference between a Turbo and MPFI...I know that the carb and spfi are the same....anyway the heads are in excellent condition,slight surface oxidition on a couple of springs since they have been sitting around for over 10 years, valves cleaned etc. and resurfaced with no cracks between the valves...I bought them early this morning in Florida and I need to figure out a price for the heads....(any ideas)...if we agree to a price, and instead of sending them to you....maybe we can meet on my way back up to Port Huron Mich. if where you live is not to far of the I/75... Peter....email me .....PCOTUL@hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted February 18, 2004 Author Share Posted February 18, 2004 Pete: I believe all non-turbo heads, including MPFI are the same, while the turbos are a slightly different design. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, cause I don't know the turbos all that well. I'd definitely be interested in those if the price is fair. I might even be able to use them if they are reg EA82's I'll email you off the board to discuss further. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCraig Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 John I'm afraid you don't have all of your facts straight about EA82T heads. Let's start with the crack between the valves. It is very common to find crack between the valves of all EA82 and EA82T heads. Subaru released a factory service bulletin regarding this issue and basically those cracks are not a problem. Here's a PDF copy of the service bulletin. http:home.comcast.net/~c.moe/heads.pdf Now the crack that is a problem with EA82T heads is the one that develops where the exhaust runners converge in the center of the exhaust port. Behind that point is a water jacket and what happens is that the coolant expands enough to cause a crack. Subaru finally solved this problem with the 3rd generation heads. MPFI and Turbo heads share the same casting, The Left heads are the same between the two except I heard somewhere that Turbo's got stronger valves. The difference in the right heads is that the turbo head has the oil return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 Originally posted by thealleyboy OK, not the end of the world right? I had my machine shop pal look at a pair of gen 2's. They do hold pressure (despite the cracks) and they could be reconditioned to relieve the stress in the weak spots. However, he was lukewarm about doing the work since there was no way to predict how long they would last. This guy is VERY good and his standards are high, so I take his opinions seriously. thanks, John i would say the man only questions it because he is not too experienced in the soobs, as if he doesnt see them very often but perfectly good heads have cracks in them, cracks are expected but if the guy knows what he is doing and trusts his own work, i say its a go what i would think you could have him do is stake the valve seats in, so they dont drop out not that they will all of a sudden, but i have seen heads let go of valve seats, if the cracks expand too large but if the crack is small enough you cant relly catch it on a fingernail, youre ok. as long as the crack doesnt splay open, and the cracks are flush, there is nothing to be too concerned about Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted February 19, 2004 Author Share Posted February 19, 2004 Craig: I appreciate the info on the service bulletin. I understand the issue of the cracks being common. The machine shop guy and I talked about seeing them alot on the EA82's and assessing the severity of the cracks. What he questioned is how long the heads will hold up. Miles: The valve seats were one of his big concerns. Whether they'll fall out under expansion. The guy is just trying to be honest about what to expect in a worst case scenerio. I did stop by the shop again and we decided to go ahead with the reconditioning work on the heads. I also plan to overhaul the rest of the cooling system on this car to keep it running as cool as possible. We'll see how it works out... John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 john, good to go with theheads, as i have seen cracked ones in perfectly running cars. the staking of the valve seats will help the head last LONGER, even tough it will hold up anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIS Subaru Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 John, Craig is absolutely right about the cracks in the exhaust runners. The heads on my CIS wagon had these, and I only found them because my friend was "porting" the heads for me. When he hit the cracks with the die-grinder, you could instantly smell coolant even though the heads were totally dry. Thankfully, his cousin is a welder and agreed to patch them for me. So far his welds are holding fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealleyboy Posted February 22, 2004 Author Share Posted February 22, 2004 Noah: Yes, I'm convinced that those heads will hold up. They turned out beautiful, and the engine is looking REAL sharp!! Miles and Danny bolted it up in a matter of hours and it's all ready to swap in We'll know more later today after we fire it up. I called you yesterday to let you know we were at my house. If you can get out today, stop on by. John 902 S Cassingham (garage in rear) 238-0220 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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