aluminium cylinder heads

[golfpin]

anyone care to comment,
have used an epoxy glue to fill a cavity in a mazda rotary engine when bridgeporting. Worked perfectly do you think the same product would work on water corroded aly car cylinder head? The mazda part was steel [not the rotor] and the temperatures I think would be about the same. I know welding is best but not available where I am now. Thanks

 

[BrianPetersen]

Is it subject to coolant or oil pressure, structural mechanical bending, or exhaust temperature?

No to all of those? I've used JB Weld Marine to re-shape intake ports in piston engines, and it has stayed put for years. I have heard other recommendations for another epoxy called Splash Zone, or another called Belzona (spelling may be wrong) 1111, but JB Weld Marine has worked for me.

I have heard that epoxy will not stand up to fuel with high ethanol content. I have heard that you can seal the surface with curing-type automotive urethane clearcoat paint ... or a coat of SealAll. I haven't seen the need for it at this point - I'm just putting it out there as a "be careful" if you are using high-ethanol fuel.

 

[Tmoose]

I'd consider it for "easy" stuff like restoring the seal surface around a thermostat housing, but not to restore the support for the fire ring of the head gasket.

I'd pursue PERFECT prep by abrasive blasting the corrosion out of the valleys, too.

Some epoxies emphasize that a step is a better transition than a feather edge for some applications, and some (mostly filled) products.

under surface prep here -

http://www.freemansupply.com/datasheets/Devcon/devcon-titaniumputty.pdf

ubder "how to' tab here -

http://www.resins-online.com/ecomme...-epoxy-twin-cartridge-1-x-50ml.aspx#howTo-tab

 

[golfpin]

WITH THANKS TO ALL WHO REPLIED. HOW I FORGOT BELZONA IS BEYOND ME, I USED IT BACK IN 1967 WHEN WORKING FOR DAVID PIPER, FERRARI MAN, TO REPAIR A BLOCK AND IT IS AVAILABLE IN RSA .OLD AGE !!??
GOLFPIN

 

[Tmoose]

Like Devcon and Chesterton, there are dozens of Belzona filled epoxy products.

Similarly the folks that take the advice that Hylomar gasket dressing/sealer is the bEsT are soon confronted with choosing among multiple products.

 

[1gibson]

Devcon makes a nice aluminum filled epoxy. Whatever you use, try to get something with CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) as close to the parent material as possible.