Major corrosion in 3fe head

[FaulkenCruiser]

Anyone removed their thermostat housing to find severe corrosion in their head? No major cooling problems other than coolant leak while warming up at idle (what prompted my looking to begin with). I guess I'm wondering if I should run it or replace the head before she fails.

This is a 1992 fj80 with 220k that I have had for about 2 months. So far everything I have fixed at was done half assed by PO.

 

[elhombre]

Pictures would help alot. Your major corrosion could be paint petina to folks in the salt states

 

[snobdds]

Then it also probably means they never changed the antifreeze.

Pictures go a long way here...

Can't really tell you one way or the next without seeing it, but you saying you have no major cooling problems...fix before you have to start replacing. Clean it up, put in new T-stat and gasket, put in new coolant and run it. Go from there.

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

This is where the t housing bolts to the head. Look thru the coolant and see the "missing" metal. Do I now have more surface area for cooling or do I run the risk of major failure? My plan is to drive my family of 6 across Canada to Alaska......

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

Can't upload pics. Text me and I'll send them. 808-382-2454.

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

Help with posting pics? I sent some from the same phone earlier but it says they are 40 sumthing kb too big now?......

 

[Kernal]

Low resolution photos post up best, if you can set your camera to 640x480 it should load OK.

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

Can I delete previous pics I posted? I only have an iPhone…

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

Ok for some reason my photos will now post. Look thru the coolant and you can see the jagged metal reaming from what has rusted away. When I got this FJ is was running rusty water at the coolant.

 

[RavenTai]

how much of your jagged metal is corrosion and how much is just casting surface?


remove the loose stuff with a wire brush or similar, flush it out with a hose and bolt it all back up and drive. even if it is horribly corroded there is not much you can do about it.

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

Look "thru" the coolant in the head. The shadow is jagged corroded metal that easily bends and flakes off. The "shell"of the head is fine, I'm worried about the channels and cooling ports inside being corroded so bad that they fail.

 

[RavenTai]

OK I see, all you can do is flush it and drive it, the head is fairly thick, it will either fail or it wont, I take it somebody ran straight water for a while?

I would not go replacing a head because it might fail. at any time any of our heads might fail.

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

Good logic, thanks. Other than the coolant leak in the front of the engine that prompted this exploratory, the old girl runs pretty good. Don't fix it if it ain't broke applies. I appreciate the help.

 

[snobdds]

Just rub it down with some emery cloth and make sure all the fine bits are taken out. Might need the Ms. to hold a shop vac next to area you are sanding to suck all bits out.

I would use a quality gasket (OEM) with this stuff below

Just a small bead around the sealing surface should make a good seal. I bet you will be fine, the 3FE is a stout head.

 

[Offroads4x4]

Just rub it down with some emery cloth and make sure all the fine bits are taken out. Might need the Ms. to hold a shop vac next to area you are sanding to suck all bits out.

I would use a quality gasket (OEM) with this stuff below

Just a small bead around the sealing surface should make a good seal. I bet you will be fine, the 3FE is a stout head.

X2
This stuff works very well. Clean it off and reassemble. Your head I'm sure is fine for many years of service.

 

[FaulkenCruiser]

For what it's worth I took the head off and sent it to the machine shop. I did need some new valve seats but the head was actually in really good shape. The "corrosion" I was worried about was only casting material.

I was impressed that the cylinders still had cross hatching (a little wear on the thrust side but still had great compression before the head came off). I sure hope this will fix my smoke and coolant leaks on start up. Thanks for the opinions.