Spark plug thread repairs - solutions?

Thanks for all the good advice. I will contact a local engine workshop tomorrow that specializes in "metal filling" / "metal spraying" in order to recondition worn engine parts and ask for their advice. I will keep the precautions you have just given in mind and see if I can trust them for the job. Going to see if they prefer inserts or metal filling & cutting a new thread.

Cheers
Bj?rn Brynjar J?nsson

My friend who does all the aluminium welding for me is former alu founder back from the time thease heads where made, he has worked all his life with that stuff, he does his own weldingrods with the right mix to make the welds last. Your right a avarage welder would not be able to do it properly.
Somethimes i forget that, since i learn and work with workmans usualy aged above 80 years old <!-- s:wink: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s:wink: -->

It is possible to weld heads for Cords as I had mine welded. The spark plug area was built up and new threads for the spark plug were cut. It has over 1500 miles on it and no problem. I use anti sieze compound on the threads. The welder was very good so maybe an averaage welder might not be able to do a good job.

Welding modern aluminum is one thing. Welding aluminum from this time period another. Normally not successful.
CORDially Mike

I also had a stripped spark plug seat on my 812. Compression blew the spark plug out of the head. Repair was quick and simple with an insert. While an aluminum thread insert was preferred to keep similar expansion ratios, the insertion tool proved to have a clearance issue and in the end we used a steel "helicoil" type insert. Work was done on site at a very moderate cost. The issues and potential additional problems involved with removing the head were much more intimidating than using the insert. After all, these inserts are used successfully in much higher compression engines that those of our Cords.

hi, go out and find a good aluminium welder and then rebore and thread all or just the one of it it, to standad size, that will be cheaper than replacing, but probably you will have to reface the heads after that.
The re-threading kit are not allways a good solution, anyhow don't throw the heads away if you replace them, let the people know that they would be available. I would go for welding as i like to keep most of the original castings. Let us know what you did and if it was sucsessful.

I have a friend who can repair ironcast-blocks and cylinderheads propperly by welding without stresses, he preheats them for 24 houers, welds them and cools them within 24 hourers, new maschining and refacing is what you allway need to do. They can even cut out large bits weld the indernal cracks and corrosion, weld the cut out bits in again and after all that treatment you have a head or block like new:wink:

Hello folks,

I have a problem with one spark plug seat were the tread has become so badly damaged that the spark plug isn't held properly in place anymore. I guess there are three possible solutions to this problem (please let my know if you have other ideas):

[list:9j04jvv1]1. New cylinder head
2. Do spark plug thread repair with inserts, f.x. from [url:9j04jvv1]http&#58;//www&#46;timesert&#46;com/index&#46;html[/url:9j04jvv1]
3. Re-thread the spark plug seat to next size above (18mm).
[/list:u:9j04jvv1]
Apparently this isn't the first time this happens for this car because there are already three spark plug threads that have been re-threaded to 18mm.

I would very much like to go for option 1, but it's probably wise to wait until the Icelandic currency has strengthened against the US dollar (the Icelandic krona lost 50% of it's value against the dollar since October last year). Therefore I am thinking about option 2. Has anyone tried it? If so, from which manufacturer did you buy your re-threading kit? What do you recommend?

I consider option 3, a bad option. Because it means you can't use the same type of spark plugs on all cylinders.

All help appreciated

Best regards
Bj?rn Brynjar