I have used thread inserts in all the A-series I do as a matter of course, its cheap and easy and I have never had one pull out... the difference in load ability from the stock bolt in alloy to a recoil and is larger surface area is massive!

Just put in insert or re-coil and be done with it... anyone running any stiffer than stock valve springs without using inserts or re-coils is crazy!

Quote:

... uh, yeah lets just say that's what's happening to it while I finish off my A14

*Coughracinghardcausingoilstarvationandvalvebouncecough!

as long as it drives just keep going and hurry up with the new motor lol. A series motors can handle alot of punishment. just be nice to it for the last little bit of its life!

30 year old head
its a pretty good bet

seen ea ford heads w/ 28 recoils in the top.....
then they blow a head gasket
sigmas used to deform the head bolt bosses at 50ft lbs, you could watch the boss squeeze out from under the bolt like cheese while trying to torque down

you know I did a search before I started this topic and Dazza said just about the same thing about the head to another bloke. It's just one of those things that are true though

your head is soft
you dont bend valves by increasing tappet clearance
timeserts better than recoils but head is on its last legs
plan for another head in the near future
dazza

I've got an entire A15 I'm building, I'm just lazy and haven't called Jeff back to give him some specs, he was going to hook me up with some gear for it like cam, flywheel, ect. Got an A14 that needs an inspection as it was spewing smoke after a khanacross. I also have an assembed A12 head but it may have chips out of the combustion chambers as some air filter bolts found their way in there when I first got a weber.

This A12 is only spose to be a in between motor for me but it does have to get me home, when it's out then I'll give it some love like a nice new set of pitsons and a portjob or something cos it's a special one, it's from my coupe

true, i was thinking if he had a spare (entire head/valve/rocker assembely) it would be a lot easier and safer to just switch over

or even better if it's an a12 we are talking about get an entire a15 for it

As long as the head itself is serviceable, then repair it with a suitable thread insert.

If done properly, the repair is actually stronger than the original alloy thread. No point in writing off a perfectly good head over such a little thing as damaged threads.

fairly common for the pedestal bolt threads to give up, any abuse, over tighten heavy springs etc,
helicoils a common fix, Time-Serts the best fix...