DIY Homemade Redneck Cylinder Head Pressure Tester for Free

Tied of taking the same kinda cylinder heads to the machine shop for pressure testing? Make one yourself for FREE.
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[@JohnboyDawson]

I be working on cars for about 30 years

[@watahyahknow]

you CAN weld cast iron , with special rods (pure nickel or ferro nickel ) , whont be structural though

[@CherezianRacing]

Thanks for the info!

[@bigshawn1360]

I like your idea . I've seen head testing very similar . At a junk yard when I was a kid in 1980 in SJ. I'm going to be putting some vortec heads on my TBI truck . So I might make this . Thanks .

[@CherezianRacing]

Right on thank you, good luck!

[@geodes4762]

The vortec heads are notorious for cracks as he pointed out. I have pulled perhaps 10 of these at the local junkyard and yielded maybe two or so!

[@aphil4581]

You kind of through me at first, talking about saving all the small blocks with your arm around it! I must have missed something while having beer kuz all of a sudden your cutting that SB in half with a cutoff wheel! I started laughing my ass off.

[@CherezianRacing]

Haha that would throw me off too, thanks

[@LordandGodofYouTube]

I'm an engine reconditioner by trade. Your method will work fine and is closer to what most engine shops will do, but there are other ways too. You can heat the head up (to quite warm, not so hot you'll burn yourself,) spray the head with chalk spray (not chalk paint,) tape off the coolant inlets on the manifold side, and with the deck facing up fill the head with kerosine, it's thin and while the head is warm it'll make an obvious damp patch on the chalk anywhere you have a leak. One shop I worked in did all heads this way no problem. An exchange cylinder head place I worked at just used a dense foam pad and a vacuum pump with a gauge and a pump to check all heads before reconditioning. You just place the head deck side down on the foam, connect the pump up to the manifold cooling inlet with a similar fitting to what you're using there, but with foam on it, and block the other inlet. Pull a vacuum on the pump to 1 bar, close the valve, shut off the pump and watch the gauge, if it holds vacuum for several minutes you're good, if not it's time to look closer. Spraying some water on the foam pads helps seal too. Both of these ways can be cheap and easy.

[@CherezianRacing]

Right on thats a great idea! Thanks for the input

[@tjracing29ify]

Interesting idea to use an old block. I like it

[@CherezianRacing]

Thank you!

[@JohnboyDawson]

And l just want to ask you do you no ware l can get a 1.6L Honda Head used

[@JohnboyDawson]

And do you have a set of heads for it

[@walterbargersr3402]

A good TIG welder could probably fix that cylinder head. good luck with your racing God bless brother

[@CherezianRacing]

Thank you sir, need to find someone with talent then

[@aphil4581]

I was told by my welder at work the best way to fix cast iron that's going to be getting hot and cold is to braise up the crack. He did this for me but I ended up finding another one pretty cheep so I went that way. Lots of work If it doesn't work out!

[@daltonjewell55]

I love this idea!

[@CherezianRacing]

Thanks bubba

[@s.w.e.racing3704]

I watch almost all your videos and really enjoy thirsty Thursdays. But this one just come off a little hockey lol. Bro! Not saying that won't work but I'd rather go have them checked at a shop for $100 buck's lol but I did finish 2 beer's my self watching it. Nice thanks for the beer share time bro!!

[@CherezianRacing]

Thanks for watching. I took 3 sets of sbc heads to the machine shop in one months time, and at $125 a set it added up real quick. This method will now save me enough money to afford lots more beer lol.

[@s.w.e.racing3704]

@@CherezianRacing Bro come on now. Your like me. I know your not short on beer.. lmfao

[@CherezianRacing]

@@s.w.e.racing3704 hahahaha very good point!

[@JohnboyDawson]

The small block is that a350 and do you want to sell it because I start to put a car together and l don't have a lot of money

[@CherezianRacing]

Sorry i dont have any 350s for sale

[@LesMorrisracing]

Very good Buddy! Maybe you can come to Hanford track one day

[@CherezianRacing]

Would love to try that track

[@LesMorrisracing]

@@CherezianRacing You would do good. I use to do the track photography and web site once upon a time. They do good track prep. I'm sure you would like it.