Like most auto parts, cylinder heads can eventually crack or fail for various reasons. A broken cylinder head can be fixed in three ways: buying a new cylinder head, rebuilding, and remanufacturing the cylinder head. While buying a new one is relatively expensive, remanufacturing or rebuilding cylinder heads are the preferred options for many due to their lower prices.
Rebuilding a cylinder head means only the broken components like springs, valves, injector sleeves, or guides will be fixed. It involves welding these cracks to fix the cylinder head and put them all together.
On the other hand, remanufacturing cylinder heads involves replacing every single component of the cylinder head with new specifications. Remanufacturing involves casting, cleaning, machining, installing new components, and testing the cylinder head.
Cracking of the cylinder head is the most common reason for engine breakdowns. While rebuilding a cylinder head costs the least, it’s not a definite solution for a longer run as the other pieces tend to fail going through countless heat cycles. So, remanufacturing cylinder heads is the best way out to replace a broken cylinder head. Though expensive, a remanufactured cylinder head will go through all the steps as in factories and ensure the they don’t crack in the future.
Remanufacturing a cylinder head involves a 13-step process. This article helps you analyze the steps that ensure the highest quality of remanufactured cylinder heads.
Let’s dive deep into the processes of Remanufacturing Cylinder Heads.
13- Step Process for Remanufacturing A Cylinder Head
Step 1: Dismantling
Initial tearing down is the first step involved in remanufacturing cylinder heads. Professionals remove valves, seats, guides, injector cups, and springs and visually inspect each part. They run quality control and structural tests to check if any of the components can be re-used. For instance, rebuilders inspect the entire valve for erosion pits.
Step 2: Preliminary Cleaning and Magnafluxing
Initial cleaning and magnafluxing is the next step in remanufacturing cylinder heads. It is a crucial step during the remanufactured cylinder process to identify cracks properly and evaluate structural integrity.
Measuring the surface thickness based on OEM specifications is also significant at this stage to understand where grinding needs to be done. The technicians should also have a look at the compression, warpage, and water port seal area.
Step 3: Deep Cleaning
The third step is deep cleaning in remanufacturing process. The rebuilt cylinder head is placed into the wash tank or steam-clean tank and heated to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate the remaining component that is not part of the rebuilt cylinder head.
After the deep clean, the rebuilder taps the bolt holes and repairs cylinder heads as required. It is crucial to thoroughly clean the cylinder head as even a minuscule amount of dirt can impede the repairing or grinding process.
Step 4: Pressure Testing
Pressure testing the unit for additional structural integrity is the fourth step of a remanufactured cylinder head. This process involves pulling down water that may be present through any cracks. The guiding thread in between valves and around the seats is checked. After removing the cylinder head from the Newclear Pressure Regular Machine, it is vital to inspect the remanufactured cylinder head should be inspected for any warpage or shrinkage.
Step 5: Researching Head Parts
Determining what parts to be replaced is the fifth step in remanufacturing process. The part number and quantity are then verified. You can either replace them with brand new parts or use your internal OEM manufactured components. Also, you should replace guides, valves, and worn seat seats for all remanufactured cylinder heads.
Step 6: The Inventory Management Process
This is quite similar to the previous step, in which you choose the most appropriate parts to use in the process of remanufacturing the cylinder heads.
Step 7: Surfacing the Deck
The seventh step is surfacing the remanufactured cylinder head as required to ensure a better performance. Milling the top completely off the cylinder head is referred to as surfacing the deck. Hot welding techniques and metal stitching are typically used to repair cracks in the heads.
The cylinder heads rebuilt using the hot oven technique must be cooled in an insulated environment so the metals in the cast hold the weld.
Step 8: Installing the Injector Tubes Back
The next step involves installing the injector tubes back into the remanufactured cylinder heads. The professionals typically replace the injector tubes during the remanufacturing process. They place injector tubes back into holes with the help of a punching machine.
Injector tubes are used to confine the coolant passages along with the combustion chamber and are made either using brass, stainless steel, or copper.
Step 9: Pressure Testing the Rebuilt Heads Again
The remanufactured cylinder head has to go through the pressure test for the second time using the Newclear Pressure Regulator Machine. It is vital to pressure test a complete remanufactured cylinder head for the second time to guarantee the product’s coherence is maintained through the hot and cold-welding procedures.
Step 10: Preparing the Cylinder Head for Assembly
This step brings in the preparation of a remanufactured cylinder for the final fabrication as a product. Following the surfacing and pressure testing procedures, the rebuilt cylinder heads must be reassembled into the final form.
Step 11: Final Washing of the Finished Cylinder Heads
The eleventh step requires you to steam clean or use a wash tank to wash out the excess components such as grime and solvents stockpiled on the remanufactured cylinder head. The estimated number and the employee initials are stamped along with the serial numbers on the remanufactured cylinder heads only after the final washing.
Step 12: Painting & Packing of Remanufactured Heads
After assembling the entire package as one remanufactured cylinder head, the seat keepers are reassembled and then painted using industrial paints before the packaging. The paint that the rebuilders use in this process must nip rusting in its bud and should be capable of holding out against the environmental changes.
Step 13: Rust Prevention and Shipping Preparations
The final and thirteenth step of the remanufacturing process involves spraying a rust preventive oil and packing again. After coating the remanufactured cylinder head with rust-proof oil, the product will be wrapped in plastic and placed in a wooden box for shipping.
Thus, every remanufactured cylinder head is made with scrupulous detailing and effort. To get a remanufactured or rebuilt cylinder head, reach out to Allied Motor Parts. We offer the perfect cylinder heads for your vehicle at competitive prices. Check them out now!