BEAT THE [OVER] HEAT
We’re selling lots of new bare castings these days because of overheated, cracked heads. Once a cylinder head leaves your shop you’re at the mercy of the installer to insure the cooling system is in proper working order. A clogged radiator, weak water pump or sticky thermostat can cause an overheat situation, particularly in this summer’s excessive temperatures. To help identify an overheat problem on a cylinder head that’s been run through your shop, we recommend placing a heat tab on a water jacket plug or on a smooth spot on the casting. The center of a heat tab is designed to melt out indicating the cylinder head reached a temperature greater than its melting point. Heat tabs come in a few different temperature ranges for marine, diesel and automotive. The most popular tabs melt at around 250-F.
Steve Rich
Sterling Bearing
N. Kansas City, MO
September, 2018
