In Reply to: Alexander Cross Flow Heads posted by Russ Filby on March 16, 2003 at 11:07:25:
Russell
Received you census forms and will return asap.
I
still have the head and car 60.359 to go with it. After rebuilding the
head twice and replacing many head gaskets I would not recomend anybody
getting too involved with it. It was responsible for one ruined engine.
I
keep it on only because it is the main item that defines an Alexander
Turner. The stresses put on the cast iron stub rockers and the valve
stems also the lack of 'body' around the stud holes are the main
faults.I used to have changing a head gasket down to a fine art with it
own set of tools and spares carried at all times.I have rockers made
from excavator bucket blade steel and silicon bronze valve guides. The
original valves came from Standard/Triumph 1200 engines but with the
stems shortened and regrooved for the collets.
(A tip from the
Alexander spares storeman man back in 1967. I used to have oiling up
problems but the advent of ngk plugs resolved that.Doing away with the
thermostat and opening up the water transfer holes between the block
and the head helped with overheating when the car was pushed.
Regards Ken Banks