The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop What year is the head?

I have a 216 head and would like to know which head I saved . I scrapped two engines years ago and hope I saved the one from the ‘40s. Part number is 839401 or 889401 below is the number 4.

The exact year isn’t necessary, just the general idea. I know that a couple of years of the ‘40s the head was different with smaller spark plugs. The head is in my junk shed and I did good to photo what I did ( dropped the phone and played hell to retrieve it without pulling half the junk out of the shed!). It’s not a big deal, just a curiosity thing.

Any 216 head from 1941-53 will fit and function the same. As you mentioned the earlier heads used 10mm plugs.
The 1937-40 heads are designed to go with dome pistons, so they are not a good candidate. The 1937-40 head can easily be identified as it is straight down the manifold side, not scallop around the head bolts like the 1941-53 head.

Question for Dave- - - - -can the heads with the 10MM spark plugs be drilled and tapped for 14MM? I've got a few of the small plug heads stashed away, and those plugs are scarce and E$$$$$PENSIVE!
Jerry

I wish I could answer that Jerry. I have not tried that.

It sounds like it's time to set up a head on my valve seat and guide machine so I can get the alignment of the plug holes all the same, and try it. It should be fairly simple to spot-face the gasket surface so the bigger seal ring will work, and then use a piloted drill bit to prepare for tapping a new thread. Unless I end up with a water cooled combustion chamber by hitting a coolant passage, it seems like it would be a good way to enhance the dwindling supply of 216 heads. Once I get a running prototype going of a full pressure oiled 247 cubic inch "216" the demand for these old engines just might increase dramatically.
Jerry

Go Jerry Go! Let’s see what you can do for these old engines. I hope I tossed the 10mm head. I wouldn’t want to spend the extra money for the plugs.

Rusty HEAPS Better be patient about the time you throw something someone will come along and give you a box of those 10mm plugs.

I tossed out a lot of pieces, parts 10 years ago when the codes official tagged my cars and told me to clean up my pile of miscellaneous junk. Had I known then I would have saved more.

Rusty Heaps You need to move out in the wilderness where the "feds" won't bother your "heaps". My iron pile is getting more valuable as time wears on . Found a can full of AD light switches where I just cut the wires saved the nut and the knob. Spray the switch interally with WD 40 and your ready to go !!

I’ve been looking at homes that are a bit more in the wilderness than where I’m at now!