Alu 24 stud heads

Kube said:
I was unable to see that script. Then they are most likely Ford.
Now, to be clear, Ford only installed cast iron heads on the trucks and Merc. engines in '39 / '40.
There were aluminum high-compression heads made in both cast and aluminum. They are EXTREMELY rare.
The heads that were installed on truck (not pickup trucks) had a large T cast on the face. These were also installed on all Mercury's in '39 / '40. Very early production had that T between the front spark plug and the next plug rearward. Somewhere around December 1939 the T was moved to the center of each head. The heads in '39 / '40 were specific to side.
What I find questionable is the fact that the part number is lacking a numeral within the prefix. It's difficult to believe Ford would have forgotten that.
By 1946, cylinder heads were interchangeable right / left.
The fact that both 6049 and 6050 is cast on those heads in question makes me believe they were produced after WWII.
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How do you identify the rare Ford aluminum heads?
 
Christopher Salty said:
Are those aluminum heads? I tried finding them with no luck. Got a link to them on marketplace?
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If you are interested, I have a set of aluminum C8BA heads. One is NOS and the other is used, but in excellent condition. At my age, I'll probably never use them, so they are available.
 
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Kube said:
Even later service replacement parts had FORD cast upon them. I truly believe these to be after-market.

Seller is incorrect. The T heads for 39 / 40 BIG trucks and Mercury had a T cast on the cylinder head as well as the complete part number.
Also, the heads for those years were specific to the right OR left side. Not both.
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Kube's information is 100% correct.

I also would not mix up different chamber designs if you can help it. From the pictures it seems like they are significantly different.
 
tubman said:
If you are interested, I have a set of aluminum C8BA heads. One is NOS and the other is used, but in excellent condition. At my age, I'll probably never use them, so they are available.
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Sent you a PM, location says Minnesota and Florida? Where in MN? I live by Rochester.
 
fgaller said:
How do you identify the rare Ford aluminum heads?
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The part number is cast into each head. The part number, with the head installed, is all the way to the rear of the engine.
I can kinda assure you, you have about zero chance of finding a set.
I have seen a couple of cast iron sets in my entire life.
I'd only witnessed one set, NOS, at Hershey that I had to have.
My wallet became MUCH lighter after that purchase.
They ended up completing a very rare '40 convertible restoration. That car is well documented factory equipped Mercury engine car with high compression ALUMINUM heads. That's why I emptied most of my wallet to get them.
 

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Kube said:
I was unable to see that script. Then they are most likely Ford.
Now, to be clear, Ford only installed cast iron heads on the trucks and Merc. engines in '39 / '40.
There were aluminum high-compression heads made in both cast and aluminum. They are EXTREMELY rare.
The heads that were installed on truck (not pickup trucks) had a large T cast on the face. These were also installed on all Mercury's in '39 / '40. Very early production had that T between the front spark plug and the next plug rearward. Somewhere around December 1939 the T was moved to the center of each head. The heads in '39 / '40 were specific to side.
What I find questionable is the fact that the part number is lacking a numeral within the prefix. It's difficult to believe Ford would have forgotten that.
By 1946, cylinder heads were interchangeable right / left.
The fact that both 6049 and 6050 is cast on those heads in question makes me believe they were produced after WWII.
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Here's a photo of the "T" cast upon a head.
 

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So a ’true’ alu head from a truck US made had a big T cast in.

This heads was sold today and it was kind of odd issues here plus diffirent chamber CC, so I better was not the one get them.

Seller was into super rare NOS pre factory prototypes (?)
 
3W Hank said:
So a ’true’ alu head from a truck US made had a big T cast in.

This heads was sold today and it was kind of odd issues here plus diffirent chamber CC, so I better was not the one get them.

Seller was into super rare NOS pre factory prototypes (?)
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I think you were wise to pass on those heads.

No aluminum T heads were produced. Cast iron ALL had that T cast upon them. The compression was actually lower than the more common A heads.
 
Kube said:
I think you were wise to pass on those heads.

No aluminum T heads were produced. Cast iron ALL had that T cast upon them. The compression was actually lower than the more common A heads.
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Agree and again correct. T heads are low compression and not worth anything else doing a 100% correct restoration or you need something to hold down your tent in windy conditions. LOL!!!!
 
Tim Ayers said:
Agree and again correct. T heads are low compression and not worth anything else doing a 100% correct restoration or you need something to hold down your tent in windy conditions. LOL!!!!
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Tim, I sent three T heads (very nice heads) to a fellow in Florida. He is restoring a Merc. You are 100% correct; they are not worth a darn except for restoration purposes.

I don't recall but think they are a full point below the A heads in compression. Does that sound about right?
 
The French engine components I've seen have lots of casting marks in the days before they started casting the SUMB truck engines. The more popular Vedette had a French version of the V6-60 engine.

The US engines always had the Ford logo. Made in USA was also on a lot of castings. The Canadians were proud of their castings. They always had made in Canada on them besides the C beginning all the part number prefixes.

A lot of truck blocks were relieved as well as having larger clearance volume. Ford wanted to make sure that detonation would be kept to a minimum in all of their stock engines. The Mercury cars were larger and heavier so they opened up the clearance volume to keep the compression ratios very close to the same as the smaller 221 engines. I can't really relate how serious FoMoCo was about stopping detonation.
 
As promised .Here are the French 24 stud aluminum heads off a Vendome.
 

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The heads you showed ( expensive ) so they did not had a T incasted, correct ?
Was alu high comp ? ( truck late 30's )

I did ask seller today on CC, but he did not know.
By the way, those heads had 'Ford' in casted.

As far I has read trucks had lower comp as relived from factory.

-If I'm back to my plan to use std heads on that engine.
Im not into finned style on that one even I know many used finned heads after war.
 
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