Cracked Head - Yikes.

That's a might big crack to try and repair with jb weld ect. Stock heads are cheap and fairly easy to find, especially with so many people going to hc heads.
 
Jojo, not sure where you are in CT, however guy is selling a stock head on CL, for $40 - in the Litchfield area. Was thinking that is pretty cheap for a spare, but like the others here, when time comes to take mine off I will go with the Snyder head most likely.

If you are in the area, Neil at Precision Automotive in Simsbury will check it for you very reasonably.

Years ago I used to see Larry Brumfield heads but notice he seems to be missing from the site and in general. always heard they were good, but not sure if still available.
 
I bought my 1928 Phaeton cheap because the head looked just like your's. The owner wasn't expecting an early freeze, but this is Minnesota where it can freeze very early. All my numbers match (frame, engine, and title), so I was lucky the block didn't crack. Use a mirror and check the bottom of the coolant chambers on the block for cracks. I bought an engine block at an auction once, and when I cleaned it I found a freeze crack inside the valve chamber, right behind where the distributor shaft goes.

Your head is good for a cutaway display, if you cut a horizontal line half way up on the left side and over to the crack. Be sure to clean the block well as mentioned above. I used to do hot tanking where I worked, and as Tbird said, it cleans it well. We could safely neutralize the dirty solution and dump it down the drain. That's why I don't understand why it's so hard to find a hot tank place these days.

You also have a rodent problem that needs to be dealt with. They will chew up your upholstery, wires, and even tires. I use mothballs and haven't seen any sign of mice in my garage and Phaeton. I scatter mothballs around the garage, by the door, and inside my car under the seats and on the floor.
 
JB Weld! Wish that could fix this! A friend mentioned he could try helping me repair it in some fashion...I turned him down. Hypothetically, on the off chance we could come up with a repair for it, I'd always worry about it, and on a car like these, everyone wants to see the engine. I don't want to be embarrassed showing them the top of the engine with a crack across it. Definitely going to grab a HC head to replace it. I'll use this time touch up some of the paint on the engine as well.

Steve_Mack - where are you located? I live in central CT as well...I'm going to look into the guys you mentioned as local resources even though I keep the car out in NE CT.

Tom - I'm glad you're block wasn't cracked, although you know enough about these Model A's that it seems you'd be able to find some way turning that into a positive somehow!
Definitely had a mouse problem this winter. :mad::mad: We've had people living in the house with the garage, so they've kept the mice down, but this winter the house was winterized with no one there to see the mice come in and stop it right away. They made their way into the headliner as well, putting two holes in it.
Overall, Sunday was a pretty depressing day for me. Now I'm focused on finding where the mice are coming in and blocking it up, trapping any remaining mice in the garage, getting the A engine back to fully operational (with a few improvements) and redoing the headliner (and anywhere else I find mouse evidence). Gotta look at it all as opportunities to improve both the car and garage so I stay positive!
 
Unfortunately Larry was Banned from Fordbarn. After the economy took a hit in 2008 he stopped making heads. I never really understood his reason for stopping, but he said it was with the hit there were not enough people who would buy them. I do not think there was a signifigant drop in demand for them. I have a 6.5 BF on the shelf for the delivery for whenever things get fully back on track here I will get the engine rebuilt and use the head. Rod
 
Be sure to vacuum the mouse crap from under the seats, and don't breath any of it, as it can kill people. My friend let my park my 1949 Chevy 1 1/2 ton truck in his granary for the winter back in the 70's. I learned real fast just how much damage the mice do. They destroyed my cardboard headliner, which was mint original, and is no longer available.

You might also find the mice nested in your exhaust, or any other opening they could find.
 
Jojo, PM sent. Quite a few CT folks on this site. Mice have gotten to my cars over the years as well - a real annoyance..

Rowdy, thanks for update on Larry - too bad, but these things happen - at least it is not a health issue or something like that... I kind of dropped off the barn around then as I sold my first "A". The garage just did not seem right without one though...

Anyway, 6.5 seems like a better fit for a fresh engine. Mine is sound, and more powerful than my first "A" but I did not build it. I would be OK with 5.5 but not 6.5 anyway.
 
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