Who was making High Comp heads in 1987?

JoeWay

JoeWay

Well-known member
I bought a new high compression head from the fellow who rebuilt my engine in 1987. I asked him a couple of years ago what head it was--he thought he might have been selling Brumfield heads at that time, but wasn't sure and didn't recall what other heads he sold. Larry looked at the photo a few days ago and says it isn't one of his. It looks a bit like the B head in Vince Falter's current avatar, but this is an A head without the steam holes.

There are no markings on it anywhere that I can find, and no evidence of any marking having been ground off. It looks stock, but measures 174cc which (if my math is correct) calculates to right at 5.9 using stock engine dimensions. It makes very good power.

I don't imagine there were very many builders of HC heads in 1987. Who was there besides Brumfield? Anybody recognize this chamber shape?
Thanks for any opinions.

Joe

headchamber.jpg
 
Hey Vince--

I'll keep your offer in mind in case a better deal doesn't turn up. :p

I was rather counting on you for information. Now that you're here, what's the head in your avatar?

Joe
 
Mike Hart was making heads back then, and they looked like that.
The foundry burned down,and took his patterns with it in the fire, so that ended the run.
 
forever4 said:
It is just an original Model B head with an original head gasket.

Yours looks like a Model B combustion chamber, but perhaps it is higher compression than a stock B.
I can't tell from the pics.
Click to expand...

Vince, do you know the volume of the combustion chamber on the orignal B head?

Volume of my chambers is a uniform 174cc.

Thanks.

Joe
 
Hmmm...just ran the numbers again and you are correct. I wonder if I got dyslexic and used 147cc when I did the calcs the first time.

Looks like I'm in the market for a new head. Do you have any production plans yet, Larry?

Joe
 
Joe,

I was waiting for the economy to stabilize a bit more before making another batch. It appears to be improving pretty well right now. Producing a volume of these heads requires considerable time and money. Didn't know what to expect when things went rapidly south in the economy especially with all the uncertainty that goes along with the liberal Obama agenda.

Model A-ing is just a hobby for most people and a high compression head is just an accessory. It's not a necessity that people have to have. The Model Aers preach a good game; as seen on Fordbarn for example, but when it comes to actually spending the money it's often a different story. By the time everything is installed, 400 dollars or more can easily be spent and that's with people doing the work themselves. Of course that's peanuts to some people but a significant sum to others.


Larry B.
 
Last edited:
Joe,

Reference your post:

"It looks a bit like the B head in Vince Falter's current avatar, but this is an A head without the steam holes."

I have two heads I got in early 60's. Neither has steams holes.

One is the one "with the large B", chambers are heart shaped with pointed tips ( NOTE that Larry's heads have rounded tip on bottom of the heart in the chamber). This one has NO steam holes either and chambers look the same size as second head I refered to.

The "large B head" and the "Model A" head are the same shape as the US Army's First Cav patch, the large yellow and black patch.


Second head is just like "large B" head in every way except it has "Model A" in large letters behind the water pump mounting across 1 and 2 cylinder areas. Has no steam holes. I was told these were sold by Western Auto and other hardware stores prior to 1960.
 
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