Show your rare chevy parts.. - Page 13

novadude · #**121** 03-18-2016, 01:18 PM

Do we know why they abandoned the aluminum head program in 1960? What issues were they having?

It would be interesting to get these on a flow bench and see if they are actually any different than 461 heads.

**black69** · #**122** 03-18-2016, 03:16 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: novadude</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do we know why they abandoned the aluminum head program in 1960? What issues were they having?

It would be interesting to get these on a flow bench and see if they are actually any different than 461 heads. </div></div>

That's a great question. What I do believe they did hit the 315HP target mark on a 60 283 fuelie (same rating as 1961 with cast iron 461x heads), as I do believe all they were going for was endurance testing verification. I read they had water passage cracking issues, warping, no steel valve guides, etc. Not exactly reliable. The metallurgy of the heads just were off, and that killed them.

I read somewhere, the new head gasket technology that exists today (o-ring), may solve the issues <span style="font-style: italic">some</span> of these early heads would have had.

**PeteLeathersac** · #**123** 03-18-2016, 04:15 PM

Below excerpt about the 59/60 Aluminum Head project seems logical and poster knowledgeable.
Info from this link...
http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/foru...-1960-67-a.html

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/beers.gif[/img]
~ Pete

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<span style="font-style: italic">06-30-01, 06:03 AM
Administrator
Tom Bryant

I'll try to give you the short version of the aluminum head story so I don't end up rambling. Both of the '60 FI engines were to have aluminum heads with 1.94" intake valves and higher hp ratings. They were advertised and even people ordered cars thinking they were getting the heads. Never happened. They cracked between the valve seats and some even cracked during initial torquing. The '59 FI engines rated at 250 and 290 hp were carried over to '60 and the "Advertised Maximun Engine Performance" chart was revised in June 1960 to show this. There were only a few engines built at Flint with aluminum heads and they were sent to Warren Tech Center for testing.

There were no Corvettes delivered with aluminum heads by the St. Louis plant. The rumors of cars being recalled because of aluminum heads cracking are false and just rumors. Since there were no heads delivered there were none to recall so there is no service bullitin relating to this subject. This is varified by a letter from Joe Pike (Chevrolet Asst National Sales Promotion Mgr. and later Corvette News editor, from where most of us knew Joe) dated August 1961 stating that "There were no 1960 or 1961 Corvettes produced with aluminum cylinder heads." The letter further states the use of the '59 engines in the '60 FI car and the new 315 hp engine in the '61. This '61 engine had an iron version of the aluminum head with the double hump marking on the end.

You will see some of the alum heads in private hands as they were cast by Chevrolet and other sources including Alcoa in the mid '60s for use in an Indy engine project. All seem to have the '59 casting dates that were in the molds. I don't feel that these heads would be good for anything except a display novelty. They would crack if you tried to use them and they wouldn't be correct on a restoration...</span>

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**black69** · #**124** 03-18-2016, 07:02 PM

I just read that, and would have to agree. But then, checking just now, on corvette forum, a cheetah has been using those 59 heads, and a 57 vette race car has them. The cheetah guy said they are fine. So the comment in that text about 'they will crack' is not exactly 100% true.

For what its worth, I got my heads with my 60 corvette fuelie big brake. I have NO NO NO claims they belong to my car, and consider them a novelty. My car's production was not early to be valid (more like early mid year). The car was raced as part of a chevy dealer in detroit for 2 yrs, and then it went to the main holley guy inside the chevy plant, who continued to race it. Those heads came out of the detroit local area, that's about all I believe. I don't think all of these heads for indy cars would have had old orange paint on them. That paint was on there, before they were made purposely inoperable. Hard to explain. Either owner #1, got them from his dealership on another car's recall, or the second owner got them out of the tech center, where he had access to almost everything (he was close to Vince P). For me, its the mystery of the paint on them, that makes these a great conversation piece on a part that is not worth anything really.

**jl8z28** · #**125** 03-20-2016, 06:12 PM

Look at what I got at a estate auction i think the tune up machine is rare

**SS427** · #**126** 03-20-2016, 08:20 PM

Nice score!

**crash** · #**127** 03-31-2016, 01:09 AM

I was looking thru a box of N.O.S. Muncie sycro assemblies and one box looked different...

I found the N.O.S. M-22 rollerizes 1st gear I know a had, but didn't know where it was...

Thanks... Crash

**m22mike** · #**128** 03-31-2016, 02:21 AM

That is very cool Crash. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

**Fast67VelleN2O** · #**129** 03-31-2016, 03:49 PM

Wow! I didn't even know they Delco made a rollerized first gear for a Muncie!

**69L78** · #**130** 05-06-2016, 11:20 AM

I met a guy at Spring Carlisle and he is telling me a story about 4 hoods he bought, at first I am thinking this is just another story you hear about but then he mention's where and how he acquired the hoods. I was able to buy this original GM X-Ram hood last weekend.