Cylinder Head Casting Date?

['64 Cuda]

Is there a way to determine the date, or approximate date, that a cylinder head was cast? I have a pair of 915 J heads. I read in the Mopar Performance "A ENGINES" book that pre 72 heads need hardened exhaust seats added, but the 72 & later heads already have them. My heads have 360 cast into them. They each have a place that looks like a plate was screwed into the mold. One has the number 05050 on it & the other has 05080. They also have a place with an arrow that points to a 1,2, or 3, and a clock face type of thing with an arrow. I tried looking in the tech archive but the info I found there was too general. It would be nice if I didn't have to pay for hardened seats.


:burnout:

 

[340mopar]

Those are date codes but it really doesn't matter in your case because 915 heads are '72 and under.

I don't have my books in front of me so I am not sure but I believe that both heads were cast in 1970 because of the last "0", both the month of May from the first "05" and one on the 5th "05" and one on the 8th "08"


Chuck

 

['64 Cuda]

Those are date codes but it really doesn't matter in your case because 915 heads are '72 and under.

I don't have my books in front of me so I am not sure but I believe that both heads were cast in 1970 because of the last "0", both the month of May from the first "05" and one on the 5th "05" and one on the 8th "08"


Chuck

Thanks. That's kind of what I was afraid of. #-o:sad1::banghead::cussing:

Now here's a few more questions. Is it easy to tell the difference between 1.88s & 2.02s when they're installed in the head? There really isn't much room between the intakes & exhausts, but the difference would only be .07" & if they're 360 heads they'd have 1.88s, right?

Does it even matter? When I bought the heads sometime around 1977 or 78 I was told they were from a 340 & had a recent valve job. Back then I had a friend of mine go through them & he said they looked like they had just been done. The heads have never been used since then. Should I just clean them up, add new valve stem seals, springs, etc, bolt them onto the 360 I'm building & run them until a valve burns? It's just my "play car" but someday I might take it on a long trip. Or should I go ahead & have hardened seats installed? If I have work done on them should I go ahead & switch to 2.02s if they're 1.88s?


:burnout:

 

[340mopar]

It's the head that goes way without hard seats and not the valve. You won't have any problem without the seats if it is a part time car. It is on a daily driver that the seats will start to go way. The easiest way is to measure the intake valve to tell which one you have. Most 915 heads were 1.88's. T/A 915 heads were 2.02 and I have heard that some non T/A heads were also.


Chuck

 

[360swinger]

I have a set of 915 heads that came off an early 360. Ive heard these are supposed to be as good as the early 340 heads. Is this true?