VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 4 cylinder Chevy Heads

I have a couple of four cylinder heads: 1. Mason 407 DFCO A 6 2217(has small valves) 2. Mason F&MP Co 407B #stamped at exhaust outlet D73989 (has larger valves)
Part of the valve guides look like they have been drilled and replaced with 3/4" threaded rod and redrilled. Was this a method of repairing these heads?
I know nothing about these heads, should they be considered usable or junk?
I have other four cylinder parts, 1 block with main caps (has been welded between middle cylinders), oil pan with tubes, timing gear plate and cover, crankshaft, camshaft with gear and intake manifold. I need to move these parts but have no idea of their value if they are usable.
DD

They are both early 490 cylinder heads, the date on the first one is 1917 (22nd June) , you havent given a date code for the second one. Certainly worth posting in the 1916 to 1922 490 section.

I believe the date code on the second head is 3 26 20, March 26, 1920

Which head has the threaded repairs?

don it would be to get the heads checked and i mean pressure checked if they are leaking internal they are worth about 1.50 i have 5 out in the shop you can have for the taking . a while back i needed a head for my roadster i got a extra with the car the reason it was not on the car is it was leaking internal the man at the machine shop charges 2o.00 to check and the rate iwas going i was running up a good size bill trying to find a good one so i started checking them my self. i got down to the one i used which i got from a frend in or. he used it for a door stop for 25 years it looked bad it smelled bad but it was like some it cleaned up good did not leak a little paint it looked good and it worked . a while back i had a chance to buy one i asked if it had been checked he said it looked good i said ok i can give you 2.50 of course he declined the ofer don you and june heve a very good new year see you soon

How do you check them yourself, Bill?

I am looking for a 1916 dated head for a 490.

don i went to the hardware store got enough rubber stoppers i think it was eight put a stopper on each water hole clamped the head on my steel work table . bolted the water outlet with the gasket on put a hose on the outlet with a bushing with a 1/4 pipe tee on one opening i installed a gauge the other i used a schrader valve used the air chuck to pressurethe head to about 15 psi if you dont have a table you can cut some flat bar or angle iron and clamp them with c clamps . most of the time you can listen to here the air leaking or you can monitor the gauge. on one i had to put the valves in clamp the exhaust port with a piece of metal with a gasket on it and fill the exhaust with water and look for bubbles and had to raise the air pressure . when i get through i put all the pieces in a coffee can where i can loose it . ,hope this helps

Good plan, thanks. Makes sense, just close it all up, and see if it leaks.

If I ever find myself a '16 Head, I'll sure do that process before I rebuild it.