Octania

Needs cores or whatnot
has cracked heads
I hear 61-64 are interchangeable; all I have is 1960 Super 88. Something about the 2 vs 3 bolts at the center exhaust port area.

I hear that of that lot, '62 Starfire are probably the best units.

Anyone who has or can get or knows where to get such heads please contact me for the buyer's contact info.

Thanks!

Allan R

Hope you find what you're looking for. At first it sounded like an ad from a guy looking for a date.....

There are plenty of guys on this site who can steer you in the right direction or have the parts. Heavy on shipping I would think.

Run to Rund

Starfires wil have the "big" valves. You can also check Ross racing in Niles Ohio for stock or aftermarket aluminum heads for your 394.

59-59-59

Amazingly that only applies to '61 Starfire heads. The two and three bolt thing the original poster mentioned is the exhaust manifold bolt patterns. '61--'62 is the same and '63-'64 is the same for 394's

Run to Rund

OK. I don't have my service manuals here and was going on memory regarding valve sizes. In any event, mike yours and if bigger will fit without taking out too much meat between the I and E, you can do so if you want higher flow. For stock builds, don't bother. These days you are lucky to find any good 394 series engine heads at all.

T butter

I have a set of 394 heads email me @ tombutterfield22@gmail.com

Octania

dangit, that's not what my initial search said.

Spending money MONDAY so if I can get aid BEFORE that it sure would be nice.

I am about to buy 394 heads from a '64.

Will these bolt onto and work on a '61 394 engine?

PLEASE TEXT OR CALL with relevant info to:

517.449.0432 right away, late Sunday to 11pm MI time, or I can take a message at work Monday also.

Octania

Thanks, Tom...

According to Rock Auto, the 61-64 heads all use the same xst gaskets, so that answers that I guess- PN MS99773.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

Going with my local '64 394 heads.

headers by "Ed" photos show the 2-bolt vs. 3-bolt different patters, 2-bolt being 371 and 3-bolt being later 394. They imply but do not show specifically that the 61-62 394's use the same header flange as the 63-64 394.

http://www.headersbyed.com/__oldsmobile.htm#59-60

Octania

#23 - 583832 castings are now at the machine shop to be cleaned and magnafluxed- $70 a pair for those services. buyer sent photo of CRACKS he has in the combustion chamber area- three cracks out of 8 chambers. Ouch. Now I hear that 394 heads are famous for cracking... hope these pass inspection OK. Quick cleaning with carb cleaner and inspection with eye loupe showed no issues in the one chamber I checked.

Valves bear beehive valve springs- a new invention for Chevys about 5 yrs ago or so seems to say their advertising. 1.875 intakes, 1.580 ? exhausts. Stamped "J 311248" on machined flat in the center.

Studs were kind of hard to remove- had to dual-vice-grip most of them. Primary Vice Grip was clamping a slitted 3/8-NF nut onto the stud, so as to grip w/o damage. The heads with valves and springs weigh about 62 lbs so shipping should not be a problem.