Did i get the improved heads?

[mjlogan]

Just tore my 88 2.9 down due to it using water. Cleaned up the heads and found a crack between the #6 valves running down towards the spark plug hole. So i went to the junkyard an pulled a set of later "improved" heads based on the fact that they have the rectangular rocker stand bases. Got them home and cleaned them up and found the valve cover mating surface is identical to my old heads and does not look like the casting in the tech library. The heads i pulled also have the 86TM casting nuber. They do, however, have the 10mm alt. bracket bolts and ground bolt. From searching i've found that the 10mm bolts and rectangular rocker bases are the telltale signs of the good heads.

Just making sure i'm not wasting time taking these to a machine shop and having them cherried out.

 

[mkpecor]

they should be a diamond shape, i have the same prob with mine, i was going to go to the junk yard like what you did but im gunna have the same problem if the truck heats up one time. so im going to order a pair of world heads then i know i will never have the cracked head problem again. i really think your wasting your money bro. ps i have the newer ranger heads on my truck and i still had the prob, go with world heads and be done with it.

 

[mjlogan]

I would go with the world heads but i dont have 6 bills to drop right now. I got these for $100 and can get them mag'd and surfaced for $80. A buddy of mine is droppin a 5.0 in his prerunner and is gonna hook me up with his old 2.9 that has ported world heads on it. But i need this thing running till then and figured i might as well get the best the junkyard has to offer.

 

[IMenriched]

Check the Tech Library...it has some excellent info on differences of the Heads.

 

[mjlogan]

Check the Tech Library...it has some excellent info on differences of the Heads.

I did thats mostly why i'm asking this question. My heads have some of the qualities the Tech Library says the improved heads have, but not all.