3919842 cylinder head question

[Tim S.]

What is the accepted window of dates for the 842 heads versus the block date (L88). I ask the question due to the scarcity of L88's to begin with, and the selected use of aluminum heads on other L78 applications.

FWIW, this is a March 68 block.

Thanks,

Tim

[Patrick B.]

Re: 3919842 cylinder head question

I don't think there is any particular relationship between the head dates and the block date of a big block. The most common time between the block casting and the engine build dates is about three to 5 weeks with a big block, but I have seen that time as little as three days or as great as over 5 months. The only factor on the heads is that they must have been cast prior to the engine build date, In the case of aluminum heads, they were not cast at Tonawanda and they were certainly not cast every day. They were probably cast a minimum of about 2 weeks prior to the engine build but could have been cast much earlier. The block and head dates each have a relationship to the engine build date but no particular relationship to each other.

[Edward B.]

Re: 3919842 cylinder head question

Tim, just to give you an idea of the date ranges for the 842 heads, my 68 Camaro is an L89 (396/375 with aluminum heads), and the car was assembled the 4th week of May, 1968. I say that because I no longer have the original block, but I DO have the original 842 heads and they're both dated January 8th, 1968. That's over 4 months before the car was built.

And I also have the original 1111170 distributor, (dated February 20th, 1968) the original 3933163 intake (dated April 9th, 1968) and the original 3923289 carb (dated the 3rd week of March, 1968), so you can see some of these dates are all over the road!

Of course, the Camaro isn't the Corvette, but the head dates should give you a good idea what the spread "can" be.

Ed

[Wayne M.]

Re: 3919842 cylinder head question

Here's some more date spreads on early 842 heads that I have. Don't know their history; could have been over-the-counter. Pics all from the same head, cast 19th June 1967. I thought they were still producing the "392" heads then ?? 2nd photo shows stampings on one end. My second head (cast 65 days later, 8-24-67) has exactly the same end stampings. They seem to be too neat for an engine rebuild shop; maybe in a gang holder. The "1167" is probably November 1967. Third photo shows a grind-off of the first cast numeral, and stamp with a "3". I've seen a few other 842 aluminum heads on eBay with this feature, and one seller had a head with the first numeral cast "4" [prior to the error being caught ?].