WNTD. 1922 Chevy Model FB 490 Head. Leads?

[George Albright]

Posting for a friend. I suspect other year Model FB 490 heads would work,approx. 1918-1922. Thanks,George. See below:

 

Hey George, I am looking for a 1922 Chevy touring head. I have one but, it is cracked right between the 2 and 3 cylinders... So sad... I am going to try and find someone around here to attempt to weld it and fix it but, will prob need to attempt to replace it. My Contact info:

 

Brady Bradshaw

rbradybradshaw@yahoo.com

435-310-0727

 

 

I am in Beaver UT  84713.  Any help  would be much appreciated!!!

 

THANKS

[oldford]

Would a head from a 128 Chevy work?

 

Frank

[mercer09]

an FB head is a Baby Grand to 1922.

 

good luck with that. very few cars left.

 

get the head repaired or have a new one cast.

[alsfarms]

Could someone post a picture of the head or engine that is being looked for.

Al

[J.H.Boland]

On 12/12/2017 at 4:23 PM, mercer09 said:

an FB head is a Baby Grand to 1922.

 

good luck with that. very few cars left.

 

get the head repaired or have a new one cast.

According to my parts book, the FB and 490 used the same head until mid 1922,when the FB went from a single to three port exhaust outlet.GM supplied a kit to retro fit this new head to older models.

[mercer09]

the two motors arent even close in size................... I find that remarkable.

[J.H.Boland]

2 hours ago, mercer09 said:

the two motors arent even close in size................... I find that remarkable.

Attached is the page from the parts book.

[mercer09]

very good JH

 

I stand corrected- the bolt pattern is the same- however the 490 is a single port and the BG a triple port- so I guess the question is, which is needed?

[alsfarms]

hmmmmm, are you saying the the pre 1922 FB type head was a single exhaust port and changed to a three exhaust port in 1922?  I have guessed that the 490 is the smaller car that had the 1/2 elliptic springs front and rear (peculiar)?  Did the larger FB Chevrolet use full elliptic springs front and rear (more typical)?  Can someone post pictures that define the differences between the chassis? 

Al

[J.H.Boland]

18 minutes ago, alsfarms said:

hmmmmm, are you saying the the pre 1922 FB type head was a single exhaust port and changed to a three exhaust port in 1922?  I have guessed that the 490 is the smaller car that had the 1/2 elliptic springs front and rear (peculiar)?  Did the larger FB Chevrolet use full elliptic springs front and rear (more typical)?  Can someone post pictures that define the differences between the chassis? 

Al

 

The 490 uses 1/2 elliptic springs front and rear. The book doesn't show pictures of the FB springs,but the front ,at least ,are standard springs. The engine bore is the same for both 490 and FB (3 11/16) but the stroke on the FB is 5 1/4 inch compared to the 490's 4 inches. I found a photo online of a 1920 FA engine,and it has a single exhaust port. There are few surviving FBs.I don't have to go far to look at a 490 (about 15 ft. off my back deck). I am assuming that the car needing a head is a 490.

[mercer09]

well I have a 22 Baby Grand and yes they are few and far between. maybe 10 left total in the world. It is huge compared to the 490. For example, the whls are 22" and the size of a Mercer. The 490 was the competitor of the model T.

 

I can pull stumps with this thing! Anyway, I am not home, so sorry I cant post any photos. But yes, does look like the 3 port came about in only 1922. So single port is most likely what the OP needs, if he will chime in.

[oldford]

With all the CNC capabilities today, could the OP take a later head, say from a 27 or 28, which seem to be more plentiful, and have an adapter plate made to connect the newer head to the original block? This would be similar to the adaptations made to Model T engines to put an overhead Chevy head on a Model T block... This may be more easily accomplished than re-casting the 490 head.

 

Frank

[alsfarms]

Can anyone here post a few pictures of what an early, pre 1922 FA-FB series Chevrolet would look like?  Does anyone have information on what the engine serial numbers should be for the FA-FB series engine?  Is it possible to be able to tell the difference between the truck Model T engine and the automobile engine?  Lastly, how are these engines different from a similar year Olds truck?  Pictures would help as I am trying to pin down the exact year of an engine I have that I believe to be a pre 1922 FB engine.

Al

[alsfarms]

Here are pictures of the engine I have.  As you can see the original frame that it is mounted in is a full elliptic style not a half elliptic like a 490 Chevrolet.  Al

[J.H.Boland]

Alan

I may stand corrected,but I think the 1925 Chevrolet Superior K was the only 4 cylinder Chevy (or Olds) that used two valve covers.All the rest,including Baby Grand (FA/FB) used a one piece valve cover.

Jim

[alsfarms]

Here is a picture of the radiator and shell.  Did the Superior K also come in a truck version? 

Alan

[J.H.Boland]

8 hours ago, alsfarms said:

Here is a picture of the radiator and shell.  Did the Superior K also come in a truck version? 

Alan

 

Yes.There were two series,changing mid year, Models H and M. The earlier H series used the same rad shell as the 1923/24 Superior. The series M used the later 1925/26 Superior rad shell. The rad on your unit is the early H type.

There appears to be a 490 or early Superior frame under your power plant's frame.

Edited December 16, 2017 by J.H.Boland (see edit history)

[alsfarms]

Thanks for your comment.  Does the "H" for 23-24 use the same engine as a 490?  I agree.  The frame under the power unit is a 490, while the power unit has the full elliptic front springs, I assume to be an "H".

Al

[J.H.Boland]

38 minutes ago, alsfarms said:

Thanks for your comment.  Does the "H" for 23-24 use the same engine as a 490?  I agree.  The frame under the power unit is a 490, while the power unit has the full elliptic front springs, I assume to be an "H".

Al

The "H" is a 1925 early production. The engine is essentially the same from 1918 to 1928.They use the same head gasket. Improvements were ongoing with larger valves,better breathing,stronger crankshafts,etc, 1925 was the first year for a disc clutch,replacing the cone.

The 1924 truck is a model "D". 

[oldford]

My Fitzgerald gasket catalog says that the same head gasket (Fitzgerald no. 375) is used for all   4 cylinder chevrolets from 1916 through 1927... So why won't the later head fit???

 

Frank

[J.H.Boland]

5 minutes ago, oldford said:

My Fitzgerald gasket catalog says that the same head gasket (Fitzgerald no. 375) is used for all   4 cylinder chevrolets from 1916 through 1927... So why won't the later head fit???

 

Frank

I can't see why it wouldn't fit. The only thing I can see that is different is the water inlet housing is bigger to accommodate the thermostat.You would need a stepped upper rad hose.The exhaust manifold has two ports,to the 490's one. The valves are bigger.This might aid the 490's performance but the 1928 had four wheel brakes !