38 head ID help

[avantey]

I have the head off my 38 80 series and not sure what it is.  The raised number cast in the head is 1301411 on the top of the casting between cylinders 6 and 7.  A friend looked up numbers in the parts book and says it shows 1303700 as correct.  What was the application for the head I have?  It looks like a 320 engine which is correct for the car.

 

Thanks for the help,

Bill

[1939_Buick]

Casting number is not always the part number.  Some times it is, but most times it is not.

 

In the 1928-1941 Master parts book 1301411 is not listed as a part number (Group 0.269)

For 320ci

1936 Group 0.269 part 1288758

1937 Group 0.269 part 1301923

1938-1939-1940 Group 0.269 part 1303700

1941 Group 0.269 part 1319342

Edited July 19, 2019 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)

[avantey]

Thank you 39 Buick, for the info and the quick response.  So you think this is a casting number?  Is it strange that the number is in the 130 series?  Or was that normal for GM?

 

Thanks,

Bill

[MCHinson]

I don't pretend to understand how the casting numbers were determined but it seems that on this era of cars, the casting numbers are quite often close to but not the same as the part numbers. It does lead to a lot of confusion when trying to determine what parts you have.

[avantey]

So a friend of mine who is a Buick guy and has some 38 engines pulled a head for me.  e called me and it has the same 1301411 casting number on it as mine.  Now I have to decide on rebuild that head or have mine repaired wit a stitch weld and finish the rebuild of it.  That head as not been cleaned and checked for cracks so it is kind of an unknown item right now..  Any thoughts on which direction I should go would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Bill

[1939_Buick]

23 hours ago, MCHinson said:

I don't pretend to understand how the casting numbers were determined but it seems that on this era of cars, the casting numbers are quite often close to but not the same as the part numbers. It does lead to a lot of confusion when trying to determine what parts you have.

Agreed. 

A casting can be machined differently over the years to give a range of part numbers.

 

For exhaust manifolds the casting & part numbers seem to be the same

 

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/192534-request-year-info/

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/252522-1939-buick-engine-casting-number

Edited July 21, 2019 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)

[1939_Buick]

6 minutes ago, avantey said:

So a friend of mine who is a Buick guy and has some 38 engines pulled a head for me.  He called me and it has the same 1301411 casting number on it as mine.  Now I have to decide on rebuild that head or have mine repaired with a stitch weld and finish the rebuild of it.  That head as not been cleaned and checked for cracks so it is kind of an unknown item right now..  Any thoughts on which direction I should go would be appreciated.

If you have access to another head I would not be trying to stitch weld your own head.  Heads are not that hard to find

 

++++++++++

The best source of pre war Buick parts is Dave Tacheny in Champlin, MN. He specializes in 1936-1941 Buick parts. He is old school:- no email. The best way to contact him is to call him between 4 and 7 pm Central at 763-427 3460. You can also write him a letter. His address is 11949 Oregon Ave N., Champlin, MN 55316. 

http://forums.aaca.org/topic/206688-dave-tachney/

 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)

[Jim Nelson]

If it has a crack,  get a good one from Dave.    ONLY IF  you have no other option, then weld.     I’m sure getting a good head and have it rebuilt with hardened seats for todays crap stuff the government calls gas.   I just rebuilt my  ‘38’. 248.    It needed new guides, a few valves,  springs were good and I made sure the water passages were clean.    Its a good time to clean out the block.    If nothing else, pull the rear freeze plug and scrape out the crud backed up in that area.    When done,  and the head is back on,  run several rust eliminating products thru the engine to remove a bunch of the wonderful dark brown junk out of your engine.   My second Buick I bought was  - ok temp wise but I still I did the ole flush check.    I ended up three cycles.   First was dark brown liquid  out of the block.   The second cycle ended up a medium brown and with a third cycle it was only a light brown.    Needless to say,  I think no one addressed the rust build up in the past.    The product came from Amazon and it was  about  $16.00 a bottle.   I had bought 3  JIC.    Yup, I used all three to remove a bunch of rust.   Obviously the radiator was in each cycle.