I was just given a set of old 327 heads. They're 62-64 heads, and have no accessory holes. Can they be drilled and tapped, or are there brackets that can be bought to use them with a serpentine setup? The casting number is 3795896. Are they worth using on my thirdgen?

 

No, no, no, and no. And just in case you ask what you're about to ask.... no.

There's no metal to drill and tap. Heads with bolt holes have a bolt boss; before they invented the bolt hole scheme, there was no need to put metal there. There's a clue in there.

Don't bother. If it was possible, you'd probably see alot more of those heads on cars nowadays; people wouldn't be giving them away.Someone, at least one person, would have figured out how to make it work in the last 35 years; hasn't happened yet. Note that all the people who tell you it "should" work don't have it working, and all the people who have tried (starting with yours truly) wouldn't be telling you it won't work.

 

Thats an old 283/327 head. Not the famed camelbacks.
Not worth using. Look for a set of 416's or 081's if you want a small chambered head to play with. Probabily better anyways
(once ported) than that old head. Give 'em to someone else.

 

okee doke, nevermind then

 

Apparently, they would be worth using if you need some cast iron wheel chocks. There are certainly better choices than the older castings.

If you had a small lathe, mill, and could weld nickel/iron alloys, you could turn some steel blind-hole blanks, bore the ends of the castings square, locate the blanks, and weld them in place, then mill them flush with the ends of the castings. If you were lucky, you would not have created any stresses by welding them in, but then again, why bother? Even the heavy, old "smogger" heads can be ported up to flow as well as the raw cast "double hump" heads if you get castings without serious core shift. And the old "performance" factory castings are getting expensive to buy in salvage yards in the midwest.

 

Actually... i do have a small lathe, mill, and can even weld nickel/iron alloys right here in my bedroom. Thanks for the idea!