Type IV Heads buyer's guide? Options

[mbseto]

Found a set of heads locally on CL. He claims they came off a running engine. Any advice on what to ask, or obvious or hidden gotchas? Or is it pretty unavoidable that you're taking a roll of the dice?

[Dave_Darling]

Hopefully Len or someone with more knowledge can chime in, but...

Look for cracks across the spark plug holes inside the chambers.
Look for cracks around the short radius inside the port.
Look for any signs that the intake seats are moving or are thinking about dropping out.
Look for valves recessing, or stretching, or deforming in any way.
Look for exhaust valves that have been overheated and may be starting to burn.
Look for mushrooming or divots in the valve tips.
Look for valve guides that are loose.
Look for exhaust stud bosses that are in good shape, not stripped, and have no cracks.
Look for rocker studs that are pulling out.

Remember that the 2.0 heads are known for cracking, and sometimes they drop seats. And dirt or carbon can hide cracks and other damage.

I'd personally favor the new heads, but I am now in a position where I can more easily throw money at the problem than time, or than run the risk of a failure shortly.

--DD