So I finally brought my head to a machine shop (same one Holbert's uses). It took the guy about 3.5 seconds to see what was wrong - I have a crack between the water jacket and one of the head bolts (under the cam tower). This seems like a reasonable explanation of why/how I ended up with my milkshake.

Between this (which he won't repair, but might be repairable) and the bolt I broke off near the front water jacket (and proceeded to break off an ez-out in it) I think it's time to find a new one. Anyone have something that's either ready to go, or that has bent valves and is in otherwise good condition?

 

Are early and late heads any different? I have a head from my 83 parts car that has a couple bent valves but is otherwise good.

 

E,

I'm pretty sure that the 8v heads 83 through 85 are the same. Thought you were keeping that head.

 

I think theres a guy on the pelican board selling a good head for $100.

 

I have one from an 84, but you may not want it. It's been cleaned and everything. The machine found a problem when they removed all the valve guides. The problem is the previous owner had a belt failure which cracked the area around one of the valve guides. The head was repaired by drilling out a larger hole for the valve giude, and then a custom guide was fabricated. So you'd have fabricate a new one. Probably not worth the trouble, but keep it in mind.

 

All the heads will fit just fine. I have an late head on an early block. I could just have easily put an early head on a late block.