I bought a 472 hemi of a guy in New Jersey a couple years ago. Info I got on the engine was limited. The casting # on the aluminum heads are #2531110. According to info I can find this is 1965 aluminum heads cast by alcoa. They look brand new.
Does this number also represent the newer aluminum hemi heads available in recent years?
Thanks
Glenn C

Mopar Performance often uses the old numbers for new parts but adds an M or maybe a P to the number.

The 65 Head is known as the K head , it's an animal unto itself and even requires special valve covers .

May be worth a bit more to the resto guys because they are easy to spot (use a special valvecover) but you won't retire off them.

They had casting issues that scare people off. Better alternatives out there now.

I'm curious now...What is different about the valve covers. I thought all hemi valve covers were the same but to be honest this is the only set I have seen
Glenn

There's a set of black crinkle valve covers on there now

hopefully someone that knows the part number of the K head will see this ???

post some pictures.

Mickm:
The engine is in the car and running. I had the engine apart this winter to check the cam timing and adjust the valves. I wrote down the casting # then and just got around to checking it.
I will pull the pass side valve cover again if i have to but it is a hassle and 4 more oil filled cylinders.
What is the distict difference in the valve covers? What exterior marks are on the heads?

You probably have the newer mopar head. You better hope so because the old ones were not that good. They cracked easily. The newer heads take the same gasket as all the rest of the hemis. As far as the value of the old heads because they are rare and go on a 65 A990 hemi car, that is bunk. I owned one of those cars and they are the Rodney Dangerfield of the Mopar world. They get no respect. I saw one at a car some last week and most did not even know what it was. The parts on the cars are worth more that the car is all assembled. Lots of those heads were out there as over the counter pieces and usually are raced up junk.BTW they both have the same part number.

the 64 and 5 vavle covers are chrome and have a flat spot at the bottom by the headers. They use a gasket that is very hard to get and $$$.

I definitely have the newer heads. That was my original question...if the part # was the same
Thanks
GC

it's funny the turn that threads can take. i assumed they were the new heads, it would be a strange circumstance indeed to end up with a set of those. but just a picture of the valve cover would show it.

i'm not sure i agree with the rodney dangerfield aspect. i know a guy who has a restored a990 belvedere, and it wins high awards every where it goes, (spring fling, mopars at the strip, the ohlone college show, etc...), and has been featured in one of the hot rod mags, (forget which one, but herb (scatpk) would know), in the last year or so.

thing is, you never know, funny things happen. the guy with the belvedere looked long and hard for the heads, and finally found them from some guy who was only willing to give them up when he knew what they were going towards: to restore an a990 to original specs. he wasn't going to give them up under any other circumstances, and they still cost a pretty penny.

herb can correct me if i'm wrong on any of this.

anyway, take your heads off and have them ported, the stock mopar aluminum heads don't flow worth a damn.

64-65 heads and valve covers are entirely different from 1966 and up. On the head and the valve covers of 64-65s near the location of were the distributor would go in the block is not straight across but is indented. All other factory heads are straight across in this area. There are many 1964 heads, and I believe the factory 64-65 valve covers were chrome, mine are chrome anyways. My 1964 heads are the earliest heads cast for a hemi.

I second the quick way to tell is that the valvecover is curved where it goes around the distributor. I had a set of those and was lucky to get rid of them for what I had into them. I don't think are valued that highly.

Sheldon

http://www.mymopar.com/headcastnumb.htm

2531110 426 Hemi (SS) - Aluminum 1965

I will post a pic a little later today