Aluminum W2 heads

I have a set of rectangular port aluminum heads. They are about to drive me crazy with issues.

1. I had to have the water jacket ceramic coated because the were seepin water into the intake ports.
2. I had to put helicoils in a couple of intake bolt holes and a couple of exhaust port holes.
3. Now the bolt on the rigt side middle port is stripped.

I met Herb McCandless last year and he told me that rectangular port W2's were made by Diamond not Batten. Stamped on the head is RAM with a date. I was told that RAM stood for Richardson Auto Machine back east.

I am ready to pull the heads and put heli coils in every bolt hole including the rocker stands. It just seems that the aluminum from the eighties is not anywhere close to what is availabvle today.

Any info/opnions would be appreciated.

Wow that's a bunch of issues. When you say rectangular port, are you saying the intake ports are rectangular?

The only heads I know of right now that are the closest to W2's are the Indy 360-2's

Batten made square raised port aluminum w2's I just put a set on a buddies stock stroke 360. They also had issues. However they are hanging in there right now . They work pretty good-consistant 11.o's at 122 in a 1966 satellite.

It seems to me Batten did make a rectangle port version. It's not uncommon for
Batten or other oval port heads to be converted to rectangle port, I'd say your's
are not Battens (picture) as they had core plugs in the ends of them.

Good luck.

ours had core plugs and were not oval modified.

I meant HIS picture shows no core plugs. The Battens I have pictured do.

go to shadydellspeedshop.com there either diamond or batten..

It s just something you have to live with...

Those are without a doubt Diamond heads. The end of them is a dead give away.

ALL Battens have freeze/core plugs in the ends of them, Rectangle, oval, does not matter. They made them in both port configurations....

Yes the aluminum is soft & porous... Heli coil in all bolt holes would not be a bad idea & use anti-seize on any that you don't have helicoiled including spark plugs.

RAM is probably an old Bill Richardson stamping.

Are the rectangular heads better than the oval port??

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Are the rectangular heads better than the oval port??

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Only if your motor needs more cross section & slower port speed.

The Diamond rectangle port is basically just same as INDY 360-1 rectangle port, except little bigger everywhere.

The Batten rectangle port IS the 360-1 port because, well ICH bought the Batten tooling when they went Bankrupt in late 90's. Only thing they really changed was the intake valve guide boss.