Doug,
Thanks for your very interesting and informative response. I have now
compared Mannel's and Monroe's casting number application information and,
other than some omission's, Monroe's data agrees with Mannel - except
glaringly in the case of the '64 260 head. Monroe says C4OE-B whereas Mannel
(and another book I have confirms this) has C4OE-A as the 260 head. The
truth of this is actually confirmed by your statement that your combustion
chambers look like photos B or C in Monroe's book, which are clearly
distinguishable from the 260 chamber design, an early example of which is
shown in photo A. I will not speculate on how your 260 came to have 289
heads, but your engine clearly does not have "260" heads, even if they are
what Ford delivered to Rootes. I have read in several places that 289 HiPo
heads can be uniquely identified by the C4OE-B casting number, but I have
never seen a caveat that this casting number could be confused with 260
heads. If your heads are really HiPo 289 heads, then they will also have
screw in rocker arm studs and recessed valve spring seats. Mannel's book
doesn't say explicitly if the C4OE-B heads had "289" cast in them, but the
regular '64 289 heads had "289" cast in two places, and the '63 & '65 HiPo
heads also had "289" cast, so it does seem curious that they wouldn't have
cast "289" somewhere on the C4OE-B heads as well. If, as you say, these
heads don't have "289" cast in them and also don't have screw-in studs (or
were added later) and, more tellingly, recessed valve spring seats, then
perhaps we've uncovered an as yet undocumented head.
I look forward to hearing if your heads have the cast-in valve spring seats
or not. I expect not, otherwise this would have been an obvious tip-off that
you would have mentioned previously.
Bob Palmer
rpalmer@ucsd.edu
robertpalmer@paulhastings.com
rpalmerbob@adelphia.net
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