TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Jun 29, 2016 7:36 am

Have a couple sets of 2.0L type IV oval exhaust factory heads look to be in pretty good shape, but leary of seat issues with type IV heads.

Better option to go with new AMC's or have the OG's reworked?

pros and cons??

Wed Jun 29, 2016 2:42 pm

Used OG 2.0 bus heads are almost always toast.

High-end shops like HAM won't even look at them as cores.

1.7 heads from a 914 (or occasionally a bus) can be rebuilt, or even used as-is if they are in really, really good shape.

1.8 heads are more fragile, and usually cracked through the exhaust port floor.

2.0 bus heads almost always live a very, very hard life.

2.0 914 heads can be worth rebuilding, because of what they are, but will always be fragile.

Supposedly, AMC has corrected their hardware quality issues,
But I can't verify that.
I can verify that their old stuff was no bueno in the hardware department.

Taking AMC castings, and loading them up with the good stuff, is really the only way to know what you got.
If you are talking a customer motor, where your name is on it, i wouldn't go any other way.

My own stuff - I'll take chances..

Hope this helps.
No real black/white answer here..

Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:05 pm

^X2^, what he said.
Knowing what you plan on doing with them may help, pushing around a light bug is a whole lot different than shoving a 2 ton bus up a long hill.

Wed Jun 29, 2016 6:01 pm

X3

Your pocket book is the major determining factor. I would call Adrian at Headflow masters, and see what he thinks and what a total rebuild would cost you (they would need it). Then you can make an educated decision on which way to go.