Andrew is correct on all counts -- 196 OHV has both valves in head, 196 L-head both in block. The die-cast aluminum block engine (61-63) had a cast iron head painted silver to match the bare block. The AL block head is slightly wider than the iron engine head though, so a standard iron head doesn't fit! Bolt pattern and everything else is the same though. I heard of one person who had a 1/4" thick strip of steel welded to an iron block head for use on an aluminum block. The head is only about 1/8" wider, but that's enough to make it seal on the right side whereas a standard iron head won't. Any machining mods that work on a flat-head Ford V-8 should work on a flat-head six as well. I think Clarence is thinking about the Jeep four cylinder -- that's the only F head (intake valve in head, exhaust valve in block) that I'm familiar with. The 196 OHV is a conversion of the L-head, but part of the block casting was changed. The left side of the block is identical on both versions, but the right side is vastly different. Everything from the cylinder bores over and main oil galley up was changed. Timing chain and gears interchange, as well as oil pumps, but the distributor locations and drives are different. Internal parts interchange except for pistons. ------------------ " From: "Clarence Milstead" <cmilstead@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> " " I don't know anything about the 196 ohv engine but from what people have " said the intake valve is in the head and the exhaust is in the block, is " that right? there are two 196s, a flathead and an ohv derived from it. no f-head version. the ohv has both valves in the head. there's also a rare version of the ohv with an aluminum block but i think an iron head. ________________________________________________________________________ Andrew Hay _______________________________________________ AMC-List mailing list AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list or go to http://www.amc-list.com