Left and right cylinder head
 

On the old flathead forum there was a article about the part numbers for the center water outlet and it was possible to know witch was left and right, dose anyone know how to decode the numbers? I cannot remember.

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

6049 = Right Side
6050 = Left Side

The Prefix to these part numbers is determine by what model/year the engine is....

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

Ha thank you, also now that you mentioned that I had a look at a few engines I have and the RH head has both fittings drilled by the water outlet

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

IF both are drilled then "most" likely it 1940 or up as one would be for the right hand temperature probe and the other would have been for the water heater outlet/shut off valve!!

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

It seems all RH heads have both drilled,

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

Can the 6050 head also fit on to the RHS? I have a partly disassembled 1937 engine that has come with 2 x 6050 heads (currently removed). They have one of the outlets drilled and the other still blanked.

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

IF memory serves me correctly....IT Is possible to put a "left" head on the "right" side BUT IT is NOT the best thing to do!!! You really need to get the 6049 head for the right side!!! There is a "reason" they are marked so!!!! Shouldn't be too difficult to ferret one out here on the barn!!! ALSO good advice is to "double check" and put some kind of marker on each head as to left and right (a strip of masking tape or a piece of paper rolled into the spark plug hole) before installation to "Make sure" you get each head on the "correct" side
As for both of the 6050's that is correct as the only thing in the left head is the second temperature probe!!!!

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

Are the head gasket different for RH and LH on a 8BA?

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

I am not sure there was a 6049 head for the 37/38 21 stud engine. I cannot find them listed either in the June, 1937 parts book or the 1950 "Green Bible" parts book.
I have a 1937 21 stud engine with cast iron heads. Neither of the heads has a part number, but one head has a single tapped hole for the temp sensor and the other head does not have any tapped hole. The tapped hole faces to the rear when the head is mounted on the left side of the engine, for the temp sensor probe.

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

Up to, and at least on my early 39 Mercury (Oct 38 Production) your tapped head set up would be correct as you would have only had one temperature probe for the gauge in the left head point rearward. AS you see on my Mercury it is pointed forward for some odd reason on a 6050 stamped head AND I believe the 6049, 6050 may have started with the "39" model year!!! I believe the "dual" temperature probes (Both right and left head) started in 1940, for sure in 1941.

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

The 1942 wiring diagram is the first to show the two temperature sensors.

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

Thanks JSEERY there was a chap on a earlier posted working on a 41 with two, figures that was changed along the way AND shame on me for thinking it was right.....Obvious not my years!!!

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

The wiring diagrams were not always updated to the latest configuration, so it could have been a 41 mid-year change.

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

The correct heads for a 1937 engine are 77-6050A Iron and 78-6050 Aluminum
Both sides are the same in either case.

Re: Left and right cylinder head
 

Yep! Bingo!