Stock 1935 Aluminum Head Virtues???

[woodburnranch]

Page 23 of the 1935 Ford car salesman's handbook makes the following statements concerning aluminum cylinder heads: A high ratio (6.3 to 1) and resultant compression pressure is possible with cast-iron heads only when special fuels of high anti-knock value are used. Aluminum cylinder heads permit using regular fuels with high compression. The use of aluminum as the cylinder material also has another important value. It reduces the amount of carbon in the combustion chambers, thus approximately doubling the distance the car can travel before carbon removal is required.


The discussion doesn't mention weight savings as a benefit. Do aluminum cylinder heads operate enough cooler than cast-iron to reduce detonation and do they actually remain cleaner? What was the primary reason that Ford abandon aluminum heads ? I drove an Olds 4.3 V-6 diesel for many years that had an iron block with aluminum heads and its biggest problem was head gaskets leaking coolant. After the second gasket failure I obtained some iron heads, which appears to have been done to many Ford engines.

[ford38v8]

The salesman’s handbook was written by salesmen, not engineers. Half truths are the tools of salesmen, so consider the source. The maintenance issues caused by electrolysis was likely a major reason that Ford discontinued aluminum heads.

[russcc]

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Plus the aluminum casting technology, and the alloys were not as robust as today's. That likely contributed to the porosity and previously pointed out electrolysis. The benefits were there but the technology wasn't. Today, additives like No-Rosion would curb the electrolysis issue. Be interested in hearing other Fordbarners experience.