1500 Head on 1600 Block?

JFBrink · Post by **JFBrink** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:23 am

Hey, gang,

It's been proposed before, years ago, but never really answered:

Can you run a 1500 head on an early, 3-bearing 1600?

What modifications would be needed to make it equivalent to the 1600 head, in terms of performance/reliability?

I ask because I have a never-machined 1500 sitting in the chicken coop and a very thin 1600 bolted to my car.

What do you all think?

Jesse.

Post by **spl310** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 4:06 pm

If it is a dual carb 1500 head, then it is the same as the 1600 head. If it was from a single carb car, then it has less efficient porting.

JFBrink · Post by **JFBrink** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 5:21 pm

Sid, et al.

That's good news for me! What's my cue as to what the carb setup was? I got it without manifolds. The block number is G96191.

Also, I just noticed, a few minutes ago, that this "1500" head on my 1500 block is aluminum. Doesn't that suggest that is a 1600 head after all?

Thanks,

Jesse.

Post by **spl310** » Thu Aug 11, 2005 8:45 pm

ALL 1500 heads were iron. That is a 1600 head. If there are plugs above the exhaust ports, it is a smog head which means metric hardware. If there are no plugs, it could be either.