the 0331 head thread (help out if you have one!)

[1bolt]

bump

[Alex22]

This beauty came in the other day.







NH1 was also cast on the head.

[Alex22]

I forgot to get the date code, the head should be there tomorrow, i'll get a pic of it for you.

[Alex22]

The other number cast on the head was 263

[1bolt]

Thanks Alex I never even saw this addition!

I'd like to extend an even better offer, anyone who posts pics (taken as I detailed in the first post please) of:
an 03 or later factory head
an Alabama Cylinder Head casting (or other known to be revised factory replacement casting)
Or autopsy's a cracked or uncracked 0331 (band saw through the head where the crack is in such a way as to show how much iron is there)

Will get donator beni's (I'll donate on your behalf) which includes jeepstroker.com stickers, donator status and access to donator areas.

Alex keep um coming if you get any more that come through!

[Flash]

Thanks Alex I never even saw this addition!

I'd like to extend an even better offer, anyone who posts pics (taken as I detailed in the first post please) of:
an 03 or later factory head
an Alabama Cylinder Head casting (or other known to be revised factory replacement casting)
Or autopsy's a cracked or uncracked 0331 (band saw through the head where the crack is in such a way as to show how much iron is there)

Will get donator beni's (I'll donate on your behalf) which includes jeepstroker.com stickers, donator status and access to donator areas.

Alex keep um coming if you get any more that come through!

Grate incentive 1bolt!!!!!!

that crack looks just like the one i did years ago.
couldn't see any crack, get it hot and remove the valve cover and it would smile , with green teeth, at yeah

I can't remember now for sure but i thing it was between #3 and # 4

[Wild One]

I've been doing a lot of reading lately about the viability of the 0331 head (1bolt - lots of good info) and thought that I would contribute to the topic. Pictured below is a 0331 head, purchased new in 2007 and used for approx 30 miles! This was originally purchased from the Hayward California Chrysler stealership as a replacement for a failed (cracked) head on 2000 XJ. My neighbor had purchased it on the cheap as a trade in since it had an overheating problem (he's a Chrysler stealership mechanic). After installation it became readily apparent that the engine itself was toasted (barely 8 psi oil pressure at idle) from being driven with so much coolant in the oil.

The truck was parked until a suitable used engine was located and the replacement head was pulled and set aside for future use. I have the opportunity to purchase it for use on my 1998 XJ, this would be in conjunction with a 1999+ intake and a Gibson header. I would like to try to confirm the year the head was made (there isn't a year casted on the head) and was hopping that some one here could help.

[Wild One]

More Pics:

[Wild One]

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[Wild One]

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[1bolt]

Great post wildone unfortunately no one as yet knows which mark is the date code, and how to decipher it. This should be easy to figure out once we have enough heads that are a KNOWN year. that we can compare them and find out which numbers are the same for the same years... then we'll know what marks are the date codes. Basically this thread is just getting off the ground, I think we need another half dozen or so before we have a large enough sampling to get some answers.

Your situation along with wanting to be able to spot later castings of the 0331 heads are exactly why we're doing this thread. Basically no ones going to feel comfortable with an 0331 until we can tell for certain that it's not an early casting with the flaw.

[Wild One]

1bolt, thanks for the response. While doing some additional research about this head, I ran across this posting on another forum: http://www.plowsite.com/showthread.php?t=89307 . It seems that if the head has TUPY cast into it (as mine does) it should be one of the revised 0331 heads. I will be checking my mother in laws 2003 Grand Cherokee today for this casting sequence as it is cast int the area between the #3 and #4 cylinders. Hopefully this will pan out yet

[kf_chris]

This is a great thread!
It seems Alex (hope that's the right name) has some MPI experience. I've been doing that (nondestructive inspections) for 7 years.
I'll be sure to take some ULTRA high resolution macro pics of my head (2000 XJ head with the 0331) and post them up here after the build is done and I get the jeep back, oh and return to the USA.
Anyone taking photos for this thread. Almost all digital cameras have a 'macro' feature. It's a little flower looking thing. Cameras now can get very good close up photos. It's best to use this setting with very good backlighting and no flash when taking photos.

[Wild One]

After checking my mother in laws 2002 WJ jeep (which by the way was made 06/2002 and bought new in march of 2003) as well as having a friend who is a Chrysler stealership mechanic check a few of the newer (2002 - 2005) Jeep's at the shop I thought I would post my findings.

It looks like the TUPY casting is what "separates" a newer, revised 0331 casting from the older crack prone 0331 castings. TUPY is cast in the area in between the #3 and #4 cylinders right where the older 0331 castings crack. This could be an effort to help "simplify" the I.D. process for all stealership, a means to "add" more metal to the casting (though I seriously doubt that), or just a coincidence as that was one of the areas left blank on the older casting(s).

Also, the newer castings (at least the ones that my buddy has seen as well as the two that I looked at) have really poor quality, barely legible I.D. numbers cast into the the external rail in between the valve cover and the intake/exhaust manifolds. Here's a pic to show what I am describing (you should be able to click on the pic to enlarge it for greater detail).

[SilverXJ]

That is some great info you found on the "TUPY" head!