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Bruce Lancaster · 04-30-2012, 03:30 PM

Pretty sure these are aftermarket, marked to give a crude connection with the 1938 series of heads (several heads) that were used roughly 1938-1942 on many of the early 24 studders. Some versions differed R&L, others did not these are marked that way to show they are...ummm...ambidextrous. Ford did not do that...they used 49 and 50 separately to show side where needed, showed only one #, I think 6050, on heads to be used on either side.
81...8 indicates 1938 as introduction date of heads, 1 indicates first use was on 221 (even though some 221 heads were used OEM on 239's, design first use was 221)
Ford never used just tjhe 81 as start of a number...next letter indicated series of first design use, kept even if used on other lines, as in 81 T for trucks, 81A for cars. All 81 PN's would have had the suffix, not just a bare 81. Some Ford grammar:
81A-6049, a head...81A-6049-B, a DIFFERENT head also introduced as '38 passenger, like possibly iron and aluminum variants
C81A-6049...a CAnadian head
81C-6049 would have been a USA Commercial head, light trucks
C81C would have been a Canadian commercial...see, POSITION is important in grammar!
So any head with C as first character is Canadian...specs and applications were in different series of books, too
Denver heads...there were at least 3 different kinds, labeled in some sources as "High altitude or natural gas", carried numbers like "81AS", all had the S addes, probably meant Special or some such. The S meant there was NO original production use, this head was over-the counter-only.
By the way, in 1938 all this was marked only in shorthand...visible on the front of the head they only put A, T, or AS on fronts of heads...

04-30-2012, 03:30 PM	#14
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Are these Denver/Cheater Heads? ID help. Pretty sure these are aftermarket, marked to give a crude connection with the 1938 series of heads (several heads) that were used roughly 1938-1942 on many of the early 24 studders. Some versions differed R&L, others did not these are marked that way to show they are...ummm...ambidextrous. Ford did not do that...they used 49 and 50 separately to show side where needed, showed only one #, I think 6050, on heads to be used on either side. 81...8 indicates 1938 as introduction date of heads, 1 indicates first use was on 221 (even though some 221 heads were used OEM on 239's, design first use was 221) Ford never used just tjhe 81 as start of a number...next letter indicated series of first design use, kept even if used on other lines, as in 81 T for trucks, 81A for cars. All 81 PN's would have had the suffix, not just a bare 81. Some Ford grammar: 81A-6049, a head...81A-6049-B, a DIFFERENT head also introduced as '38 passenger, like possibly iron and aluminum variants C81A-6049...a CAnadian head 81C-6049 would have been a USA Commercial head, light trucks C81C would have been a Canadian commercial...see, POSITION is important in grammar! So any head with C as first character is Canadian...specs and applications were in different series of books, too Denver heads...there were at least 3 different kinds, labeled in some sources as "High altitude or natural gas", carried numbers like "81AS", all had the S addes, probably meant Special or some such. The S meant there was NO original production use, this head was over-the counter-only. By the way, in 1938 all this was marked only in shorthand...visible on the front of the head they only put A, T, or AS on fronts of heads...