Newbie head question here. So I'm buying a 2002 WS6 soon and the guy I'm getting it from told me that the previous owner installed ported and polished 5.3L heads on it. Aside from pulling off the intake, is there any way of telling if the heads are cathedral port or square port? Any input would be helpful. Thanks!

 

There's a casting number on the corner of the heads. The 5.3L heads are usually a 706 or 862 casting.

 

Like KCS mentioned a casting number should be located at the corner of the heads.

 

FWIW if someone uses the phrase "ported and polished" it USUALLY means they don't know their *** from a hole in the ground.

 

Yep mine are 5.3 heads and have 862 stamped on mine

 

So from what I researched, all 5.3 heads are cathedral port heads? I will look for the casting number when I got pick up the car this weekend.

 

Yes every cylinder head on the 5.3s were cathedral port.

 

Dumb question. What are the difference between a 706 and a 862 head?

 

Some of the 862 castings were castech heads, which had a tendency to crack around the bolt holes and weep coolant. I don't think any of the 706 heads had that problem.

Some have a void, for lack of a better word, cast into the deck. Those require a specific head gasket, but I think both castings came that way at some point and that it was more dependent on the year and not so much the casting number.

 

I thought it was the other way around? The 706 heads were the Castech heads with failure problems.

I've never had an issue with the castings, but I do have 2 sets of 706 heads with the Castech logo on them.

 

You might be right about that.

 

The 706 castech heads had the problems. I never heard of any of the 862 heads having the same problems.

 

I'm sorry,I just have to say it.......I always have a " head question"