Should I put these heads back on my engine?
Removed the heads off of my ‘69 Ford XL’s 302. Coolant was pooling in the rear two cylinders on each side. Intake and head gaskets didn’t look too bad. Lack of thread sealer on the bottom row of head bolts may have caused the coolant to get pulled into the cylinder. The bottom row of head bolts go through the water jacket, hence the need for thread sealer on them. Inspecting the heads, I noticed that the intake valve guide casting as seen through the intake to cylinder port are cracked and chipped on 5 cylinders. My question is, should I not use these heads at all? I didn’t find any pieces in any of the cylinders or anywhere else. I don’t know how long they have been like this but I don’t think it is part of the original problem. Heads were professionally rebuilt about 30 years ago.