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How Many KR Head Castings?

PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 6:42 pm
by wz507
Question for the competition parts experts out there. Curious if any of the KR heads were derived from the standard early and late K model consumer heads listed below, or were they always a specialty item having their own casting number with the unique combustion chamber cast into them? Thank you.

Early Front Head Casting Number
16682-52, with numeral 1 underscore, label appears as negative on casting

Early Rear Head Casting Number
16684-52, with numeral 1 underscore, label appears as negative on casting

Late Front Head Casting Number
16682-52, with encircled letter E underscore, label appears as positive on casting

Late Rear Head Casting Number
16684-52, with encircled letter E underscore, label appears as positive on casting

Re: How Many KR Head Castings?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:41 am
by thefrenchowl
Hi Kurt,

KR heads are different than K or KK or KH or KHK heads, moulds and cores are different.

If they are mounted on a bike or on eBay and you want to check them, look between the last 2 fins on the valve side:

Image

The KR casting number is cast between them.

I have also seen -60R ones.

So, it is not practical to weld up K or KK or KH or KHK heads to make them into KR ones, too much work, distortion...

Patrick

Re: How Many KR Head Castings?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:36 am
by wz507
Perfect, thank you for the clarification. What do you think they used for heads in the beginning of time, circa 1952-59? I'v never seen or had access to the Competition Spare parts manual for any dates in this range, but wonder if they list any cylinder head "R" parts before -60R?

Re: How Many KR Head Castings?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 3:11 pm
by thefrenchowl
In the beginning, they used the KR head! The photo above is -52 R, not -62R...

Patrick

Re: How Many KR Head Castings?

PostPosted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 9:03 pm
by ambike
" In the beginning, they used the KR head ! "

In the beginning, they SHOULD have used the KR head....but being the MoCo, they cut costs by cutting the buyer.

Re: How Many KR Head Castings?

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 3:41 am
by thefrenchowl
What are you saying, Ambike???????????

Re: How Many KR Head Castings?

PostPosted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 4:12 am
by EKHKHK56
I think KR heads on stock bikes. :roll: Stock heads on stock bikes. Racing heads are for racing. :D You know, dyno built for max HP at 7,000 rpms etc. Not for putting around town. The K heads were already the most expensive and intricate H-D parts made so it would have been easy to duplicate the ice cream cone KR chamber if wanted, compared to the cost of making the entire head.