[Bill Hanlon]

Steve:
The one '58 tube I have is yours for the price of the ride. Down side is that I won't be able to get it in the mail until after March 18. I'm heading to the ski slopes with my daughter and her family tonight and won't be back until the 17th.

[55GMCX2]

Originally Posted by Safari Larry

I think that is bad advise. Yes, you can get away without them for a while. But the back of engine will run hotter than the front and it won't show up on the temp gauge. Not good for a long lasting engine! I would not use those heads without the water tubes.

I agree. I'm of the belief that if they were installed from factory, then there's obviously a reason for them. My heads will go back on with tubes, one way or another.

Originally Posted by Bill Hanlon

Steve:
The one '58 tube I have is yours for the price of the ride. Down side is that I won't be able to get it in the mail until after March 18. I'm heading to the ski slopes with my daughter and her family tonight and won't be back until the 17th.

Sounds like a deal. The machine shop is nowhere close to be ready for the tubes, so the 18th will work. I'll send you a PM on the gmc site with my shipping address.

Steve

[flat-bill]

If it were me I'ld get whatever the machine shop had of the "need to be replaced" tubes. Sometimes, if it isn't an effortless fix, the standard answer is " get me new ones". These tubes may be fixable without a lot of trouble by a clever guy. Billk

[phoenixpnr]

My 57 heads have what looks like "brass" tubes. One is a little beat up on the end but the other is all but crushed.
How important is the fit to the opening end of the head for proper cooling?

[Jack Gifford]

My opinion is- that the entry end must be correctly shaped (funnel-shaped) to cause the majority of coolant to enter the tube, rather than "spill" around it.
Unless the tube material has significant corrosion, I've always been able to re-shape it well enough.

[55GMCX2]

All my endeavors to find a set of the tubes for my 288 V8 have come up empty, with the exception of Bill Hanlon sending me one from a 58 head. I had a lead on a set from 56 heads, but the guy wasn't able to get them out without tearing them up. I had another lead on a set from 58 heads, but the guy decided to keep them.

Anyone here have a set of tubes that they would be willing to part with?

Steve

[694.1]

Just saw this tread & my head hurts. I have pulled Brass tubes out of 2 different '57 engines and there could be multiple explanations for this...
The early tubes may fit a later head but not the other way around?