very unusual cylinder head

[spud91]

hi there i really need some help identifying a cylinder head, it looks like and has the characteristics of a 998 cooper head (yay) but has 4 additional tapped holes that run from the front of the cylinder head (just below the spark plugs) straight to the exhaust ports. does anyone know what head this is or what its off?

[Keith Calver]

That's what's known as a 'smog' head. The bosses are for nozzles that pump air in to the exhaust ports to improve emissions. So would have been fitted to a Mini, or any other A-series engined car such as MG Midget an so on, that was sold in a country where air compressors where a legal requirement. Somewhere like Canada, the States etc. KC

[spud91]

ah brilliant thanks bought it cheap and wanted to modify it, do you recommend using the head and blanking the holes or selling it on and buying another head?

[Keith Calver]

If it's in good nick - use it. They tend to be a better, stronger casting than the non-smog types. I just screw cap head grub screws in to plug the threaded holes. Don't worry about plugging the holes that appear in the exghaust ports, just leave 'em as is. KC

[spud91]

awesome thanks