It occurs to me that there ought to be some trick to checking heads for 
cracks, like spraying something on the head that would help you detect 
fine cracks. I've seen heads with cracks, but I've never discovered them 
myself. I overlooked the cracks ... and frankly didn't know what I was 
looking for. Is there a "job aid" that makes detecting cracks easier or 
fool proof?

I'm hoping to pick up a second set of heads to rebuild my "spare" case 
this summer. So far, my plan is to:

1. Carry wire brush with me to swap meets.

2. Check the head truck (you know, stacks of heads for $5/ea.) for my 
part number.

3. Brush off the head and check for cracks, problems with cooling vanes, 
etc.

4. Try to find four to six heads with the plan of getting two good ones 
out of the lot. (Hey, that'll be $15/head if the plan works)

5. Learn how to refurbish/repair heads or find a local machinist I can 
trust. (My last one didn't impress me.)

Thanks! Joe