Well I know I should have started last fall with this project, but started to take this apart I wanted to see what may have happened to the head and this is what I found a large hole in on top of number 8. Now were would this metal go just in the intake area or thru the whole engine. Believe it or not boat ran fine but I noticed I was burning some oil and I had dark exhaust on that side of the transom.
So do I just buy a new head and get it back together and run it ?[ATTACH=CONFIG]539805[/ATTACH]

Thanks

Mark

Now show us what the cylinder and piston look like without the head on.
Any luck in acquiring the 049 or 781 's yet? Looks like the time has come.
sorry for the luck. gary

http://houston.craigslist.org/pts/4918754749.html
these match your intake manifold.

I believe the hole/holes your talking about and the only 1's I see,are cast into the head for oil drain back.I see nothing wrong in the pic you posted.when I do cylinder heads I usually grind those nice and smooth to the main casting of the head.

Mark I am on my iPhone so it's difficult to see however I can't see anything other than normal head casting. Can u take a pic with a flash. Are you referring to the upper left or to the right side of the intake runner.
Will be home I a bit and look at with iPad otherwise.

I must have been typing when u posted. But ya we were on the same page.

I should have taken a pic of the hole over number 2 looks like a 3/8 inch hole for oil to drain back, but the hole over 8 looks to have blown inward does not look like a machined hole trust me I am no mechanic just want to get back on the water after a crappy winter

Look to the right of the intake runner - It looks to me like a flaw in the casting. might be able to fix that with some JB weld ???

thats the water port and that hole you see is put there from the foundry.foundry uses chisels to knock out those openings so they're a little rough looking.

Looks just like this 427 head.