Cylinder head interchange

[Floundering]

I needed a head for my 02 and bought a low mileage one on ebay off an 06. I couldn't find any interchange info on here so I thought I'd share.

Chrysler shows the newer head will bolt on the older ones but not vice-versa. The one I bought did not have the EGR drilled so I put it on the drill press, squared it up, and drilled a hole.

The camshafts are different however. I didn't know or I would of used my old ones. Apparently the only difference is how the cam magnet holes are drilled at the end of the camshaft, 90 degrees different. I just ground off the alignment pins of my old cam magnet (you must use the older sbec cam magnet, newer ngc one looks same but different) and turned it 90 degrees clockwise. Runs great and no check engine light.

I can't believe how robust these bottom ends are. The old head was warped .021" but didn't hurt the lower end at all.

[CREWZIN]

Thanks for the info. Apparently you have a lot more expertise than 99% of those on the forum, including me. The rest of us will let a mechanic do that kind of work. Little changes throughout the years makes it a lot more difficult to swap things around.

[UptownSport]

Good info-

The heads rarely warp, at least the old 2.0 DOHC /2.4.

Good to know about cam magnet!

There are more bolts on '01 & up exhaust, but omission allows header/exh
manifolds to interchange.

Intake, you have to drill holes in older manifolds (Friends have done, not
me personally)

Valve cover bolt pattern is slightly different, two bolts were switched

'01 head is peerless- It will fit old 2.0 DOHC and 2.4, as well as newer
blocks. AKA ('Bulge, small hole')
This is a coveted piece!

'02 & up (AKA bulge, large hole) don't backfit. They interchange with EGR
block or as you've done, drilling the EGR hole.

Very late heads had A.I.R. ports, undrilled, meaningless unless California
emissions package equipped.

Heads went to smaller, rectangular exhaust ports and smaller exhaust
valves in '01. Relative the old 2.0 DOHC /2.4, exhaust valves look tiny.

[gandl2123]

Dang, now who knows there stuff? hehe.

I have a 2002 PT Cruiser that ran of the road (female driven....not sure if that was the problem..ha) and then came out of the ditch with broken radiator and went 3 more miles before stopping.

Cylinder head was removed for no compression in two middle cylinders. Machine people say that it is warped .030 and no good. Hell I wanted to just shave it .030 and double up on the head gaskets...ha. Would that work, seriously?

Now, if I am to get another head, what do I get it off of? I'm hearing Neon, Avenger, Caravan, etc....cirrus etc.. Is this true? If so what years am I looking for? Tks

Mr. Tripp
Augusta, GA

[UptownSport]

Any PT head should fit, you have the 'Bulge' block.
Here's a 'bulge' ((small hole) on and old style block:



You can see head bulge doesn't marry up w/ block.

OLD 2.4's and Neon DOHC's '95-'00 have a different intake pattern, and less exhaust
studs. Not impossible, buddy's have done it, but not convenient.
In short, you need any '01 and up 2.4 head.

In answer to your milling question, you can mill these heads right down to intake valve seats, far, far more than .030.
We've developed a technique to mill them even farther ...
HOWEVER, cam journals need to be checked for straightness-
IOW, you straighten deck surface by milling, but cam journals are still warped = broken cam

I do have an '01 head for $210, shipping depends on your location, figure 45lbs from 55403

PM if interested

[UptownSport]

Then you're taking .030 off outers, nothing off center two