Technical 216 chevy head cracks question

Got a customer's car here and it's a 50 Chevy. Spark plug was wet on cylinder number 5, so I pressurized the system.I could see water dripping from the roof of the combustion chamber. Pulled the head and had it checked and it was cracked. So the customer had another one dropped that off and it was also cracked. And now I'm on the third head and it's also cracked. Is it common for these 216s to crack all in the same spot? The guy at the machine shop isn't too familiar with the early 216. Is this a common problem? I believe the first one was definitely cracked. But all of them are cracked in the same spots. Is it just bad luck?

 

I remember my father telling me about that problem 60 years ago!

 

head cracks are common with 235s too, but I have driven some that ran good but showed up as cracked when removed

 

Yes, I remember cracked heads on Chevy 6's being a problem. Back in the early 60's an acquaintance got a pretty nice 40 Chevy 2 door sedan from the junk yard. It had been junked because of a cracked head. I think he gave like $100.00 and the junk yard gave him a good head. Another friends Dad had a 49 Chevy truck that was parked because of a cracked head.

 

I know grandad would pick us up, in his '39 Chevy, at the train station and drive us back to their place and it would boil over at least twice, cold water would be dumped into the radiator until it stopped boiling over
in general...the earlier cars ran water for coolant and then alcohol mixture for winter months or drained them down for the night ...the water pump impellers would rust and deteriorate to where the waterflow was diminished....they ran hot, boiled over then got cold water dumped in the system ....cracked the heads....yes, it is pretty common but three in a row is bad luck....but I just scrapped 7 Model B Ford block decks were cracked so bad.... from the same situation I suspect

 

You might try contacting Tom Langdon, at Langdons Stovebolt 6. Com. Lots of 216/235 parts. He has downsized his business as he's in his eighties, might have sold some of his stuff to the guys at 12BOLT.COM. They do chevy 6 engines also, he is in Utica, Michigan.