The head that 12 port tim describes sounds like it's head #1208 maunfactured by Bob Toros in ~1960. Look at the 12 Port Registry in the "Historical" tab in the sidebar. I purchased head #1207 in 1960 and had lots of water leaks through casting defects in the combustion chambers and spark plug threads. After two round trips between St. Louis and Burbank, California for repairs in 1961 and 1962 it appeared that the defects were repaired. By that time, I had gone back to school, got married etc. and put the head and the rest of my hot rod stuff in storage. I finally returned to my youth about ten years ago and got the engine and head running, with lots of Morosso stop leak, but no leaks.
If head #1208 was in as bad or worse shape as mine, it's not surprising that an exasperated owner just filled the head.
I took my roadster with the head, on a 261, to the Denver convention in 2014 and drove it on part the Hot Rod Power Tour in 2015. I'm planning on bringing it to Dayton in July.
