Where are all the spots I should look to check for cracks on these heads? I need to find a pair soon and want to make sure I dont waste tiime removing broken ones. Both of mine broke is the same place. Right front and left rear. Crack is visible all the way across gasket area for valve cover. Anything particular I should look out for? Thanks for any help.

 

Here's something to look out for:
Used 2.9L heads!
With the time and money you are going to be putting into a head job you would be better off spending a little more now then a lot more later. Say you go to the boneyard and spend $50 per head for used you pulls. How many times are you going to have to do it before you either run out of heads, or you find a pair that seal and won't crack in the future?
The factory cylinder heads used in many Ford Rangers, Broncos, and other vehicles have developed a reputation for cracking. The need was such that World developed a much improved replacement for the original featuring a thicker deck (.370 in. compared to .250 in. stock deck), plus reinforced spring pads, a thicker combustion chamber roof and beefier port walls.
These heads are available at Summit Racing (store.summitracing.com) and cost $309.95 per head. But look at the long run. You know where they came from, what shape they are in, and you won't have to tear down your engine again! Priceless!

 

I ask again, if someone is willing to share some knowledge. Where are the prone areas on these heads to look out for. Thanks to that one person out there that has dealt with these enough to help. I only have this one pair to go against, and have not had much success calling around to reputiable rebuilders to get a "heads" up.(pun inserted here)

 

The only reliable way to tell if a used head is cracked is by wet mag or a submerged pressure test. BTW, I've talked to several people who are convinced that the 2.9 heads are prone to cracking upon removal. They seem to crack on the top the way yours did, except maybe not as severely. Every machinist I've talked to that has attempted to repair minor cracks on these heads has been unsuccessful.
I worked for an engine parts distributor for a few years ('til 96).
Their outside salesman stopped by my store/machine shop a couple of years ago and was telling me that they had new castings for 2.9's that were superior to OEM. I don't work in the aftermarket anymore and I don't remember how much $$. I'm sure they were less than the World castings but probably not as beefy. If you hit a dead end in your search, let me know and I can try to track them down.

 

you can get new castings for around 200 each , this is the way to go when rebuilding a 2.9 , i have seen them repaired successfuly, on one it was welded all the way across the top of the head , i was amased it ran as good as it did.