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Modern architectures for diesel cylinder heads, especially high performance, direct injection heads for passenger cars and light trucks, require an optimized combination of design and material properties. In aluminium castings, microstructural gradients and associated fatigue and mechanical properties can result from the process selection, e. g. gravity or low pressure, and from the variable cooling rates which have to be applied to the different parts of the casting in order to get a progressive solidification and a sound part. It is thus essential to understand the relationship between the microstructure resulting from the combination of process, material choice and heat treatment, and the properties of the material. As the most widely used material for aluminium diesel as well as gasoline cylinder heads, the 319 alloy has been selected for its superior strength. We have carried out tensile testing and thermo - mechanical fatigue testing on a range of materials.