which heads to buy?
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Teching In
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From: south of I ndianapolis, IN.
which heads to buy? I'm trying to decide which heads to buy. I have a flat-top 406 w/ 5.7 rods. The car is a 69 Elcamino w/ 4-speed and is a street car. It is all toy and not my daily, but i want to use pump gas. I have no intention to use any power adder any time soon. I'm looking a AFR 195's w/ 72cc chambers, but I also am looking a GMPP Fast Burn heads. I like the idea af using GM parts, but they have 62cc chambers. With flat-tops that would put me @ 10.75 CR even w/ thick Fel-Pro head gaskets. The little bit of info I can find on these heads says to use flat-tops. Will the Fast Burrn chambers let me get away w/ the seemingly steap CR for a pump gas motor or is it just way too much like i am thinking? Any help, advice, or words from experience would be appreciated!
With a 406, maybe even AFR 210's. But between the two you mentioned, definetly the AFR's. As far as you CR, eithe of those heads would be fine, just stick with aluminum and keep the good fuel in it. I run 10.5 with my trick flows and a lot of timing without issues. AFR's have great mid lift numbers and I/E flow ratio.
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Teching In
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From: south of I ndianapolis, IN.
MZOOMORA, I have considered Trick Flows, but I have never known anyone who used them. What is your combo and what do you think about your heads? I have not picked a cam yet, but it is a stick and I don't care about vacuum. I'm pretty open on gears too. It has a 12 bolt and I have 3.31, 3.73 and 4.10 gears around my garage. I have never had a set of heads any better than double humps. I am wanting to end up in the super low 12's and be able to drive it alot. What I do know how to do is make it bite. I even considered Vortecs, but I have a good Dart dual plane intake and all my other stuff is old school. Vortecs look cheap until I count all the other stuff for the conversion. Thanks!
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From: Gainesville, Florida # of drag strips runs: ?!?!?
I'm running a 383 combo with Canfield 195 cc heads and they work fine. IMHO I don't see the need to run 210's unless you plan on revving it past 7 grand.
BTW, I'm at 11:1 compression ratio and get away fine with 93 even on the spray, and that's with a flat-top piston with 2 valve reliefs.
Derek
BTW, I'm at 11:1 compression ratio and get away fine with 93 even on the spray, and that's with a flat-top piston with 2 valve reliefs.
Derek
Thread Starter
Teching In
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From: south of I ndianapolis, IN.
Thank you Villian, while researching tonight I found Brodix 200 for $1000. I want to get a 195 or 200 cc runner. I think 1 grand will buy me what I am looking for. I gotta get my heads before i choose a cam anyway. RPM runners are 170, way too small. aluminumn is a deal breaker for me. Any more help or oppinions are welcome. Remember, the car weighs about 3800# ready to race. Randy
A 406 with a 210 will run just about the same as a 350 with a 185. Similar velocity, vacuum, driveability, etc. If it is going to be a regular driver with a moderate cam, then go with the 195's. A bigger cam in a more race oriented vehicle, then go with the 210's. A set of AFR 210's, 10.5-1, a cam in the 304 advertised range should get you 500 hp and still be driveable on the street. 195's wouldnt be far behind, but with the extra cubes the 210's wouldnt hurt and would leave room to grow more.
I like my trick flows. I have the G2's. They flow close to a AFR, a little better on the exhaust side, but you have to worry about piston to valve clearance more and custom length pushrods due to the different valve angles. They work great for me.
I like my trick flows. I have the G2's. They flow close to a AFR, a little better on the exhaust side, but you have to worry about piston to valve clearance more and custom length pushrods due to the different valve angles. They work great for me.
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Teching In
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From: south of I ndianapolis, IN.
MZOOMORA, I agree 100%. My problem is that if I have a decision to make and I have many options, I drive myself out of my tree! It may sound stupid, but i see the whole thing more clear now. As mentioned before, I have never had a good set of heads, so I'll be easy to impress. Probably the best I've had are on my 99 Z m6, but the comparison is apples to oranges. I want to get the Elcamino to run low 12's because I am going to participate in Hot Rod's Drag Week 06 since it comes right through my stompng grounds this year and it sounds like a blast. Thank you!
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Fastburn's are decent, and will work for it. I have them on my 350, and still makes good low end considering how large the heads are.
You pretty much need a vortec intake with the fastburns, and I've read that the intake ports arent that big, and is the restricting part of the combo. Im gonna be hoggin out my intake as soon as Im done with my cam swap.
What kinda cam are you looking for? How high did you plan on reving this motor?
I wanted AFR's, but coudlnt find anyone that had them in stock. I live 10 minutes from Summit racing, and had the fastburn heads the same day, so it was a convinece for me.
IMO, Id stick to the AFR 195's or 210's. 210's if you plan on a larger cam like Mzoomora said.
They're coming oout with a whole new line of heads soon, supposed to be the best flowing 23 degree heads ever produced. If you can wait a few months, I belive they should be out soon.
You pretty much need a vortec intake with the fastburns, and I've read that the intake ports arent that big, and is the restricting part of the combo. Im gonna be hoggin out my intake as soon as Im done with my cam swap.
What kinda cam are you looking for? How high did you plan on reving this motor?
I wanted AFR's, but coudlnt find anyone that had them in stock. I live 10 minutes from Summit racing, and had the fastburn heads the same day, so it was a convinece for me.
IMO, Id stick to the AFR 195's or 210's. 210's if you plan on a larger cam like Mzoomora said.
They're coming oout with a whole new line of heads soon, supposed to be the best flowing 23 degree heads ever produced. If you can wait a few months, I belive they should be out soon.
Thread Starter
Teching In
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From: south of I ndianapolis, IN.
ZZ4Blazer, Thanks for the info. Here is what I ended up doing, I bought a set of Brodix IK 200's and they are CNCing the chambers out to 68cc. That puts me at 10.7 or 10.8 CR with a zero deck and 4 valve reliefs. I can't find any AFR heads now anyway and a little more research made me re-think the Fast Burns (Vortec intake I don't have being one of them and the chamber size being another). With the machine work and freight, the Brodix heads were $1160.00 to my door. That leaves me with a little more budget for a possible roller cam set-up. As far as the cam goes, I'm thinking 245-250 duration @ 50 and all the lift I can get, but I'll make a final decision later on that. We may have to debate that one too before I decide. RPM range will be dictated by the heads and cam, but I have a forged bottom end and splayed 4-bolt caps w/ 5.7 rods, so I should be able to use up a 200 cc runner head. I'd say 6500 tops for what I am doing. Thanks again for your input! You know, this whole thing started because I wanted to use up all the old-school stuff I have laying around that won't work on my truck (2000 Silverado) or my Ls1 Camaro, now I've gone and bought new heads and a car to use a couple of grand worth of stuff on. This thing is going to morph out of control!!!
Aluminum heads dissapate heat much better than iron heads, allowing a higher compression ratio to be used without having detonation problems. I'd go with aluminum, just have to figure on which ones to go with. I have found on 400 block that you don't need the steam holes when you use aluminum heads, due to the better transfer of heat. Bob
Hey man if you are interested I have Trickflow 195cc heads 64cc chambers 2.02 1.60 stainless valves w/ screw in 7/16 rocker studs, guideplates, pushrods and 1.5 ratio harland sharp rockers w/ stud girdle for $1100 shipped. They only have no more than 6 hours on them I ran them on my 383 in my Chevelle then I got my SS and started parting the Chevelle out. This is a hell of a deal.
Last edited by sickss228; Apr 3, 2006 at 12:37 PM.
Personally I would have suggested you go w/ at least a 210cc intake runner. The 40x will get choked out w/ less than that. My suggestion... Trick Flow 215cc "R" head. Great head. Have seen them flow near 315cfm at .600 w/ a simple blend job and port cleanup. Friend who ports professionally... well known for LS1 and Mustang heads, Total Engine Airflow highly recommends those heads.
