It's been proven on the buicks the 2.125 Intake and the 1.62 pretty sure it is small exhaust valve works well together....the 1.75 valve actually can get in the way provided the the bowl behind it is worked
Thank you all for suggestions and advice based on your Buick experience, expertise and knowledge. I have to admit, all these posts are so wide ranging I don't know where to start or stop. So I have at the moment decided to do nothing. Very difficult to plan out an approach with advice that is so wide spread. Thanks to all for trying to help me. I do appreciate it. VET (Navy)
Perfect! That is exactly the right choice IMHO. Enjoy your car. All the power potential is right there in the head flow. Porting has no downsides unless you really hog the heads out and decrease velocity. Porting improves flow across all lifts. It makes the engine think it has a bigger cam than it does. Great head flow lets you use a smaller cam with better street manners and still achieve your goal. Start saving for a set of aluminum heads, new or used. Then when you are ready, bolt them on and enjoy.
You said it earlier...leave well enough alone If you do anything put your name on the list at TA for set of the Sleeper series stage 1 heads if you want it to look stock....headers...only 2 manufacturers TA and Dougs at the moment not sure if Hooker discontinued theirs....but they all fit fine....cam and rockers I say rockers so you can use a 525+ lift cam without worry....if you stay 525 or less stockers are fine But cam..heads...headers...rockers....converter....B4B intake if you want.....you'll feel a major difference....probably 100hp over what you have now.....cost : 8k....in parts
I played a trick on a buddy years ago. We both raced friday nite and then saturday morning I got up early and swapped my heads. I had a set of small valve heads fully pocket ported and 3 angle valve job. Cut some too....anyway, put those on and I picked up 3 tenths and didn't tell him for a while when we were doing time runs the next day. Back then 3 time runs were the norm. Poor guy was pulling his hair out wondering what was wrong with his car....suddenly I picked up 3 tenths so he thought he had issue. Changed plugs, checked timing....he was about to take carb apart and I told him. I was real happy with the .3 since it looked no different than the day before.....
Getting something running and driving is a blessing in itself.....next one I get on the road I AINT TOUCHING
Thank you Larry, just what I needed to hear. Your advise and Buick expertise is always welcomed. I can see Alum heads in my future. TA's heads look to be just what I need. Vet
The issue with aluminum heads is that you need to increase compression by a point or so to equal iron if flow is the same.
I would! I’m at the same point with my 350 GS, I’m done spending money on big money speed parts. Im spending money on going to the track with it, and small tinkering, timing adjustments and such low buck or free stuff! I DO have to fix my power steering gear box leak AGAIN, it’s worse than before (probably my fault) AND I will buy the K&P engineering oil filters from Steve Reynolds. It will! Remember your 56 Bel Air was quite a bit lighter than your GS
Yes, but the TA head chambers are likely smaller than the iron heads they are replacing to begin with. Greg Gessler milled mine .040 for 59cc chambers. That upped my SCR from 9.4:1 to 10.4:1. JW worked (ported) the heads over again for Motor 2. My chambers now are 61cc.
Vet, depending on what exactly was done to your heads, they may already be significantly improved over stock (for street use). Steve mentioned the valve job and low lift improvements..... that's exactly what the 'reworked by Buick expert' mods you had done should have accomplished.... a good valve job and blending it onto the port bowl under the valve removes much of the restrictions the factory left there. Most of the low-mid valve lift improvements are made in the 1" before and after the valve.... meaning the valves and valve job, the valve/port bowl and unshrouding the valves in the combustion chamber. That's the best 'bang for the buck'. Beyond that you'll be spending a lot more $$ for less significant improvements. At that point, go aluminum. A good cam is vital for optimizing performance. Which Comp cam are you using? If you want to learn engine performance theory, look up David Vizard on YouTube, or buy one of his books.
Got to get into this. Supposedly, my SCR is 10.5, according to what the previous owner but I have no documentation on that, just a lot of detonation and high water temperatures. Larry, we discussed this in length. I know to confirm or disprove this, I will have to pull the heads and have measurements taken. If by chance, I do have 10.5 SCR, what will I have to do if I get alum heads? Vet
I don't think you have 10.5:1. I would be surprised if you did. If you did, you would need to know why it was that high. Could be zero deck, small dish/valve reliefs, or milled heads with smaller chambers. Would need to know that info to answer your question, and the only way to know that is take it apart and measure. Anything else is conjecture.
There will be a very noticeable improvement in TA heads on a stock long block...yes there is some thermal loss..BUT its made up for in flow....there's been LOTS of guys put a set of stage 2s on a healthy sbe and run 11s....not gonna happen with irons and sbe...not from my experience anyway
But the without a cam Chang you would leave alot on the table imo....compression is probably high 9s my guess....but that may be with 40 tho gaskets you can run steel shims if you have a 70 block or 27tho cometics on any 71+"or the 70 But like I said a little here and a little there will leave you unimpressed vs the $ spent
Hi Vet,. Good info on here.. So reading about your factory parts 327 chevy you put together made me think about my motor I have in my 72 buick skylark right now. Motor is built with probably 80% factory parts with old heavy TRW pistons that have valve relief's to clear the valves.. Not a mind blowing build here, just old common sense race technique's still used today, then people call it that freak motor from the factory,.. lol --Buick 462 motor: 1972 short block, .030 over 462 cu.. stock rods ARP bolts side rod clearance set at .016, rods polished rebalanced, stock crank and old TRW pistons with extra oil holes drilled over the wrist pins and metal taken out under neath the wrist pin, stock flywheel and balancer, all completely rebalanced and decked to .017 to top of piston, all together for smooth RPM action. --Compression; true 10.8 to one using .020 steel factory gasket.. No girdle, stock oil pan with 5/8 oil pickup, No oil baffle's in pan.. --This motor see's 6000- 6200 rpm all the time.. MSD dist. timing 32'- 34' with MSD 6al set at a safe 6000 rpm. Shift at 5700 rpm,. Motor has been together 17 years this year.. --Heads,. 1970 - Stage 1, 786's 62 cc ,. Stage 1 stainless tulip valve's 2.13~ 1.68, heavyly ported by me back in the day and 3 angle valve job, maybe flow 270 ish.. alot of port work..!! but no epoxy added.. -- Rocker's, factory 1969 buick 430 rocker's approx 1.59 lift with all adj. 3/8 pushrods installed for action.. -- Cam; Old GSCA -hydraulic custom, 537-545 lift at 112,.. 240-250 Dur. installed at 108' in.CL. -- Intake: 3 used, port matched T/A stage 1 , Eddy B4B carb pad in center and Eddy performer carb pad set back for Stage 1 air cleaner, the Performer intake was on the motor and 1/2" wood spacer with custom 950 Holley for the best pass it ever made.. ~~ET Ran best at - 11:57 at 116 on a cold 50' degree nite at Milan dragway. same pass..! -- 72' buick skylark; full interior, all steel body, factory power steering, factory clutch fan with heavy 4 core brass radiator, altenator, manuel drum brake's, 3;73 gears, 350 trans & shift kit, 3500 ATI stall converter,.. -- Exhaust: Set of old Kenne-Bell headers bought in 1989 and 3" stainless exhaust pipe thru flowmaster muff's to the rear bumper, never unhooked for racing. -- Wheels: Lite M/T wheels on street legal Drag tires, 3800lb. with me in the car , No AC components.. --Fuel, 93 octane running thru -8 line from the factory sumped tank to the Holley carb. using 2 Black Holley elec. pumps. -- Its been a great combo..!! I drive it evry where in the summer.. Just a simple build from back in the day.. and running strong today...Well it is a little tired now.. lol P.S.... I have a set of Bulldog heads and Eddy heads I still need to try after I get them ported.. Should be interesting.. ! Well,. I'll at least lose some weight off the front of the car....
I believe in the KISS mantra. My racecars also are built to this philosophy and yet can run 9's when needed. Your goal of low 12's is possible without a large outlay of cash, its attention to detail and a matched combo. Sandy's X runs 12.7 with a 118 cam,plenty of vacuum for brakes, 9.7 compression for pump gas, iron stage 1 heads with bowl work,flow 250 cfm, iron ex manifolds opened up exit, iron intake with cleaned up plenum, 69 rockers,800cfm Qjet, 3.42 rear, and 2800 converter. The converter is important so its designed for a Buick. Too often people use a cheap off the shelf unit thats a 1 size fits all. Better porting, 10 to 1 compression, a little more cam, bigger carb can get you where you want to be,if you go al. heads into the 11's. For a point of info regarding headers: we did back to back testing on a dyno on a 450hp motor. comparing stock iron manifolds to opened up iron manifolds , picked up 18 hp, switching to 1 7/8" ta headers picked up another 20hp.Is the 20 hp worth the hassle? your call.
