Buick nailhead, right side exhaust manifold comparison: Stock (stock cylinder head) Version #1 ("D" cylinder head) Version #2 ("D" cylinder head) Thanks, Marty
Buick nailhead, left side exhaust manifold comparison: Stock (stock cylinder head) Version #1 ("D" cylinder head) Version #2 ("D" cylinder head) Thanks, Marty
So, if your just gonna throw them away or your not ever gonna use 3 sets on 1 vehicle I will gladly pay for shipping of version #2 to my door. Now, that's what I call, WHATA DEAL!!!!! Tom T. P.S. So what's the point of this post???? Sorta like a strip tease???? You can look all you want, but no ever touchy???? That's NOT FAIR!!!!!!! I want my MOMMY!!!!! Johnny's playin' naughty games again!!!!!
Hello Tom, Marty from California here. Thought I would show some of the stuff I have collected over the years. How is that fast 66 Skylark..........and your Riv? Have you done anything with your "D" heads? Take care, Marty
So far Bob's GS has been an 11.08ET@122MPH with no traction. That 122MPH relates to a 10.8. This is with a 401+ .030" & 40+ yr.old technology using carbs. & a distributor. Not bad for 3200+pds & a "Nail"!!!!! The Riv. with over 180K on the engine at 4400+ pds. has gone 13.902ET@98MPH. One Holley & exhaust manifolds. I don't race the Riv. anymore. I was able to start to see the effects it was taking. In '04 alone, doing R&D on the "Rockers", I made 97 passes down the 1/4. About 10-12 of those it pulled the left front wheel. Not a lot, maybe about an inch, as witnessed by various photos & video & accompanying noises . The ole X-Frame didn't want to know about 4400 pds. twisting like that. Pulled it back & it's OK, but now I'm in a quandrie about which car I should build for a race car. I'm known for a Riv. But how do you lighten & go fast with a Riv??? Using a "Nail"???? I saw a tube chassis '64 Riv. on E-Bay a couple years ago that was 2700pds. with a BBC in it. But that's not me. I like the look of a somewhat stocker appearing car. To me it will give others the inspiration to do something to their cars. The thing that makes Bob's car so unqie is the fact, except for the "Roll-Bar" for added strength & safety, everything that has been done has been a bolt-on. If at one point he wanted to return it to his original 4spd. GS Post car he can. Again, to me, this gives others the inspiration to do the same. Unbelievable as it may seem, Bob's car can still be street driven to cruises & such. Tom T.
If I may ask a stupid question......aside from the wierd exhaust manifolds pictured above, what are "D" items? I've never heard that term before. o No:
There were some prototype heads made in the early 60's with 'D' shaped exhaust ports. Never made it to production.
Hey Tom- I think the maroon one in the lot is ready- I'll bring my whizzer and sawzall and we'll have a party. I bet we can get her to lose 700 lbs in a weekend, w/o killing structeral integrity. We'll have to figure out the other 500lbs. creatively. Now if I can just lose 50lbs I'd be in business!:laugh:. You have the motor Let's do it. 11 second 64 Riviera!!!!:TU:
"D" cylinder heads were very similiar to stock heads except: 1. The exhaust port is 1/2" taller, unfortunately part of the size increase is a lower port floor. 2. The exhaust pocket is deeper. 3. Their is an additional water jacket across the length of the head above the exhaust port. Forty-seven heads (not sets) were produced. Dennis Manner states that a 15 hp increase was realized by bolting on the heads......no other changes such as a different cam, carb, etc. Thanks, Marty
Yeah, Buick made the same mistake around 1960 with the "D-Ports" that Chrysler made in '69-'70 with their "W" heads. Again, as usual, Buick was ahead of the performance pack!!!! Very quietly & low key as is the normal case. In the quest to make the port as large as possible they dropped the floor. Flow bench testing has shown that the "D-Ports" actually flow about 10% less than a stock "Nail" exhaust port. If you add some clay to the floor it raises the flow about 10% above. Have you done any testing on your heads Marty to confirm this??? As some of us know, Buick also made 21 experimental "Aluminum" heads. They were so experimental that the valve seats & guides were all aluminum!!!!! They were cast using '59 castings as that was the casting numbers I've had the opportunity of seeing on all the ones I've seen, which is 5 sets=10 pieces. They also don't flow any better than a stock "Nail" head. But there are aluminum which can easily be welded. Yeah, I wish I had the time Yac. Maybe soon. Again, thanks you so much for the visit!!!!! The "Maroon" one has A/C, need to use one without any additional weight.
Not one being very familiar with the Nailheads,I find the pictures and the related posting a very good piece of info.Thanks for the pictures:TU: .Now if anyone can produce some pics of the elusive heads,it will be even better:beer .
In the case of the "D" heads and aluminum heads, if two heads are needed per engine, why build an odd number of heads? A spare?
Good point about the "odd" number of heads (47). No idea why.............. maybe Dennis Manner would know. The heads did have a casting number and, in conjunction with the exhaust manifolds, which also had casting numbers, were ready for production. From what I know, a new camshaft was never developed specifically for the "D" heads. A new camshaft would be required for the different flow characteristics of the new exhaust port. My understanding is that the cost of the new parts did not justify production. Remember a new engine family was being developed to be introduced in the 1967 model year (400, 430 and later the 455). Marty
Tom, I am having my "D" heads flow tested and comparing to "stock". I know that you are getting some impressive numbers with "stock" heads. How much flow are you getting? Marty
Hey Guys, What ever happened to this thread????????????? We can't let Nailhead "D" Port Head Info fall thru the cracks!!!!!! Thanks, 425 2X4 Nailhd.o No:
Tom, in reality the "D's" are no better than the stockers. The exhaust was not the problem as thought way back when. It was the intake!!!! We have gotten some pretty good flow numbers. Around the 260's area intake & 190's exhaust. In actuality the exhaust is slightly smaller than stock as it has had some welding done to it to shape the exit slightly better. Would you really want to take the chance on messing up a rare set of heads by welding???? Just my thoughts. They are good for conversation & bragging rights & maybe paper weights. BIG PAPER WEIGHTS!!!!!!!
So what did they change on the heads other than the exhaust 'n' water jackets to provide a 15 hp increase with no other changes to the rest of the engine?
