any updates on this if needed i'll try and pitch in...and i'm sure the people on the AL intake/head list will do the same :TU:
Aluminum heads would be the next best thing to a supercharger in my book. might be better :laugh:, I get to excited over things like this, I won't be able to sleep :grin:
John, Wouldn't that be awsome to get both items together? It might happen! The pieces are falling into place finally. I may need to recruit some assistance to get this done. I'll be getting in touch with some "primaries" in the community shortly. Now, for all those "in the know". What would you like to see in the design of the aluminum head? Let's hear some thoughts.
if the heads are made the right way, we wouldnt have to make a manifold. hello mopar intakes. and they have some nice ones. they have some nice big ports. bill, if you get a chance email me at home. john
VERY well said John. Spose' we could get those W- series intakes back in production by Mopar ? OOHHHHHHHHHH the possibilities.......... ps- maybe a phone call tomorrow evening in the 7-8 pm area. Let me know.
I agree about making heads to fit a small block mopar intake. Then we would only need to get the heads made and we could chose our intake preference because they actually make good ones for mopars already.
sean, sbm intake is only 1/4" overall to match ports up. there is a little more work, but its easy. now is that CLOSE enough? :TU: dave, good time any time john
Flow like crazy. Stock look on the outside including accessory mounting. Stock cc chambers so you don't have to buy custom pistons. Ready for big springs, high lift cam. Rocker shaft towers ready for roller rockers. Valve cover rails raised enough to clear roller rockers with stock valve covers and gaskets. Exhaust crossovers threaded so you can plug or unplug it easily with pipe plugs. Hardened valve seats for unleaded fuel. IMHO, reinventing the head so you can use non-stock parts will cut down the demand. I think there are more people out there that would want to be able to just bolt them on and leave the rest of their engine alone. It also adds to the cost when you have to buy special parts to make the heads work. The higher the price the lower the demand.
Bill - In addition to some of the other suggestions....I don't think it would be bad to have a head similar to the current LS6 head. They are some of the best flowing heads to come from an OEM. May as well learn from the best!! The LS6 CC chamber 'WORKS', tall & thin ports flow well, raised rails, etc. I'd go a bit smaller than stock on the chamber CC's......alum. heads tend to be able to go 3/4 to a full point higher than iron. Leave enough meat in the casting to open up the chamber if desired......same with the ports or course. Taller intake and/or exh. ports would be nice. Wouldn't want to have to 'need' custom headers though. Last but not least.....THANKS!! :TU:
But if they make a taller, thin ports then a 100% new manifold would need to be made. Another option is to make the heads fit a regualar intake and just get adapters for the mopar intakes. That being said I can't really see the use in alum heads if you don't use a better intake, the TA or poston intake is not going to cut it in my opinion. The stock iron manifold would need tons of porting to take advantage of the alum heads and that gets really pricey! I wouldn't stick an iron intake on alum heads.
True....but, we're already to that point! Being that we desperately need a serious intake anyways. I'm not thinking a huge raised port, more like .150" or so. You could port existing intakes to get pretty close to that - should anyone desire to have the stock look.
A cyl head based off original buick design with modern technology where needed. Honestly the stock design isnt that bad. If it were just tweaked a little to allow more room for porting, combustion chamber mods, maybe add a little room for larger valves. Bill and Jim were getting close to 300 cfm on the intake, i think the exhaust side still needs some help however. Im not a big fan of the mopar intake idea. I like the buick design, and i would rather see a intake designed to work with all buick 350s be put into production. Flow is important, but id be more happy to see some heads built with modern techniques that are focused on improved efficiency as a highlight. There is considerable room for improvement here im sure, the new LS6 as mentioned above is certainly a more efficient design. Wouldnt it be nice to make 100 more HP with the same X amount of airflow and fuel as the chevy on the dyno beside it? A more useable powerband would result and better street manners while still retaining awesome WOT performance. Keep that buick TORQUE workin for us. I live close to Chatanooga TN where Rich is located, ive got some stock spare heads if he wants to analyze them for design work.
just thought of something 'we' keep forgetting to worry about. SAFETY. we gonna go faster, safety comes knocking at your door. dont know if there made yet, but a sfi harmonic balancer and flywheel is definately needed. :Smarty: :Smarty: john
He has a point here - i'd be willing to buy the heads in the future but as funds allow, and if they need a lot of other parts that you need to get on top of that it really brings up the spending, which some don't have much of. The mopar intake idea sounds like a good idea to me, as most people who will buy good flowing heads wouldn't mind the selection of intakes out there already, will reduce time to get it and all the work has already been done. However, if we have good heads i think some companies will start to look at us a bit harder because someone has put money in this sector and that means demand, which means we could have some intakes made for the buick 350 if we stick with the stock intake dimensions/tall(er) runners, without having to go with a mopar intake. just my .03 cents(CDN) p
I'd like to think that too, but I wouldn't count on it. In the end we would all save money by being able to use the mopar intake, because it will likely be cheaper than the Buick intake anyway. That, and they're available now! Heck (this should freak a few people out) let's get them set up for small chevy rockers too! Cheap rockers, cheap intake, more power for less $$. It's not like it's a factory buick motor once you replace the heads anyway. I think that it's great to make these heads, but it's pointless unless there's an intake available. Like someone said- stock 350 heads can go almost 300cfm. Look in the summit catalog- there are a lot of sbc aftermarket heads that flow less than this. So, in my opinion, I think either make a good intake to bolt up to stock heads, or make heads that will take the mopar intake. Either way will make for cost effective power increases. ________ Hinduism forum
I'd personally like to see heads that, as cast, are hot street heads, -not- full boogie, flows awesome at 5000+ rpm with no velocity below that, race heads. I want to open the box, bolt them on, and be happy. With: Standard intake and oversize exhaust valves (1.88, 1.60) on the CENTERLINE OF THE BORE. Runners flowing about the same as moderately ported stock heads. Plug on the exhaust valve side. Deep heart shaped chamber of around 50-55cc, with lots of quench surface. The deck should be thick, thick enough to mill down to 30cc chambers and still be thick. The runners should have thick enough walls to hog out for the 1/4 mile folks. An oversized exhaust valve would be nice, since stroking/major overbore is out (on 350 blocks) and forced induction is the only other option. Also, these size valves will fit fine in 3.7" bore if located on the centerline, vastly increasing the potential market (me, other Rover stroker people). Those valves could fit in a 3.5" bore, but would be terribly wall shrouded. Maybe the bores could be relieved ala 351 cleveland? Probably way too much port for an original 215, though. The intake port location I have no opinion on since I'd be making my own manifold anyway, but raising the floor would be a plus. Shaft rockers! Taller valve cover rails, with extra bosses cast in where a 215/300/340 cover would bolt (so my 215 Offy ribbed covers could be used). My 2 cents, again. Rick(wrench)
bill, b4 you go to far, how about we have another round of people who really want these parts. who wants them ????? john
