Cancelled my aluminum heads

Discussion in 'Small Block Tech' started by Mark Demko, Jan 24, 2022.

  1. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    Yep, called today and getting my deposit back, I had called Friday and they said the have to do the level 1 porting first, then they’ll start the level 2.
    Just the way things are going these days.
    I’m NOT upset with TA, they are doing their best I’m sure, but I’m tired of waiting:(
    I’m considering porting my original 71 irons, transferring my TA big valves and springs over, OOOOOOOOR, porting my current iron heads as the already have the TA valves, springs, they’ve been shaved .030, and cut on the intake side for manifold alignment, exhaust crossover is already plugged, and intake ports have been gasket matched already.
    I believe all they need is a proper porting job, which I believe the Chevy machine shop that WAS SUPPOSED to do DID NOT years ago:mad:
    The just installed the larger valves and gasket matched the intake side:rolleyes:
    I’m going to port them myself and save me a couple grand.
     
    ceas350 likes this.
  2. dr

    dr Well-Known Member

    Are these the 350 or 455 heads?
     
    Mark Demko likes this.
  3. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    I understand all too much unfortunately. I owned a manufacturing company and had the same problems - Could never get ahead. So many canceled orders & lost opportunities it still makes me sick.
     
  4. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    350
     
  5. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

    Unfortunately you will probably have the irons ported and torqued down quicker.
    Heck, some days you can't even get groceries. :eek:
    You can always have the aluminums as plan "B".:D
     
    Lane in Mt.Hermon and Mark Demko like this.
  6. bignastyGS

    bignastyGS Maggot pilot

    Time to step it up with the big engine guys...:D I was waiting for 350 parts for a few years..Now,I went to the dark side...
     
    ceas350 likes this.
  7. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    Your probably right!
    Nothing against TA, but I’m not getting any younger:p:p
    As long as I can hit high 12’s I’ll be happy, REALLY happy knowing I did it with iron heads!
    I believe I have enough compression, cam, intake, carb, exhaust, oh I know……. I need MORE GEAR:p
    And I can rev to 7 plus grand, but I’m a stubborn ass, I’m gonna do it with 3.42 gears and close to 4000 lb curb weight;)
     
  8. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    I had a 73 iirc 455 years ago my boss gave me that had a bearing knock, it came out of a Le Sabre 2 door from down south, I WAS going to convert over to 455, but decided not too.
    To run high 12’s NA In a full weight GS 350 with 3.42 gears is awesome, but with a 455, it’s a walk in the park, the price of poker goes up so to speak
     
    Dano likes this.
  9. dr

    dr Well-Known Member

    They are sending me bare heads this week. I'm going to send them to Bobb M. in Michigan. I don't need them for close to a year
     
  10. gsjohnny1

    gsjohnny1 Well-Known Member

    maybe you want to contact lee zane and asked him on how to git it done
    leezane@verizon.net or 856-275-7934
    or there's always that big lump that sits on top called a SUPERCHARGER. :eek::D
     
  11. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

  12. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    I understand your decision and im not bashing it. But if you aren’t using a pro to port the iron heads you will see very little gains. Spend good money on porting and flow testing. I still think that spending $1500+ for porting on iron heads is a waste of $ compared to investing in the alum heads that have way more potential. You want to bolt on a 50-80 Hp gain vs your current combo and home porting irons won’t get you there.
     
  13. Fox's Den

    Fox's Den 355Xrs

    You should NOT have cancelled those heads, It Will cost you 1500$ to get those heads done that is how much I paid in 94.

    you are NOT going to hit 12's with a 342 gear I don't care how much you port those heads. You better put in a 4000 stall if you want to hit that with a 342 gear. Although a 100 shot of nitrous will do it Hey what you got to lose at this point the engine LOL

    Why didn't you just have them send you the heads they have and bolt the damn things on, why the hell do they need to be ported. They should be as good as what mine are out of the box. Do you think that anyone goes to Summit racing and buy a set of heads and spend another 2 grand to have them ported to death? NO they bolt the damnthings on.

    Sean has a set he can sell you now he has 3-4 sets lol

    My rant for the day and I am sticking to it
    The Professor has spoken.
     
  14. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    1500 bucks:eek:
    Im thinking more like 200 on the bits and sucho_O

    If I pick up 20 to 30 HP for a couple hundred bucks with home porting Im good.
    Near 5 grand for MAYBE 50 hp with alumiumso_Oo_O
    Im not bashing TA or the aluminum heads, but for me the price of poker is a bit high.
    I have to admit, I was deflated when I heard Jay Michaels times with the alumium heads, Jay was quick with his ported irons, then he went aluminum heads and didnt pick up much, probably 'cause his irons were ported to the max, I woulda thought the combustion chamber shape on the aluminums would have made a difference also.
    Maybe the stock iron Buick head isnt really all that bad to start with???
    I remember Mike Sr. years ago telling me in a lengthly phone conversation the real estate on the Buick head is somewhat problematic as far as putting this here "ooooops thats in the way" So TA is somewhat hamstrung as far as what and how much they can improve.
    If we were talking all out race 350's, then hell yeah "get rid of this, eliminate that, they'll have to use special headers, stock wont fit, same with intakes, our Stage1 and SP3 wont fit, our rockers wont work either, gotta use something else"
     
  15. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    Yes I will DAMNIT:p:p:D:D
     
  16. gsjohnny1

    gsjohnny1 Well-Known Member

    everybody yacking about this and go whatever in the 1/4. all after market speed parts.
    then....we glance over to the guys that are running nhra stock, with STOCK PARTS, beating your butts.
    does anybody see a problem here ?? maybe y'all should talk to them. build a stock to what they are doing AND then add the a/mrkt parts.
    does that make any sense to anybody hear?
    i, for one, probably should see them to learn the stock stuff. but i go far outside the box which makes it a continuous r&d project.
    just my $.02. thats about i have left
     
    Dano likes this.
  17. Fox's Den

    Fox's Den 355Xrs

    if I could run 12.1 on pump gas I would race gas was 8$ a gal last year
     
  18. Fox's Den

    Fox's Den 355Xrs

    I guess if you wanted to figure out what the NHRA guys do then I would go straight to the heads and do what they did. They sure don't run 11's cause the engine is blueprinted although that is a start.

    You could have just put the alums on as they were out of the box and just pump up the compression to 11.5 and I bet it wound run good and strong.
    Those new heads with that SP3 intake should get you to 12.99 or whatever right out of the box with a 373, 350 trans, - 411 gear, 2004r trans, 28" tires. You don't need all that extra porting crap and gasket matching, it should run strong right off the bat. Will probably spin to 6500 to boot easily.

    I wish I could have done more with mine over this last ten years but a lot had stopped me.
     
  19. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    you are the only one that calls yourself the professor. You can’t give yourself a nickname silly.

    I do agree it was a mistake to cancel the alum heads however it’s kind of funny that the ones who profess to be the top 350 guys won’t pony up for the alum heads.

    I’m sorry but yes the TA heads need tons of work to fix, but I’m not complaining. I’m just happy to have a platform that I can fix.
     
  20. Fox's Den

    Fox's Den 355Xrs

    I am not the one that gave me that name a member did plus I am pretty damn smart if I say so myself. BTW it's called 3 grand, those heads should not need a dime to "Fix" what ever it is that is wrong with them. I think that is a misnomer where does that information come from.
    Did TA have to port the crap out of those heads to get that 450 HP number that was put out. It should have been a bolt on and show.

    BTW you are the guy that has said you are going to do all this testing and such You should have or been the one that promotes the product, but you sat on your hands.

    How many cams, heads, and engines you have now 4-5 -6
    You have not promoted that you are one of the top 350 guys here? really ..
     

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