Anyone successfully take 440 source heads out to max wedge size ports? Is it worth the effort, and if not the max wedge size what is the next largest size? Thanks

Why do you ask?

Because I would like to know. Thanks

As with just about all aspects of engine building, the answer is, "it depends".

The more ported the heads are, the bigger the engine displacement, cam, compression, etc, the more difference it will make.
On an ootb rpm head I don't think making the port opening mw size would do much of anything for flow.

I got 499" so it's not that the engine isn't big enough it's the heads. I haven't gotten a cam yet so I can't say on that yet. I'm sure it will be around 12:1.

on the SUPER stealth heads it helps flow.

The problem with putting a MW port on a standard head (besides the questionable increase in flow) is that it creates a problem for sealing the valley.

Indy heads are designed to seal the valley but standard heads are not. On an RB block you can use the 337 intake (if you can find one) but there isn't a good solution for a low deck.

I thought you could seal the valley with 440 source heads?

If max wedge can't be done safely, what is the next size down?

If you want to use readily available intake gaskets, as far as I know there are just the standard size and max-wedge sizes. If you want to make your own gaskets you can make it any size you like.

The problem with low port heads is it's harder or clumsier to make a separate solution to seal the valley. Custom manifold gaskets to seal just the ports are not that big of a deal to make or have made.

If choices in heads were slim, it might be worth it. If it was a straight forward thing to change to custom port size it might be worth it. But since there are so many head choices it might be more effective to buy another set of heads that don't need to customized and sell what you have.

If for some reason I was going to modify a head to a custom port size and location and there wasn't a solid solution to seal it all up available then I would fabricate the parts and weld it all up to seal like most other V-8 engines.

If you want M.W. intake ports buy a set of heads made with them to start with I swapped heads on my old pump gas low deck stroker motor five times, from ported big valve iron 906 heads to a set of CNC ported Eddy RPM, then to a set of Indy M.W. SR and finally a set of 440-1 heads that flowed 370 CFM at .700 lift The bigger the head flow the more power the motor made on the engine dyno test at it ran faster at the track also
If I was you I would put a goal down for HP, torque and RPM and then buy the parts to acheive that goal

Thanks for the input guys.