I have a stock 1976 360. It has smog heads with the air pump holes in them. I have a 284/480 cam, Edelbrock Torker intake, Carter 650 carb, and headers, with a 4 Speed. The motor is fresh stock compression. What would be the best head to put on this motor without spending a fortune. I may even go Edelbrock heads, but have no idea what is best to use. Any feedback will be appreciated. thanks, Floyd

The early 70's "915" heads are slightly better than any of the open chambered iron heads but would not be worth seeking out only that if they were on hand and in good shape you would want to use them. There is a closed chambered iron head but I cant think of the number right offhand. If you can port I would find Steve Dulcich's excellent porting articles for stock iron open chambered heads & he got killer flow. You mentioned stock rebuild and what is your CR (OE actual measured SCR might be in the 7's). How far down are the pistons? That is what is going to hinder you the most. I would port the hell out of your current heads and call Dave or Kevin at Hughes for a cam to build some compression

302's are the closed chamber LA heads, but they are 318 port and valves. Found on the 85+ 318 roller engines.

You might want to consider a magnum head swap. Hughes should be able to set you up with springs that will work with that came for not too much money. You would also need an intake like the crosswind, FWIW I've always heard the Torker you are running is a horrible intake so you might be wanting to change that anyway.

Michael is dead on, I forgot about mag heads & yes I had heard that the original torker (at least the big block one) has bad mixture distribution issues. Worked new EQ's would be the way to go for mag heads

Edelbrock magnum small block heads. Closed chamber to bump compression, and flow enough to support 450 crank HP easy.

I would freshen up the 360 heads you got and call Hughes for a 340/360 whiplash cam. (valve job running 1.88 or 2.02 intake valves.)

it is made to work with the low comp ratio on the stock smogger small block engines.

I love my 318 roller whiplash with the Holley street dominator/Holley 6210-650cfm spredbore double pumper.

I am going with this 340/360 cam with the 89 roller cam 360 headed 318 police engine I am working on.

if you go with the #302 small port closed chamber head 1.78/1.50 valves up the valve size and port them.. they raise the comp and make some torque on a 360 but are choking it above 4000 rpm untouched-ported can get 350+ HP.

unless adding pistions/comp ratio the alum heads are not a good upgrade for a lopo stocker 360. IMHO.

I would ditch the torker intake looking for a LD340/holley strip dominator/edelbrock RPM air-gap.

I would have to second Scratchin's suggestion of the Hughes Whiplash cam. They are pretty nasty little cams, with good street manners.

I believe 308's are the swirlport 360 heads, 89-92 I think.

& the 308's are far better than the 915's which I erroneously stated earlier that the 915's were the best (open chambered iron heads)

And Magnums are better than any. Or the EQ heads that are Mag heads with the LA intake bolt angles, they're probably the best until you get into the Edelbrocks.

R.

you are good to go with your stock heads.They will support 400 hp
and will stall out flow wise at about .485 lift...which is exactly
where you are!

I'd use the Magnum heads

magnum

I'm a big fan of the Magnum heads too but just don't forget that they use a 1.6 ratio rocker so that .480 lift cam just became a .512 lift cam. Valve to piston clearance may or may not be an issue.

got to get around the LA alt mounting as the mag has no mounting boss/hole on the ends like a LA head.

If you have to ask....W-2s. But personally I'd just refresh and mild port what you have. If your doing a bottom end build which you aren't doing then feel free to get a nice set of heads. It'll just never be what it could or should be the way it stands now. Get some compression into it and then go head crazy.

yes, the holes are there but it is the ceativity part my brain can not do.

I just got a non a/c alt bracket/pully set and have a set of mag heads to mock up on engine stand. only need creativity part now.