Streetable Head Options?

OK, this subject has probably been beaten to death (sorry). I have a somewhat limited budget, maybe $1500-$2000 max for heads. What do you guys think are good street head choices?

10.5 compression with 452's, Comp Cams Xtreme Energy 21-224-4 274/286 duration, 488/491 lift, 230/236 duration @ .050", 110 lobe separation, 1-5/8" headers, six pack, 3.91's (likely going back to 3.23's or 3.55's since I don't have overdrive), 4speed, power brakes, power steering, no A/C, nitrous. I would like to run a faster 1/4-mile but keep the car completely streetable (99% street driven).

Should I home port some 452/906's? Larger valves? Edelbrock? Stealth? I'm "guessing" Indy & B-1 type heads would absolutely kill my bottom end. What do you think?

I run and like my home ported rpm`s.............

Six pack? Stealths.

Thumperdart, I see your car is pretty fast. Do you run a cam as small as mine? How much to rpm's cost about?

Ice-Eagle, what makes you say stealth heads because I have a six pack?

Does anyone have some track data on the same car with different heads? Obviously, I'm looking for something "streetable" to compare with & not a blown alcohol engine.

352's ?? do you mean 452's ?

Do yourself a huge favor and shitcan the open chamber, iron head unless you race in a class that requires them or you have KB step head pistons already.

Sidewinders are a low cost upgrade , or the new trickflows.

i was just looking at what trickflows would be from summit if i could get a 20% coupon.

then i remembered about the sidewinders.

one difference beetween the two is 210cc vs. 240cc intake ports...
with a small cam the sidewinders would probably be fine.

here is a link
http://www.mopartsracing.com/parts/Sidewinder.html

Trick Flow heads are roughly $2000 and are fully ported right out of the box. Best deal going that I know of. Only potential issue is valve cover clearance since they are taller and spark plug clearance due to angle plugs.

Edelbrock heads are a good choice but unported heads are less power and ported heads will cost more than Trick Flow. Ported Stealth heads might close in price to Trick Flow heads? Not sure about how performance compares.

$2000 for the stealth CNC last time I looked

Tex

I run an Isky solid roller .680-.660 276-281 @ .050 but drive this thing all over w/out any issues...........Bought em years ago and don`t remember the price sorry...........

CNC ported Stealths or Trickflows are very similar in performance.

Stealths are straight plugs whereas Trickflows have angled plugs
Stealths have open combustion chamber whereas Trickflows have a little more modern designed chamber.
Stealths look like a stock head on the end Trickflows do not.

I've run CNC ported stealths all over on the street and run 11's @ 117 mph with them in a car with 3.55's.

Both work equally well on a street/strip car.

How fast do you want this car to go on the motor and on NOS? What year and body style are you working on? The primary pipes size is probally going to limit how much power your motor will make on N/A as well as on the NOS I love 4 speed cars, I'm working on putting a 1966 Dodge Coronet Deluxe with a 440 motor and NP 833 O.D. tranny together this summer, I also have a 1969 Dart GTS 383 4 speed car to drive in the meantime To many toys and not enough time to enjoy all of them

Is that 10.5:1 compression with the 352 head accurate?
What are the 352 head cc's?
I think the aluminum heads may have smaller chambers, increasing compression, and with the small cam might make running on pump gas a problem?
I like the new Trick Flow heads good price for the amount of performance, and good valve spring choices.

With that cam you dont need a head that max flows at .600 or .650 lift. Seems like the smaller port volume of an iron head would be more suited to your cam. It's a mainly street driven car right? The thing an aluminum head would give you is the option to go bigger and better with the rest of the combo in the future.
My 2 cents right now is a nice set of ported iron heads would work well for you. I would think with the flood of Aluminum heads on the market that a set of ported irons could be had very reasonable.

With your present combination, and if you really do have 10.5 compression, I would agree with cl440. Also, you could have your iron heads (346,452?) rebuilt, or, use the Edelbrock 88cc cylinder heads and maintain the present 10.5:1 compression.

Alum. is better in all areas imo and you can run pump swill w/less/no worries..............

Has good flow numbers for you 6 pack. Pairs up really good.

I think Andy is right on the money. If it's in your budert, the Trick Flows are the number one choice. Best value.

What size engine is this, what do you run now, and what do you want to run? 1 5/8 headers are small if this is a 440.

The heads are 452's. It's a .030" over stock-stroke 440. Pistons are TRW L2295's, but the domes have been milled, so maybe it's just 10:1 with .035" head gaskets (?). It runs on 93 octane. I run 1-5/8" headers because the engine is mild & I destroyed one set of Hooker 2" primaries & two sets of Heddman 2" primary headers bottoming out on potholes. I have 4" more ground clearance now.

Definitely only need good head flow numbers only to .500" lift since the cam isn't any bigger. Aluminum heads would be nice if I can afford them for the extra "forgiveness" to nitrous and pump gas... if I can afford them. However, it would be stupid of me to spend $2000 on heads that slow the car down or have no affect, right?

Will trick flows/edelbrock/rpm/etc heads do me any good at .500" lift vs. stock? Slow the car down? Are larger valves worth the money at .500" lift? I'm thinking my options are:
1. bone stock 452's
2. home ported 452's
3. home ported 452's + larger intake & exhaust valve
4. aftermarket head

Everyone would like to have some new aluminum heads, but whatever money I save on the heads goes towards a second stage of nitrous or some lighter rods/pistons or ? Honestly, I think $1500 ready-to-bolt-on is more my budget...and that's a stretch....just skip lunch for 6 months.

What are you running with this current combo?

The L2295's are only around 10.3:1 with their domes intact on an 88cc 452 head and .039" gasket.... assuming NO excessive Block Milling etc.? because they are built on a 2.029"C.D.,about .055" downhole @ TDC.
So given the above, and the fact that your domes are milled off, I would suggest more probably, you may currently be as low 9.3:1for compression instead of anywhere near 10:1 ?

As a general rule, many don't like Aluminum Heads at lower compression ratios, and it may be adviseable to run your Cam events against a cranking pressure test first, before entertaining an Aluminum head purchase to "see" what you are working with ?

ANY aluminum head ie: stealth /sidewinder, etc., is a flow improvement over any factory cast iron...
that said,
if you are indeed as I suspect down around 9.3:1 for C.R. ? and with the Piston .055" down the hole making quench up around .095"(.055"+ .039"gskt)... just say'in.... the benefits to the investment therein may be very limited in a head swap.

The L2295's are only around 10.3:1 with their domes intact on an 88cc 452 head and .039" gasket.... assuming NO excessive Block Milling etc.? because they are built on a 2.029"C.D.,about .055" downhole @ TDC.
So given the above, and the fact that your domes are milled off, I would suggest more probably, you may currently be as low 9.3:1for compression instead of anywhere near 10:1 ?

As a general rule, many don't like Aluminum Heads at lower compression ratios, and it may be adviseable to run your Cam events against a cranking pressure test first, before entertaining an Aluminum head purchase to "see" what you are working with ?

ANY aluminum head ie: stealth /sidewinder, etc., is a flow improvement over any factory cast iron...
that said,
if you are indeed as I suspect down around 9.3:1 for C.R. ? and with the Piston .055" down the hole making quench up around .095"(.055"+ .039"gskt)... just say'in.... the benefits to the investment therein may be very limited in a head swap.
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Good info Challenger340. My heads are milled .020" and the block is square-decked another .040" if I remember correctly. It knocks like crazy on 91-octane, but OK on 93-octane. I would love some aluminum heads, but I'm thinking they're not for me.

What would the larger intake/exhaust valves do for me? I've heard larger exhaust valves are a big plus for nitrous motors. Would my hardened valve seats need to be re-hardened or inserts put in if I put in larger valves?

IMO, if you have to pay for new valves and the associated labor to install them, then do some blending, so you actually see some benefit from the bigger valves, then I'd just spend a little more and get new aluminum heads.
A set of Stealths or Sidewinders with a little clean up would come in at around your $1500 budget.

The 452 is an open chamber head so you forgot to include the depth of the open part of the chamber in your calculation ... add at least .100 , probably more like .110.

Without any bowl work ... lighten your wallet and not much else.

Talk to Dwayne about heads , he'll send you in the right direction.

Just get the sSealths from 440 Source. $500.00 per head ready to go.I believe that right now shipping might be free.

The stealths do have free shipping. If you have $2000 buy the CNC stealths and be done. Those are the heads I am buying when I build my 512

Cutting to the chase here....
IMO, your best option is to just spring for some Stealths or Sidewinders.

By the time you rebuild a set of cast iron heads, by anybody any good, done PROPERLY.... you have spent what the Stealth or Sidewinder would cost anyways ?