i would not use those gaskets unless the proper machine work was done in order to use them..

here is the trend on donzi.net..you may save yourself some money..

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthre...=flying+tomato

be careful with their aluminum heads. had a guy around my way crack two sets of them on a 11.5 to 1 bbc in his car. didn't over heat them or so he says, supposedly the aluminum they use is junk. if i remember one cracked in between the exhaust and intake seat and dropped a seat at the top end of the track. he went to a set of patriots and has not had a problem since. my cousin just bought a 496 off ebay with them on it so we are waiting to see how they hold up on a street motor. hope they work well for you

I don't have the reciever type ring gaskets. These are the ones for aluminum with minimal brinelling. Other than reciever grooves and rings this is as good as I know in this style. Cometics could be a better gasket than this Felpro but not reciever rings; although some say they are as good, I don't buy it.


The CR in my engine is only 9.6 tops. I'm not running in salt.

I see from the Donzi postings that there are issues with "juice" that I will not use. I would not be inclined to use these Pro Comps with NoS.

Setting up the valve train is always a challenge for those who are not very familiar with BBC. The majority of my performance work has been BBC so mods with the valve train geometry are nearly always a must especially when using performance and aftermarket parts; I am quite used to that.

I appreciate everyones thoughts and sorry to highjack this thread.

again, preparation is key my friend... everyone is sooo quick to blame the product, when in fact the cause is something totally different... my experience with "certain" PRO COMP products has been good, some of their other products have had issues, I don't use their electronics, or their shaft rockers, but the cranks, rods, heads have been fine in the past... its always wise to have the products checked prior to use... the cranks are on the big end of spec, so they need to be finished prior to install, as I said before the guides have been known to be tight so they need to be addressed, the 11/32" SS intakes are (OK) by ok I mean marginal, as the tips are softer than those of a manley... however they should be ok for what you're doing, as for spring pressures I'm sure when you're quoting 350psi you're talking open? not seat pressure, they should be 150psi on the seat... verify that spec with the cam mfg...

remember... always, always use Manley Inconel exhaust valves in ANY marine application... some guys use "HD stainless exhaust valves, this is one of those rookie mistakes I continually see, and then the product is blamed for failure when it's really the cheap fu*ker that put them in to begin with... when you do your build, pay close attention to the valvetrain geometry to ensure proper valve loading throughout the entire valve cycle... this will be key to success in any build...

ok so Mrfixall... after reading into the link you posted, I back up what I was stating... prep is key... I will not ever buy a complete head from any mfg and plop it on an engine without completely going thru them, I've had to correct plenty of Dart heads as not any mfg is perfect... as for the valve issue? again, rookie mistake, as a nitrous engine is no different than a blower engine... "Inconel" exhaust valves!!! should be used... people are so unwilling to drop the bucks for them, but then cry when their engine self destructs!!! the rep who sold those heads didn't have enough experience to suggest that an Inconel exhaust valve be used, nor did he suggest that it be a wise idea that the heads be gone thru... I'm not trying to defend the underdog here, just trying to establish some ground level common sense before the blame is shifted (wrongly) on the product....

There are two sets of ProComp heads at the shop that are going back on a blown application. They are getting extensive porting, valves, springs and hardware. Will try to post final results if customer decides to go to dyno, will try to post before and after boat #'s when they are ran.
BTW the ProComp heads have been on the blower motors for a couple years already.

Agreed; set up is key, as an understatement!!!
I saw in the posted links things that I believe fell on set up. Other feedbacks I have read mostly smacked of set up issues while the user blamed the "cheap China junk" for the failure.
Agreed also with set up and prep needed on brand name parts. Many of the performance jobs we did were already done by someone else but did not deliver what someone else had with the same parts. The set up and or prep was the primary problem and in some cases we could simply finish the mods or prep that should have already been done and sometimes we started over because parts were hurt, damaged or completely wasted from improper assembly.

What you qualified is largely what I was looking for; something to work with, do it right and tips on the good and bad parts from the mfgr.

I don't have my cam spec sheet in front of me but I purchased the exact recommended Crane springs for this Crane cam.

A drag builder saw these heads and thought there was something there to work with too. So far so good.

cometics... felpro marine gaskets are a thing of the past!!! aquaforce, if you want to chat about things on a more one to one, you're free to call me, 905-722-6684 Alan

if you are planning on using cometic gaskets, have your builder prep the decks to 50 RA (roughing average) this is the standard for cometic gaskets... also install them dry, as they have a viton sealer applied to the surface of the gasket (self sealing) and any additional sealer will interfere with the gaskets ability to seal... if your blocks were previously o-rung, you cannot use cometic gaskets... make sure of this before installation... use engine manufacturer specs for torque...
nice chatting, hope I was able to help...
Alan Kranczoch, AKRacing...