Heads
 

I know I will get scolded for asking this but I’m looking at heads for a pair of 496 engines. Been looking at everything and I keep getting sucked into the cheaper eBay heads. The bravo 335. I know yrs ago they had lots of problems but today’s heads seem to be a lot better. Anyone using them that are the more current style? I’m looking at bare heads so I know what parts I put in them. Yeah I know save up buy Brodix or darts but I’m not looking to spend that much. I’m a recreational boater. I’m not out running wide open all over the lake so I’m not going to be hard on them. Thanks.

I bought a boat with the newer eBay heads, twin engines. Sold them. They are total junk, don’t waste your time IMO. For a hot rod car or drag boat sure, but not something u want to run hard all summer.

The rocker geometry was funky, valve seals didn’t want to stay on the guides, unknown valve material/brand, springs and retainers were generic chinesium, and even though I ran closed cooling the aluminum was corroding.

Sounds like one of those situations where you get what you pay for, or less.

By the time you have with springs,valves retainers and machine work in those heads it might only be a couple hundred more for a set of Dart,Brodix or AFR heads.

I see those oval port 300 int runner heads pop up out of Fresno CA shop all the time also. Claim to flow like 360 cfm at .600 out of the box. (Very doubtful) btw. Most you see that are complete typically are set mostly set up for light seat with low lift hyd flat tappet cams. You see them on some car forums but not on marine. The biggest thing is from what I read anyway the the consistency of the castings. Hit and miss. No thanks to an 9 to 12k build.

Not a bad question though as things change over time and many always looking to save. Salttexas pretty much summed it up.

To complete the budget heads info I have, I rounded up some virgin 049 large ovals in Decent shape, and after working with my machine shop (and after a mag, pressure test) we just couldn’t justify the $ to put seats And guides in Them with the price of the Engine quest heads, Bare, $450 each to your door.

i ended up with brand new EQ heads, ferrea Super alloy ex and 6000 intake valves, lapped/vac checked, spring/locks/rets/seals for like $2200 a side maybe $2300. The EQ castings are nice, and I’m picky. I think they are the best deal going for budget big block heads, especially marine.

At 2200 bucks I’d be looking at brodix heads. Had a guy I know send a whole pallet of those EQ heads back cause the seats were not lined up with guides at all. I’m sure there are bad heads in all the high dollar stuff to.

Yeah that’s why buying “complete” heads, especially for marine performance, that are “budget” is such a bad idea. You have to check everything.

those $ numbers might sound high but look at any reputable marine engine place, heads with top shelf valves are 3-4K a set assembled. You did say budget! Haha but I know what you mean, “what’s just a little bit more”

I’m only looking for ~425hp but max reliability, more power is just a bonus, so I took the savings I could without sacrificing anything except a little HP.

Yeah I’m not looking at complete heads. Looking at bare so I can the parts I want in them. I think I found some 088 GM heads that I might go with. I think they be better.

profilers are less than brodix and made in the USA