You can get 425 HP on peanut head quite easy. A few years ago, we took a 330HP 454 with peanut port heads. We pocket ported and installed larger valves. The cast crank is good for about 500 HP, but always align bore the mains. Always change to a better rod bolt, thats where the problem is. We installed a mild cam, roller rockers, stepped up the Q-jet and it dynoed at 422 HP/ 502 ft lbs. The nice thing with the peanuts is great idle and throttle response. They do have there limitations however.

Just for the record when I said you couldn't make any power from these heads I was refering to stock, unported ones.

Roby

I also remember the article about the "peanut port" heads by Lingenfelter years ago. I agree with the others that 500hp is possible, but that with larger valves and extensive porting. I believe JimV is quite capable of porting them for that kind of power if you really want to go that route.

For the sake of learning how it's done, I fancy having a go at porting the heads on my engine this winter. Would it be possible for anyone to scan in the lingenfelter article and e-mail me it? I would be eternally grateful.

The large oval port heads are everywhere and are very cheap. Starting with them would put you much farther ahead. You have to match the generations though, no mark 4 heads on gen 5 blocks for instance.

Yeh, I know, but they are not everywhere in the UK, in fact they are rarer than rocking horse sh!t over here.

Sorry, I didn't notce your location. Shipping iron across the ocean would cost a fortune.

MadMat,
The article was in the January 1993 issue of Hot Rod Magazine and it was called "Maximum Rat". I don't know if I still have it laying around. Wonder if you could do a search for past issues and find it on the web?

I Made a DVD on how to port ford 5.0 heads. If there's enough interest I could do one for the peanut port heads.

I would definately be interested.