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Smitty 12-14-2004 07:59 AM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 
KAAMA--

That is great info about detonation. I have to agree with your thoughts on the aluminum heads and detonation. I wanted to change to aluminum heads so that I could gain more power by buying Brodix heads that were already CNC ported with good valves ready to bolt on. Since I am going to be running superchargers at fairly high boost, I think I must definitely do better research about going with aluminum heads.The fact that detonation could happen pretty easily is a factor. I guess I could send out the cast iron ones and have them extrude honed to open them up. Oh well--back to the drawing board.

cstraub69@comcast 12-14-2004 09:36 AM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 
With boost you want aluminum. The head can be repaired 99% of the time. If you torch and iron head all you have is a very expensive boat anchor. Alum is much more forgiving then iron.

Chris

Smitty 12-14-2004 12:16 PM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 
Chris,
Can you sell me on it being an advantage to have aluminum over cast for what I am doing??

Thanks,
Dave

cstraub69@comcast 12-14-2004 12:52 PM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 
Dave,
Sales Job. You go with iron. Have them ported for around $1K. So you have $3K in each set. You buy gas at the dock. Just so happens octane is not what is posted and your torch the iron head. You now have to get 1 head get it ported to match other head. . .this would take around 3 to 4 weeks. Now do want to explain to the wife/girlfriend why she just missed 3 or 4 weekends of boating. Someone once posted on one of these sites. . .women don't care how fast a boat goes, they just care it goes.

Aluminum head. Remove head, take to weld shop, repair. Put head back on. About a week. No explaining to wife or girlfriend. PRICELESS!!!!

I would call RMbuilder and get him to price you a "package deal".

Chris

articfriends 12-14-2004 03:29 PM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Originally Posted by cstraub69@comcast
Dave,
Sales Job. You go with iron. Have them ported for around $1K. So you have $3K in each set. You buy gas at the dock. Just so happens octane is not what is posted and your torch the iron head. You now have to get 1 head get it ported to match other head. . .this would take around 3 to 4 weeks. Now do want to explain to the wife/girlfriend why she just missed 3 or 4 weekends of boating. Someone once posted on one of these sites. . .women don't care how fast a boat goes, they just care it goes.

Aluminum head. Remove head, take to weld shop, repair. Put head back on. About a week. No explaining to wife or girlfriend. PRICELESS!!!!

I would call RMbuilder and get him to price you a "package deal".

Chris

I think you must know my wife!! :D :D She went away last june for 1wk on a Alaska cruise,i took my buddies out on a "4hour cruise"and sheared off lower vert shaft in my upgraded outdrive.Our vacation was scheduled one week after she returned,i spent 10k on ANOTHER upgraded outdrive including 2nd day air AND ordered parts to repair my old one to repair and have for a spare (know matter what i have done in past to repair drives it ALWAYS turns into 3wks of pi--ing around). My buddies said she'd go ballistic that i spent 10k more on the boat but i knew she'd be ALOT madder mising boating on our vacation and the 4th of july holiday wknd!!!!Smitty

articfriends 12-14-2004 03:37 PM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Originally Posted by KAAMA
One of the pro & cons of aluminum vs cast iron is that with the aluminum heads you can get away with running a higher comp ratio, and still not get into detonation, whereas the cast iron heads you cannot. Here's the flip side---I am not a metals guy, but once you are into detonation with aluminum heads they tend to melt much faster vs cast iron heads. I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, but most likely, if you detonate a cast iron head it won't hurt the casting like it will with aluminum heads---cuz once they start to go, they go quickly. I hope I said all this correctly. Perhaps someone else can chime in here as well.

I'm not a mettalurgist either BUT every motor ive seen detonated usually damages the piston or rings WAY before it melts the head due to the fact the head has water circulated thru it. I prefer aluminum heads if your going for big air flow because they can be cnc ported(ive never seen cast heads ported that way). Ive made the mistake of puting more money into hand ported cast iron heads that flowed less and ended up costing more than high quality cnc'd aluminum heads in the past,it usually starts out one of those deals where you own the heads already and figure why not put a little more into them :rolleyes: and by the time they are completely finished i could have sold them and moved on to bigger and better!,Smitty

ratman 12-14-2004 08:40 PM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 
JCPERF, I was down @ cobra power a few weeks ago and randy told me he ran a set of the new dart 18* cnc heads and a set of his brodixs heads he ports in house, back to back on the dyno and made 30 + more hp with the brodix heads. ratman

44MTI 12-14-2004 09:13 PM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 
I was considering the profilers but heard the conventional model requires alot of work to flow like yours do. And I didn't want to go to the big chief model.$$$$$$

KNOT-RIGHT 12-15-2004 09:23 AM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Originally Posted by Too Old
No one mentioned Profiler heads, so I will. :D

Fred on one of your previous posts I noted you were using Profilers thats why I had asked what cam you were running.

Still would like to know the Cam your using Fred?


Profilers are the CATS AZZ!! The 12 degree compares to only Big Chiefs. (There even better) If your running big Cubes, Top notch Rotating Assembly's. They will make incredible power well into 8500 rpm,s. Period.



Here is a comparable profiler to the heads mentioned in this poll.
Take this head and massage it a little. bolt them on and HOLD ON!!!!
http://www.profilerperformance.com/bbc-heads-174.html

The heads mentioned in this pole are all pretty good for the intended application.
The ones that make the real power are Chiefs or Profilers.

H'm, I wonder what heads do guys like Mike at Sterling or Rod at RaceCrafters use? :D

Just my 02.
GERRY

Bilgerat 12-15-2004 09:44 AM

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 
I am making some big power on nothing more than edelbrock's, 12lbs. procharged innercooled boost, and hauling ass.. but as you all say just my $.02


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