Best Aluminum heads
 

I am in the market for some Aluminum heads for my 502's I am building up. Who do you think has the best heads. Right now I am leaning towards Brodix heads. I am staying with stock compression, a mild cam and Whipples at 8 PSI of intercooled boost. Looking to hit 750 HP per motor.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

There is no best head, just good combinations. You could spend $15K on heads and if the the combo is not a matched system all you will end up with is a lot of money spent on something that doesn't run.

Chris

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

About any will make 750hp with that setup.Would you be interested in a used set of Brodix 2.I am going to buy some new CNC ones. These made 730 hp on n/a 598's with hyd cams and pump gas.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

from a noob - besides weight, what's the benefit of aluminum -vs- iron?

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Heat dissipation. smoother air through the transfer ports. Will overheat faster and expand faster than cast and leave you with cool looking boat anchors.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

If you're buying new ones, go with the Profilers. They're really not any more $$$ than anyother of the CNC'd ones. With a little bit of massaging by the right person, they WILL out flow all the others. If you're lookin to save some $$$, just go with good used ones.
Remember.....You get what you pay for, and sometimes that great deal will cost you more in the longrun. Just my $.02

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Probably I would go with AFR heads. They will produce bigger numbers with the right combination to go with them.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

I have no complaints with Edelbrock marine heads. They make good power in my set-up.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

The new Dart 18 degree chevy head hands down the best head in that category.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

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.

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.

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

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

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

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

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

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

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

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

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.$$$$$$

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

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

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

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

well said


Rick OSG

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

My engine builder just built a set of 557's with the new 18* dart and he was very impressed. They made the same hp as freedom 1's 572's with big chisf's, also built by the builder. Since I'm in the market for new heads, what is the advantage of these over big chiefs.I think my engine guy said I could use my old pistons but rockers were different, hard to find intake to match and exhaust flang is rotated.Help I'm so confused.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

42MTI,
What kind of power did those 557" motors make anyway. I would like to know about the build up on those. Crank, Rods, Cam, Block, etc. Sounds very interesting. When I talked to Dart about the 18* heads they implied I would need more cubic inches to do them justice.
I also talked to them about the Big Chiefs and they said that you would need to go over .800" lift to make them work and that is not a reliable setup in a boat..
If someone wanted to buy my heads and Hogan sheet metal intake, I would have a set of the 18*'s ordered in a heart beat..

Thanks
Dick

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

42 MTI, what size motor are you talking about, blown or N/A.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

These weren't my motors so I don't have all the details, but here is what I do know
Freedom 1=572 cu
solid roller
14-71 BDS intercooled
Big chief heads
62-6400 rpm=1228hp and over 1000tq. from 3500-6000+rpm

Next motor 557 cu
solid roller
blown and intercooled
Dart conventional style heads with 18* valves
just over 1200 hp.

sorry I don't know more about them, I will find out as I go through my rebuild.Oh they both ran c-12 for fuel. Just for comparison here are my motors
598 cu
callies crank
crower rods
brodic 2x heads no port work no even port matched
solid roller 663/638 lift, 298/308 duration
14-71 Blowershop,lee intercooler
1050 (2) dominators
8.5 compression 9# boost
91 oct.=1030 hp,1000 tq.

Next, quad rotors, new cam, new heads,brand??????? still researching probably brodix 2 extra CNC, Hopefully 1200 on pump fuel?????

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

With the new Dart 18* heads I have heard that other bolt-on components such as headers, intake manifolds, etc, need to be changed/modified/altered in order to make the Dart 18* heads work. Does anyone know if there is any truth to this?

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

I like the 598, I put one together with BB 2 extra cnc port, 9.0 compression, .748
solid roller, procharger 15lbs of boost 94 pump gas with booster, it dynoed at 1372hp @ 6200, 1198lbs torque @ 5900, it was over 1100 from 4400 thru 6500.
I tried a set of Big Dukes lost some bottom end but picked up 6 miles an hour.
To run the Big Dukes I had to change, pistons, rods, pushrods, T&D rockers,valve
covers, the exhaust port is raised an additional 5/8 inch, header port is bigger, intake manifold. You might want to look at BB 2 extra cnc or AFR 357 magnum.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

The Dart 18 is a symmetrical head, it uses the Big Chief, Big Duke style parts, cost
me around ten grand to make the change.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

You might want to check out, WWW.M2RACE.com

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Yea I'm thinking the 2extra cnc is probably me.Don't need to spend the extra dough for big chief and all new part to go with them

I just talked to dart today and they said with the 18* conventional heads you would need new pistons,shaft rocker assembly,and intake, at least.also the exhaust flange side of the head is angled to bring the header closer to the blower, so you would need a special adapter plate. This is also what my engine said they had to do with their motors.
Sounds like all the expense associated with big chief heads to me, $13000 was my bid just to change to big chief.Think I will stay with CNC convention 26* heads.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Air Flow Research is claiming big numbers, I haven't had them on the flow bench yet.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

GPM what were you running all that power in?

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

26 Dcb

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Take a Peek.

If you want to make in excess of 1500 ponies.
Then get some head below! :drink:

"Click on big Chief pro 18 degrees"
http://www.dartheads.com/cbbhbig.htm

Thats what I'm talking about!!!

If that doesn't hit the G-spot try these.
http://www.profilerperformance.com/bbc-heads-184.html

Take the time and read the specs. (Better yet give them to your builders)
Whats the best Head you Got? :D
Gerry

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

The Dart and Profiler are both good heads, I chose the Brodix because of the smaller intake runner. I would rather give up some of the flow at .900 lift that I will never use, for some bottom and midrange performance.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

I have 2-sets (4-heads) of USED 357 AFR cnc ported heads with Ferrea 2.30" intake and 1.88" exhaust valves available with brand new Comp Cams 930 valve springs, brand new titanium 10* retainers and machine hardened locks, new comp valve job, seals, etc----rocker arm studs and pushrod guide plates included if anyone is interested. All assembly clean and ready for installation for $3000 per set. Heads were flow tested and rebuilt by JimV.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Bigwavz
I have owned two sets of brodix bb-2 and run them on blown 540's. They stood up well for me in high boost applications(9 to 12 lbs) and made good power. This season I stepped up to to two new pair of bb2xtra and made excellent power in a naturally aspirated 551ci.
I had them ported by hand in my area and tested them against a full cnc Brodix factory port as the shop I deal with sells many brodix products. the hand ported set flowed around 420cfm on the best intake and about 291 on the best exhaust. This beat the cnc by about fifteen cfm consistently across the ports.
We made 774 hp on one engine and 762 on the other at approx 6600rpm. This were 9:1 compression with 757 lift comp rollers on 114 sep. The octane was 92. I think the heads are absolutely the best for the buck out there. Thats my opinion.
hope this helps you make a decision.
I plan to add single whipple 3.3 this winter. The boat is a brand new 30 daytona cat with arneson conversion style drives.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Does anyone know anything about the Dart 370 oval port. I have been leaning toward the Brodix cnc but now I am hearing really good thing about this one.

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

I posted some stats on power further ahead on here if you are interested. I forgot to post my duration at .050 for the cams. It was 278 intake and 286 exhaust. The hp was over 770 on 9:1 with 551 ci
If you are curious about anything else let me know.

Ted

Re: Best Aluminum heads
 

Sorry, that last post was intended for Mr gadgets. I am not a regular poster and have to get the hang of things here.
Ted