Edelbrock 440 RPMs
- Thread starter 1930
- Start date
-
roccodart440
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2010
- Messages
- 6,800
- Reaction score
- 3,578
Leave them ALONE.
famous bob
mopar misfit
if u want to do a little that will help, make sure there are no sharp edges under the valves, around the seats.--------smooth is better!
I thought the heads were gonna be here yesterday but when I see them and get the chance Ill post some pictures with at least two valves removed just for the sake of saying I looked at least
I received those heads last night and Id like to make a couple of comments.
First Ive learned my lesson, I will NEVER deal with cast iron heads again ( in any performance application ) cause they have the cost of these so low that its really a minimal cost above having the iron heads gone thru.
Second I cant get over the weight of these, without weighing and comparing Id say that one cast iron heads still weighs more than both of the aluminum heads combined. It really is amazing.
Third- dont deal with Indy cylinder head, customer service is rude,crude and although I believe in supporting small business every chance I get even if that means spending a few dollars more the whole transaction with dealing with them left me with a yearning to say Dont EVER DEAL WITH INDY CYLINDER HEAD. Its just easier, friendlier, better service at Summit ( cause I think Jegs sucks also )
Lastly, these heads are definitely not ready to go out of the box, you can see where casting has already been cleaned up on the intake side, they did a shitty half assed job, there is still a VERY noticeable step-up that I have to take care of, I know nothing about gasket matching other than what Ive read and I dont remember most of that, maybe this step-up will be cleaned up when I go to gasket match.
Ill have to read some more.
Im not foolish enough anymore I guess to think that I can perform a port job of any kind successfully without a flow bench or some experience but I will remove the valves and see if there is anything that just screams at me as far as flashing inside the head and post pictures.
Ill do that when I get the chance and am ready to do something with them.
First Ive learned my lesson, I will NEVER deal with cast iron heads again ( in any performance application ) cause they have the cost of these so low that its really a minimal cost above having the iron heads gone thru.
Second I cant get over the weight of these, without weighing and comparing Id say that one cast iron heads still weighs more than both of the aluminum heads combined. It really is amazing.
Third- dont deal with Indy cylinder head, customer service is rude,crude and although I believe in supporting small business every chance I get even if that means spending a few dollars more the whole transaction with dealing with them left me with a yearning to say Dont EVER DEAL WITH INDY CYLINDER HEAD. Its just easier, friendlier, better service at Summit ( cause I think Jegs sucks also )
Lastly, these heads are definitely not ready to go out of the box, you can see where casting has already been cleaned up on the intake side, they did a shitty half assed job, there is still a VERY noticeable step-up that I have to take care of, I know nothing about gasket matching other than what Ive read and I dont remember most of that, maybe this step-up will be cleaned up when I go to gasket match.
Ill have to read some more.
Im not foolish enough anymore I guess to think that I can perform a port job of any kind successfully without a flow bench or some experience but I will remove the valves and see if there is anything that just screams at me as far as flashing inside the head and post pictures.
Ill do that when I get the chance and am ready to do something with them.
roccodart440
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2010
- Messages
- 6,800
- Reaction score
- 3,578
That lesson cost me roughly 400 dollars
This is incorrect and misleading because Edelbrock doesn't do any clean up work on there heads but just a basic machining at the port windows.
Nothing more, nothing less.
It has always been said here on the forum that any head should be looked at by a machinist before installing and run.
But! Many, including myself, have run the Edelbrock head OOTB without any problems.
What your untrained eye sees may or may not be accurate in its conclusion. I hope your wrong for only one reason and that would be because of the hope Edelbrock is doing the right thing as they so state. "Ready to run OOTB."
While you have them at the machinists shop for there check up, perhaps some additional work will be done?
Good luck with your build.
roccodart440
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2010
- Messages
- 6,800
- Reaction score
- 3,578
I've went both ways on this. I've run one set out of OOTB and the other was blueprinted so to speak. Can't say there was much performance of longevity differences.
I would most likely spent the money and have them checked out though. Nothing worse than ripping the top end off an engine after everything was put together.
I would most likely spent the money and have them checked out though. Nothing worse than ripping the top end off an engine after everything was put together.
Thank-you for the kind words, Im gonna take better pictures and so you can see what i mean, maybe Indy cylinder head gave me a set of used heads or heads that someone has already done work too and if that was the case than Im not gonna be shocked.
I dont plan to take them to a machinest unless someone tells me the reason why I need to take brand new heads to have them checked out?
Not trying to stir anything up and I appreciate your post but I called Edelbrock and guy was verk friendly and knowledgeable, he said they absolutely do go in there with a hand die grinder at the end and do clean up work on the last inch or so of the runners so that is prob. what Im seeing.
Im sending him pictures and he can confirm whether or not I got a used set of heads.
I've run Edelbrock heads right out of the box before without any problems but it is usually a good idea to take them apart and double check the guide clearance and then put them back together. If you have the correct tools it doesn't take too long to do that but the average guy in his garage will not have the tools to do the job. In that case you need to decide to put them on OOTB or take them to a shop.
Now something like Indy heads should never be run OOTB. Indy heads absolutely need to be taken apart by a good cylinder head guy and gone thru before running them. Edelbrock heads are usually pretty good, AFR heads are often better than Edelbrock and can be run OOTB, Trick Flow heads are usually ready to go OOTB, etc. If you are building engines on a daily basis you can tell which heads can be run and which ones can't be. But the engine builders I work with tend to pull everything apart before they go on the engine. Better safe than sorry and all of that. Engine builders hate to spend time on warranty work since it costs them double.
As for porting I don't think I'd bother. Especially if you don't really know what you are doing. You'll most likely cause more problems than you'll fix. The RPM heads will make good power OOTB. If you want more power then send the heads to someone like Porter Racing Heads. Or better yet, buy the heads from someone like Porter Racing Heads and have him do a stage I porting before the heads get sent to you. That way the heads are checked over, guide clearance is all double checked, valves are lapped in, the lip beneath the seat is smoothed out, etc.
Now something like Indy heads should never be run OOTB. Indy heads absolutely need to be taken apart by a good cylinder head guy and gone thru before running them. Edelbrock heads are usually pretty good, AFR heads are often better than Edelbrock and can be run OOTB, Trick Flow heads are usually ready to go OOTB, etc. If you are building engines on a daily basis you can tell which heads can be run and which ones can't be. But the engine builders I work with tend to pull everything apart before they go on the engine. Better safe than sorry and all of that. Engine builders hate to spend time on warranty work since it costs them double.
As for porting I don't think I'd bother. Especially if you don't really know what you are doing. You'll most likely cause more problems than you'll fix. The RPM heads will make good power OOTB. If you want more power then send the heads to someone like Porter Racing Heads. Or better yet, buy the heads from someone like Porter Racing Heads and have him do a stage I porting before the heads get sent to you. That way the heads are checked over, guide clearance is all double checked, valves are lapped in, the lip beneath the seat is smoothed out, etc.
Thanks for the ideas/tips/advice, I do have the tool and I will disassemble and check them out, I sent pictures to Edelbrock guy and am waiting to hear back.
Thanks for not taking it the wrong way, I dont want to step on anyones toes that takes the time to read, comment positively and help me to understand a subject.
I called him back because I was anxious, again couldnt be any nicer or more professional ( I like to comment on the good AKA Summit and Edelbrock for instance ) ( as well as the bad AKA 440 source and Indy/aerohead )
He said that they did not look to have been touched by someone outside Edelbrock but still something didnt may not have looked quite kosher to him either so he has forwarded my pictures to his boss for review.
He did mention to me that if the conclusion was that there was an issue that they would have zero issue with sending me a second set of heads.
I pointed out to him the pronounced ridge at the edge of the intake runner that would definitely have to be addressed, sent him a picture with a small tool sitting on the ridge and he acknowledged seeing what I ws talking about.
He did comment that I may be just a little bit too picky ( not in those words ) and my rebuttal was that you may be right. I am a picky person and try to do the best I can do with everything I do and I foolishly expect everyone around me to do the same.
His e-mail address is [email protected] and he mentioned to me that he would be happy to talk with anyone about the hand grinder clean-up process that they perform to all these cylinder heads.
Awesome! I like what I'm hearing.
I certainly didn't take it the wrong way! There is a certain amount or give and take with written words on a forum. Even more so by people you have just met. With some guys, you can't miss the dripping venom, sarcasm or joke. Sarcasm is the hardest to decode! LMAO!
I hope all turns out well with the heads. We all work hard for our money and hate to throw it away on half assed material. I for one never had a money tree in my backyard.
I certainly didn't take it the wrong way! There is a certain amount or give and take with written words on a forum. Even more so by people you have just met. With some guys, you can't miss the dripping venom, sarcasm or joke. Sarcasm is the hardest to decode! LMAO!
I hope all turns out well with the heads. We all work hard for our money and hate to throw it away on half assed material. I for one never had a money tree in my backyard.
mopar65
Well-Known Member
I bought the first set of those heads from Mancini when Edelbrock First came out with them. Mine had that intake ridge i think you are talking about.me and my friend just used a dremal tool and removed that ridge.cleand up the heads and put them on my 440. so more or less those heads out of the box, my 3500 pound 65 Plymouth ran a bunch of 10.56 in the 1/4
If they think they need to be returned Ill most likely decline, its minimal, Im not sure how gasket matching works, if its the head side material thats removed or intake side, maybe both. Im assuming if the head is the least bit touched its gonna go away in nearly an instant. I only brought it up cause its there and I didnt expect it from an otherwise really nice looking head and so Im wondering what else I maybe wouldnt expect too see.
It's a fine head and I believe you will find that the work done to the intake port by Edelbrock will already match the gasket.
I would recommend you do not attempt to gasket match the exhaust port, leave it alone.
Nothing need be done to the combustion chamber. Flush the thought of gasket matching that down the toilet.
The RPM head, can they be made better? Yes. We can get 340+ cfm from them and have made 787 HP with a 451 stroker and 91 octane pump gas using them. That was from a lot of time on the flowbench.
I would recommend you do not attempt to gasket match the exhaust port, leave it alone.
Nothing need be done to the combustion chamber. Flush the thought of gasket matching that down the toilet.
The RPM head, can they be made better? Yes. We can get 340+ cfm from them and have made 787 HP with a 451 stroker and 91 octane pump gas using them. That was from a lot of time on the flowbench.
Misleading.
I'm the one who checked disagree and will remove it, if you have ever worked on RPM heads and tested them with a flowbench.
(deleted)X XXXXXX? XX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXX? *** XXXX XX XX XXXX XXXXXXXXXXX!(deleted) Just me exposing my nasty side. Sorry.
Last edited:
mopar65
Well-Known Member
I think it's just the way that have there machines set up. Porbaly wouldn't take much to fine tune there CNC machine to take that little ridge out, but the bean counters probably said no. Lol sorry hope I wasn't trying to sound like a dick or anything. Was just trying to say that ridge had been like that for over 6 years now. I didn't even take the valves out of mine when I took that ridge out.i just cleaned the heads up etc and bolted them to my engine. I ran them like that for years and never had a problem. But if you are worried about what Elese might be wrong with them. Maybe send them back and check out the new CNC ported Trick Flow heads.
mopar65
Well-Known Member
Also let me explain that I didn't gasket match the port. All I did was remove that little ridge that was left from Edelbrock machine work. The rest of the port I left alone. I don't know if it made a difference or not. The one to answer that would be IQ52 or one of the other head porters.
-
