Thinking outside the box

Burntorange,
Thanks for the information.

Here's what I know (which isn't much) about the Corvette-based head deal...

Car Craft had an article about Chevy truck motors that were based on that new LS whatever design. After they dynoed it, they put a set of brand-new, out-of-the-box, Escalade aluminum heds on it and picked up considerable horsepower. Those aluminum Escalade heads are, according to that Car Craft article, just $800.00 a SET, complete with valves and springs, ready to bolt on, and they flow OVER 300cfm. They out-flow a lot of CNC-ported LS-1 heads. I don't think they are of the tall-port, "Cathedral-port" configuration, but that doesn't matter... they work.

These new heads that EQ casts are CHEAP, mainly because they're cast iron, I think. I just figured if they could raise the roof of the port about 3/4" and put longer valves in them,possibly, they wouldn't necessarily have to cost any more (or, MUCH more) than the heads they're selling now, and would flow a lot better, due to the increased port volume (taller.) A modified intake manifold would be needed to match the taller ports (and it would have to be a little wider), and longer head bolts, but all the same Magnum rocker arms, ball/stud pivots, etc. could be used, since they wouldn't need the kind of sideways offset that T-A and W-2 heads have... Also, longer pushrods would be needed, since the rocker arms would be farther from the cam.

So, I was hoping for a setup where the heads (cast iron) might not be expensive due to the material, and the only other changes that would cost much would be a new intake manifold with taller ports, the longer valves (maybe not necessary, I don't know) and 16 longer pushrods and head bolts. Of course, there would be some engineering costs to amortize, but since so little is changed (except for the height) that it might not be prohibitive.

Whether that would be cost effective, I don't know, but you'd have to compare it with a stage III CNC ported Edelbrock head, since this raised port cast iron head WOULD have to flow over 300cfm., or it wouldn't be worth the trouble.
Eddy heads that flow that much are fairly expensive, I think.

Just food for thought; nobody will ever do that, probably, but I think it's a nice possibility. Mega-flow for cheap...

It galls me that GM is selling those 300cfm Escalade heads that cheap, and I have to pay an arm and a leg for heads that flow that well for my 360 to compete.

However... I'd rather push a Mopar than drive a Chevy.... Believe it!8)

Bill, in Conway, Arkansas