360 head casting question

[Johnschummer]

Looking to throw a set of 360 heads on my daily if sunny driven 69 318 barracuda. In current state the car has a set of 302s on it with a Hughes whiplash, edelbrock performer, tti headers. I currently have set of 596s that aquired from a guy that had them on lil red that he got the correct heads for that were “recently gone over”, and a set of 974s that I pulled off my running 65 barracuda with mid 70s 360 that I put professionally port and polished x heads on.
I would like to dabble my hand in doing some porting for a winter project and was wondering if one of these heads would be better suited for my time or are they basically the same thing. I know the 596s are smog heads, and it looks like somebody was grinding on the intake ports of the 974s at some point. I did CC the 596s when I picked them up and remember 65ccs which is obviously going to drop the compression considering the 302 59ccs but from what I check on those compression calculators I can make some of that up with .028 head gasket and keep me out of the lowly 7:1 range a keep me in the lowly 8:1 range. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[dogbreath]

Keep the 302's

 

[glockr]

If you milled those 65cc chamber heads .030 it would cut chamber volume by about 6cc, which would get you back to the chamber volume of your 302 heads. At least if my math isn't off.

 

[ch1ll]

Watch David vizard’s YouTube channel on porting before you grab a grinder. I was surprised what makes power and what does not. Most of the shivvy tricks work on mopar heads.

Keep the 302’s and port them. If your still not happy, port the 360 heads and see if they meet your expectations.

 

[GTX JOHN]

I prefer the 974 heads.

 

[ch1ll]

I prefer the 974 heads.

That’s why I suggested porting the 302 heads first.

 

[dirty white boy]

witch 360 heads in best shape? use that set! can shave .030 or more, get CR where you want it! 302s good for gas millage and low end truck/rv smaller CI engines, when seeking power use best head ya got...

 

[Garrett Ellison]

@MOPAROFFICIAL has some posts on porting 974 heads.

 

[MOPAROFFICIAL]

I port old iron, yes.
Cousin is stage 4..so we are all on the edge of our seat if the treatment works or not. Went from 80% dead.. to 40% chance. I've read and have some thoughts on much.. but everything stopped fttb.

 

[glockr]

I port old iron, yes.
Cousin is stage 4..so we are all on the edge of our seat if the treatment works or not. Went from 80% dead.. to 40% chance. I've read and have some thoughts on much.. but everything stopped fttb.

Damn... sorry to hear that.

 

[Rat Bastid]

I port old iron, yes.
Cousin is stage 4..so we are all on the edge of our seat if the treatment works or not. Went from 80% dead.. to 40% chance. I've read and have some thoughts on much.. but everything stopped fttb.

Keep on posted on your cousin and his health.

Thats far more important than anything else.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

Very sorry to hear that...

 

[TT5.9mag]

Sorry to hear @MOPAROFFICIAL.

I prefer the 974 heads.

This statement, by this man, should answer your question.

 

[Johnschummer]

974 it is

 

[RustyRatRod]

I would run the 596s. They appear to v 2.02 intake valves.

 

[SS Lancer]

John - u and Bob Mullen agree
974 castings is what he used for the Drag & Circle track offerings

I prefer the 974 heads.