Best heads for Magnum 360

[DARTLARRY]

I'm looking at making a head change, but am not able to find much in the way of magnum style performance heads. Is cast iron or aluminum better? The engine is stock with the exception of an aluminum intake, and 340 manifolds.

 

[Just Send It]

Is this a street car? What cam, intake, carb, rear gear, and tire height do you have?

And most importantly, what's your budget?

 

[DARTLARRY]

street cruiser, stock magnum cam, AVS carb, 3:55 gears, 26" tire. My budget is right around $1000. Maybe cheaper to have mine redone locally, I don't know.

 

[Mean416]

You better get some quotes before you do anything. You're going to be hard pressed to do a real head upgrade for $1000.

Your stock magnum heads are probably cracked. It's debatable on whether or not the cracks in these heads are a real problem.

However those heads are going to be tough to beat for a street cruiser. The type of gains you're going to want to feel, seat of pants, are realistically going to be low rpm to midrange torque. Going to be hard pressed to beat the stock magnum heads in that space, for the money you're budgeting.

 

[rumblefish360]

street cruiser, stock magnum cam, AVS carb, 3:55 gears, 26" tire. My budget is right around $1000. Maybe cheaper to have mine redone locally, I don't know.

This is exactly what I did with my ‘00 - 5.9.
600 Edelbrock carb - moving to a 750
RPM intake
Hooker headers @ 1-3/4 (B body car, E/B body header.)
2-1/2 dual exhaust
Chrome box ignition into a regular distributor

All backed by a 2500 stall, 727, 9-1/4 rear w/ 3.55’s riding on a 245/60/15 (27 inch?)


The only thing missing is a camshaft upgrade which is coming. I purchased a Howard’s HFT @220 @.050 with .506 lift which is .539.7 lift with the 1.6 rockers ground on a 108. The rockers will slightly narrow the cams 108. (Better to suite to the stock short block.) A Hughes engines trick spring/retainer package will be used with this cam. In the future, I *MAY* get a set of Edelbrock RPM heads.


As said above, the OEM cylinder head is just fine rod street duties and performance. I would NOT worry about the cracked head. Everyone makes a big deal out of a crack that doesn’t hamper anything.

After the stock head for general purposes, the aftermarket has an iron replacement. IDK how they are. Then there is the Edelbrock aluminum head. *I Think* someone else has something out there. If you can find an actual MP Magnum R/T head, as cast they’re fine but ported they can start flowing some really good air.
I’d love to find a virgin set.
(And have money to spend on them! LMAO!)

Sit back and do some on line shopping to see prices and don’t forget those little things like gaskets and glue and bolts and ….

 

[Professor Fate]

street cruiser, stock magnum cam, AVS carb, 3:55 gears, 26" tire. My budget is right around $1000. Maybe cheaper to have mine redone locally, I don't know.

Okay, considering the rest of your setup, different heads are a waste of money unless there is physically something wrong with your current heads- you're honestly not even taking full advantage of what you already have. Pull your current heads and inspect them- if in good shape have them freshened and clean up the ports. Not all Magnum heads crack- mostly ones that have had an overheating issue in their past. The current iteration of the EQ replacement head offers no real performance increase over the stockers- they're not what the old Kiwi EQs were.

 

[4mulas]

Edelbrock heads sure breath a lot better. Magnum r/t heads with 2.02 and 1.65 are also,pretty good if you can get your hands on those

 

[rumblefish360]

What he said, Damn skippy! ^^^^^^^^^

I'm looking at making a head change, but am not able to find much in the way of magnum style performance heads. Is cast iron or aluminum better? The engine is stock with the exception of an aluminum intake, and 340 manifolds.

Your sig below states:

stock 5.9 magnum, crosswind air gap intake manifold, 727 torqueflite, 340 hi-po manifolds, 625 carter AFB, 8 3/4 3:55 gears

Add a cam. This is what I purchased. The expected date is a mistake. I ordered it a few days ago and I was notified of it being shipped yesterday.
$165
Howards Cams 711451-08 Howards Cams Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshafts | Summit Racing
Hyd lifters from Howard’s
$129
DODGE Howards Cams 91711 Howards Cams Performance Hydraulic Lifters | Summit Racing
Cam as you wish…. Keep the duration @.050 at 218 or less for a stock converter and you’ll be good to go no issues.

If your cam is larger than a 212@050, IMO, you’ll find a nice power increase with headers.
Doug’s or TTI’s are best. The typical street header is OK and if you use the cheaper header, I seriously suggest using the “Summit Brand” header with their 3/8 flange. They, for me, have fit the best. Also, there exhaust kit which requires minimal trimming.
$260
Summit Racing SUM-G9040 Summit Racing™ Headers | Summit Racing
$421
1972 PLYMOUTH DUSTER Summit Racing SUM-680144 Summit Racing™ Header-Back Dual Exhaust Systems | Summit Racing

You know have $25 left over for intake and exhaust gaskets.
You still need pushrods. The Hyd. Cam and lifters are cheaper than a roller cam outright and the pushrods are a variable price but should not be overly expensive, just make sure there oil through.

Comp roller cams are $489 & roller cams from Howard’s are $357 to $419 just for the cam alone. Though you’ll probably need nothing else since the Hyd roller and pushrod will be re used.
A little more expensive than $249 for the Hyd cam and lifter package. A $170 cheaper choice. A performance differences that the seat of the pants won’t notice if at all much. Your choice on where and how to go. But at $1,000 bucks to spend, I got pretty close!

The Summit Racing mufflers are good for an easy 440hp in which you will not be close to.

Do remember if you go with the cam I linked above or bigger, you’re in for a converter. KA-Ching! For surely spend the money on a good one or settle into a lesser effective converter off the shelf. But your going to need that stall.

 

[4mulas]

What he said, Damn skippy! ^^^^^^^^^

Your sig below states:


Add a cam. This is what I purchased. The expected date is a mistake. I ordered it a few days ago and I was notified of it being shipped yesterday.
$165
Howards Cams 711451-08 Howards Cams Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshafts | Summit Racing
Hyd lifters from Howard’s
$129
DODGE Howards Cams 91711 Howards Cams Performance Hydraulic Lifters | Summit Racing
Cam as you wish…. Keep the duration @.050 at 218 or less for a stock converter and you’ll be good to go no issues.

If your cam is larger than a 212@050, IMO, you’ll find a nice power increase with headers.
Doug’s or TTI’s are best. The typical street header is OK and if you use the cheaper header, I seriously suggest using the “Summit Brand” header with their 3/8 flange. They, for me, have fit the best. Also, there exhaust kit which requires minimal trimming.
$260
Summit Racing SUM-G9040 Summit Racing™ Headers | Summit Racing
$421
1972 PLYMOUTH DUSTER Summit Racing SUM-680144 Summit Racing™ Header-Back Dual Exhaust Systems | Summit Racing

You know have $25 left over for intake and exhaust gaskets.
You still need pushrods. The Hyd. Cam and lifters are cheaper than a roller cam outright and the pushrods are a variable price but should not be overly expensive, just make sure there oil through.

Comp roller cams are $489 & roller cams from Howard’s are $357 to $419 just for the cam alone. Though you’ll probably need nothing else since the Hyd roller and pushrod will be re used.
A little more expensive than $249 for the Hyd cam and lifter package. A $170 cheaper choice. A performance differences that the seat of the pants won’t notice if at all much. Your choice on where and how to go. But at $1,000 bucks to spend, I got pretty close!

The Summit Racing mufflers are good for an easy 440hp in which you will not be close to.

Do remember if you go with the cam I linked above or bigger, you’re in for a converter. KA-Ching! For surely spend the money on a good one or settle into a lesser effective converter off the shelf. But your going to need that stall.

magnum engines take a roller cam.

 

[rumblefish360]

magnum engines take a roller cam.

Converter if to a Hyd or solid flat tappet only require the cam, lifters and correct length oil through pushrods. Depending on what you pay for pushrods is the price difference breaker.

I myself have most of the parts for this on a shelf and require only pushrods that oil through or the proper length.

I suggest a roller cam over a bud if the roller doesn’t need longer pushrods and the OEM Hyd lifters can be used over again though there cheap as heck.

 

[4mulas]

Converter if to a Hyd or solid flat tappet only require the cam, lifters and correct length oil through pushrods. Depending on what you pay for pushrods is the price difference breaker.

I myself have most of the parts for this on a shelf and require only pushrods that oil through or the proper length.

I suggest a roller cam over a bud if the roller doesn’t need longer pushrods and the OEM Hyd lifters can be used over again though there cheap as heck.

Isn’t there issue with the whole fuel pump cam eccentric accommodations too?
Not too sure if you can just convert it. Lifter bored and yes oiling all an issue. Why would you ever want to convert it anyway? Doesn’t make sense to me

 

[rumblefish360]

Isn’t there issue with the whole fuel pump cam eccentric accommodations too?
Not too sure if you can just convert it. Lifter bored and yes oiling all an issue. Why would you ever want to convert it anyway? Doesn’t make sense to me

I can agree with that but for myself, I already have an electric pump on my carburetor car that is carb psi friendly.
(It’s an Edelbrock carb electric fuel pump.)

I may have made a mistake in assuming Larry has a Magnum in his Dart. So how he took care of fuel delivery is mystery to me but if I assumed correctly that he has a Magnum in his dart already, fueling is solved already.

Otherwise it’s ether an electric fuel pump or convert the front of the Magnum engine to an “LA” style and ether use a “LA” cam and fuel pump or use the “Magnum” short snout cam with a Hughes engine cam snout fuel pump adapter.

 

[DARTLARRY]

I agree that a cam change is my best bet, i want to keep it a roller. I am using the Hughes fuel pump adapter on the stock cam.

 

[DARTLARRY]

Will I need new springs, if I change the cam?

 

[Professor Fate]

Will I need new springs, if I change the cam?

Most likely. The stock springs are pretty weak for anything but the mildest cams. If you're pulling the heads to have them freshened, check into having the guides cut down for more clearance at the same time- there's very little room for increased lift, although Hughes does offer a retainer kit that gets around this; at least with mild to mid lift cams. Check the cam manufacturer's recommendations for springs.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

Add a cam. This is what I purchased. The expected date is a mistake. I ordered it a few days ago and I was notified of it being shipped yesterday.
$165
Howards Cams 711451-08 Howards Cams Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshafts | Summit Racing
Hyd lifters from Howard’s
If you don't care, keep us posted on how this works out for you. As of the last time I looked, Howards still has a good reputation with lifters and break in. I like that grind a lot, I bet a Magnum responds especially well to the fast ramp rate combined with the 1.6 rockers.

 

[rumblefish360]

Add a cam. This is what I purchased. The expected date is a mistake. I ordered it a few days ago and I was notified of it being shipped yesterday.
$165
Howards Cams 711451-08 Howards Cams Hydraulic Flat Tappet Camshafts | Summit Racing
Hyd lifters from Howard’s

QUOTE break…

If you don't care, keep us posted on how this works out for you. As of the last time I looked, Howards still has a good reputation with lifters and break in. I like that grind a lot, I bet a Magnum responds especially well to the fast ramp rate combined with the 1.6 rockers.

Duration splits between advertised and @050 are 267/220 =ing a 47 difference. Not super quick or anything but a quicker then others. The new lift is pretty good and the heads should be but won’t get bowl ported. ,540 is a pretty good lift.

I’ll let ya know what’s what.

 

[glockr]

I talked to B3 Racing this week and they say you can run LA-style cylinder heads on a Magnum block with through push rod oiling if you use the correct lifters, push rods (hollow), and rocker arms (i.e. PRW steel rockers). Same concept Trick Flow uses to allow running their heads on a Magnum block, but with rockers that don't cost as much as the HS rockers Trick Flow recommends. My machine shop has a 5.9 Magnum block, gonna talk to them next week about buying it so I have something to put my Speedmaster heads on.

 

[rumblefish360]

Oil has such a rocker as well.

However! An actual cheap rocker worthy of doing this is a….
What now? Made by who?

 

[mgoblue9798]

street cruiser, stock magnum cam, AVS carb, 3:55 gears, 26" tire. My budget is right around $1000. Maybe cheaper to have mine redone locally, I don't know.

Stock heads are not the limiting factor in your build. Spend the money on a cam for the best bang for your buck.

 

[DARTLARRY]

what are everyone's thoughts on Hughes cams, I need to order spring kit from them anyway?

 

[Mean416]

QUOTE break…

Duration splits between advertised and @050 are 267/220 =ing a 47 difference. Not super quick or anything but a quicker then others. The new lift is pretty good and the heads should be but won’t get bowl ported. ,540 is a pretty good lift.

I’ll let ya know what’s what.

Why not clean up the bowls a bit? Good gains to be had without too much time and effort, right?

 

[rumblefish360]

what are everyone's thoughts on Hughes cams, I need to order spring kit from them anyway?

I’d like Hughes to supply overlap information. Actually, I’d like all grinders to do that. Other than that, the grinds look pretty good.

Why not clean up the bowls a bit? Good gains to be had without too much time and effort, right?

Lazy. Sights in bigger fish.
Also no work shop and I’m not going to port a head in any available space I have. It’s a messy dirty job and I don’t have “That Space” to play in.

But you are right. Now comes the second side of the coin….

Bowl port the OEM head or purchase an Edelbrock head
(and bowl port that?)

 

[Mean416]

Bowl port the OEM head or purchase an Edelbrock head
(and bowl port that?)

Believe me, I feel ya. My workshop is my garage and it's a pain in the *** using it as such. One of these days maybe I'll have a dedicated three bay with a four post....

Aluminum is easier to work than iron so that's my vote

 

[rumblefish360]

Trying to find/dream up garage plans for this new year.
I have a 1200 sq. ft. limitation and minor property bound issues as the law states. This is generally it a big deal but the actual placement and location is being played with.

I’m thinking a 30 wide by 40 deep.

The current garage is needed for other things for the household and for me, it’s not suited for car work. Car storage, sure, not work.