Edelbrock heads and stock exhaust manifold

[amx364]

Basic stock 340 engine in a 66 Barracuda. Head choices were cast iron or aluminum with the cost point being about 500 for a pair. Old heads would need guides and seats for unleaded gas. Went with the Edelbrock heads and TTI exhaust for correct exhaust manifolds. When it came time to trail fit the drivers side exhaust manifold, it hit on the head at the rear port. Called Edelbrock Tech line and they had never ran into that problem, so no help there. Reading on the forums that other people that had not checked for clearance had broken there manifold when they bolted it to the head. Thought that careful grinding on both the head and manifold could work so I tried that route, knowing that the manifolds are thin to start with. Notice that thin crease in the first picture, that should have been a warning! After getting engine in the car had a antifreeze leak at the back of the engine drivers side. After the OH SH** when I found where the leak was close to, I had to figure out the options still open to me.
sorry for the poor picture quality, camera was going bad.

 

[amx364]

After talking to a welding shop that was old and trusted the people said that it could be Heli-arc welded and wrapped to hold the heat in to prevent warping. Removed head and stripped down for repair, they would not grind where they crack was. So I had to open the crack so they could weld it, if there was enough metal for a good weld. Used a scribe and punched through the thin metal there and enlarged the hole. Welding shop had no problem with the hole and was please with the thickness of the metal to work with.

 

[amx364]

Head does not leak and did not wrap after welding. This problem only effects the stock manifolds to the best of my knowledge. If I had headers this would not have been needed at all, I think.

 

[mopowers]

Nice!!

 

[67Dart273]

. Head choices were cast iron or aluminum with the cost point being about 500 for a pair. .

Here's what I wanna know..........Where'nell ya git Ed Heads for 500 a pr?

 

[amx364]

500 between cast iron and aluminum total

 

[mopar jimmie]

I put these same heads on my 340 with the 1970 340 hp manifolds and had no clearance issues at all

 

[KitCarlson]

With stock heads and studs, it best to lay in manifolds as you place the drivers side head. I would think it should also work for the aluminum heads.