Looking for X Head Picture

[PRH]

From one of the heads represented by the pic in post 33…….
It’s a T/A head

As pictured, utilizing an Engine Pro 11/32” stem valve(no back cut) and some unseen ugly blending of the port opening.

Lift——In
.100— 63.0
.200—128.4
.300—180.0
.400—207.5
.450—215.0
.500—207.5
.550—207.5
.600—207.5

 

[Earlie A]

So all this J vs X has got me curious. Think I'll do a little test on what it takes to make a 587 intake port flow equal to or better than an X head. Here's my thinking:

Flow stock port with current (although not factory) valve job and 1.88 OE valve
Cut new 2.02 valve job with angles TBD
Flow test with Hughes 1 angle 2.02 valve
Spend 15 minutes blending throat and short turn
Flow test
Spend 15 minutes opening apex area and blending short turn
Flow test
Re-evaluate

 

[PRH]

I’m sure that if I took a 587 head with a 2.02 seat cut & bowl cut, and 30 mins worth of porting I’d be able to exceed 220cfm.
(can likely get into the 220 range with 15mins of work…….most of which would be spent on the SSR)
I’m sure you can too.

The work I did to the X head in post 32(235cfm)would have been 15mins at most.
But, would likely take about twice that(maybe more) if doing a J head.

 

[Earlie A]

Here's the starting point. Looks like the existing 587 valve job is a little better than the existing X valve job. The X head is a little rustier/crustier.

 

[PRH]

Is the Hughes valve a true nail head or a semi tulip?

My experience is that the semi tulip valves(like an SI SEV-2811SG)aren’t much better flowing than the OE valves.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Looking at the pictures posted by PRH and Earlie A it’s quite astonishing guys go as fast as they do with any of those heads.

With as much knowledge as there seems to be around here, why hasn't anyone come up with something better?

 

[Rocket]

Late to the party, but here are some pictures of an X-heads that has been used. One intake and one exhaust closeup. I Don’t know the history of these.

 

[PRH]

Any chance of getting another pic of this one but at an even lower angle, to get a better sense of the SSR height…….

 

[Earlie A]

Is the Hughes valve a true nail head or a semi tulip?

My experience is that the semi tulip valves(like an SI SEV-2811SG)aren’t much better flowing than the OE valves.

It is a nail head. I made a tulip intake valve once with epoxy and turned it down. Thought at least somewhere in the flow curve there would be some benefit. None. Exhaust is a different story.

 

[Earlie A]

Late to the party, but here are some pictures of an X-heads that has been used. One intake and one exhaust closeup. I Don’t know the history of these.


View attachment 1716445709View attachment 1716445710View attachment 1716445711View attachment 1716445712

Thanks for posting. Looks like at least one valve job and maybe a little bit of porting on those, but still mostly stock.

 

[Earlie A]

Any chance of getting another pic of this one but at an even lower angle, to get a better sense of the SSR height…….

View attachment 1716445719

I’ll try to get some better/more pictures when I’m back at the shop.

 

[TT5.9mag]

With as much knowledge as there seems to be around here, why hasn't anyone come up with something better?

Cost vs reward I’m guessing.

 

[PRH]

Thanks for posting. Looks like at least one valve job and maybe a little bit of porting on those, but still mostly stock.

It just proves people don’t see things the same………
To me, it looks untouched.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Cost vs reward I’m guessing.

Maybe so. Without it being an offset pushrod head, how much reward can there be?

 

[Rocket]

Here are a few more of the one in post #58.

 

[PRH]

Thanks for that!!
This is how I was remembering the SSR is on an X head.
The slope of the floor into the bowl has already begun before it reaches the bowl cut.

 

[Earlie A]

Thanks for that!!
This is how I was remembering the SSR is on an X head.
The slope of the floor into the bowl has already begun before it reaches the bowl cut.

View attachment 1716445755

I see 4 machined angles in this pic. Is that what you see and remember?

I was thinking the last bot cut may be hand ported.

 

[PRH]

I see 4 machined angles in this pic. Is that what you see and remember?

I was thinking the last bot cut may be hand ported.

I see 4 angles.
Three for the valve job, and one at the bottom for the factory bowl cut…….. which I believe is done prior to the seat itself being cut.
It’s got the not unusual chattered finish, and is often not particularly concentric to the seat.

It all looks stock to me

 

[Earlie A]

I see the chatter. I think you are correct. It’s the factory bowl hog.

My head has 4 angles as well and the same non-concentric bottom cuts. Think that’s factory?

 

[PRH]

Probably.

I know when I run my bowl cutter in these heads, how much and where the material is being cut from can vary quite a bit from hole to hole…….on the same head.

 

[273]

Maybe so. Without it being an offset pushrod head, how much reward can there be?

I bet most people are happy with the hp that the standard design can provide.

 

[PRH]

What I see as one of the benefits of doing even a mild bowl cut/blend to these old factory castings is that it mostly “fixes” the problem(poor flowing) ports.

If you have a set of heads where the untouched flow varies by 10-15cfm, after the rework is done, not only will the flow improve overall, but the spread should improve as well.

 

[66fs]

I found a pair of Virgin X heads, I'll take pictures when I clean up one chamber.

 

[PRH]

Same port as posts 14 & 27, now with the bowl machined with a 75* cutter, along with a typical basic bowl blend and some minor touch up of the SSR.
Nothing done to the rest of the port.

Lift——In
.100— 63.0
.200—127.7
.300—180.0
.400—224.4
.450—233.7
.500—235.6
.550—233.7
.600—226.2

The next step in this exercise was to gasket match the port opening and open the pushrod pinch to .945”, which on this port was def worth the effort:

Lift—— In
.100— 63.0
.200—127.7
.300—180.0
.400—226.7
.450—237.5
.500—243.8
.550—240.1
.600—233.7

 

[Earlie A]

Here's more pictures of the short turn 'cliff' on the X head.