I see adds for smallblock heads, and am gathering info for a performance build of a 340. We are on a limited budget, but understand that the cheapest option may be far from the best. Since it is going in my sons 1973 340 4 speed car with 3.54 gears, and may end up as a stroker. Aluminum heads preferred for the front end weight savings. Cam choice will be fairly street friendly, most likely no bigger than 236 @ .050, low .500 lift. Heads would be bought bare and be set up by my engine shop. Thoughts?
Low priced GOOD aluminum head for street smallblock?
- Thread starter gregsdart
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B3422w5
Well-Known Member
Speedmaster/ pro comp etc, etc.
All are good castings, and as you are supplying the hardware, it’s win win
All are good castings, and as you are supplying the hardware, it’s win win
Dartswinger70
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Can you use closed chambers with the later 340?
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Grumpy Old Man
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Any of the china heads would be fine, provided you have a shop check/assemble them with good parts.
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
Does Edelbrock still make heads or are they rebranded China stuff? I like the Mopar performance stuff W2 W5 etc.
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Grumpy Old Man
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They are supposed to be cast here, but the casting quality and material quality seems WORSE than any of the various china heads I have done recently.
Dartswinger70
Well-Known Member
I thought there was something with Edelbrock, I dont see many folks talking about them any more...
gzig5
Well-Known Member
Yes, the 72-74 340 pistons were below the deck so closed chamber heads would be no problem. Like any build, you need to pay attention to your cam timing events for your application. You can also use them with the earlier high-compression engines that had the pistons .020-.030" above deck by using a Cometic or other head gasket that is at least .060" thick, depending on the specific application.
dano
Evil Handy Man
As others have stated the SpeedMasters are hard to beat price wise. Last I looked they were out of stock.
Plymouth 65
I'll be in the shop
Edelbrock also makes the 60179 heads for the early 340's with the positive deck pistons. 65
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Grumpy Old Man
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The new AFRs are a good option also, summit has some currently
Just put a thick head gasket on the engine with closed chamber Ede's and avoid those heads open chamber things.
Most of the times the perma tq blue fel-pros work with closed chamber stuff.
Going Bare heads makes the choice pretty easy. If you are going to port them any of the chinese ones are a starting point on the cheap. Screw speedmaster... A-holes... No more rant there.
Earlie A
Well-Known Member
IF you are having to buy valves, springs, retainers, locks and seals and IF you are going to have the valves back cut and IF you are going to have a new valve job done on the Speedmasters (which they need), that's probably getting close to Trick Flow money. Trick Flow may need a light valve guide hone and run it.
cookietruck
Well-Known Member
Haha. What did speedmaster do?
If someone wanted complete heads with quality work IMM engines has some Al import castings for SB. A call or email to verify he has stock and you got heads with really nice finish work in the price range of the AFR 2401 heads…
If your engine is built to Blueprinted Spec. the pistons
are about .45 Above the deck. I would not run my engine
without around .50 piston to head clearance. The Fel Pro
gasket is only 1/2 that thickness meaning zero clearance.
Even if you do not blueprint the block to specs usually I only
find maybe .20 tolerance or a bit more from specs particularly
if you have to surface the old blocks to get them flat. That is not
acceptable to me.
I see no reason not to run the Open Chamber Edelbrocks as
that is what is on our 10 second 340 NHRA Stockers and we have not seen
an issue with them.
Just my .02 = For Free!
are about .45 Above the deck. I would not run my engine
without around .50 piston to head clearance. The Fel Pro
gasket is only 1/2 that thickness meaning zero clearance.
Even if you do not blueprint the block to specs usually I only
find maybe .20 tolerance or a bit more from specs particularly
if you have to surface the old blocks to get them flat. That is not
acceptable to me.
I see no reason not to run the Open Chamber Edelbrocks as
that is what is on our 10 second 340 NHRA Stockers and we have not seen
an issue with them.
Just my .02 = For Free!
Couldn't agree more. This is a copy of a post I made back in 2020 covering the cost to go through a set of heads.
Trick Flow SBM Heads
Ok, first, I am more interested in seeing the numbers at the track than what the dyno had to say. A dynos accuracy is almost always questionable. That being said, I previously mentioned that I hoped it would make 620. It made 631hp at 6800, and 563tq at 5100. This is with the heads as is, right...
www.forabodiesonly.com
"can't agree more with this. I bought a set of CNC speedmasters last year during the 40% sale. $1100 for the heads shipped to me. Then I added another $900+ to get them setup the way I wanted.
$265 - Valve job/Flow heads before & after VJ
$100 - Shipping to/from PRH
$200 - Correction Kit from Mike
$300 - Springs/Keepers/Retainers for Roller Mech Cam
Total of $1965
If I had the numbers in front of me back in November of last year, I'd have bought the trick flows without question"
Thanks everybody for contributing. My choice has narrowed to IMM and AFR. I had Brian of IMM help me and supply parts for a street 408 six years ago, and ended up with a stellar performer, 504 hp at 5700, 518 tq at 4600, iron 318b, pumpgas, juice rollercam. The only glitch is i am in Minnesota, so shipping will add a bit.
More comments always wellcome, there is never enough good info, right?
More comments always wellcome, there is never enough good info, right?
B3422w5
Well-Known Member
Based on what you said, I would work with Brian again. Even if shipping was 100 bucks, so what
gzig5
Well-Known Member
Think of the additional shipping costs for working with IMM as buying Satisfaction Insurance. Totally worth it.
Icetech
Well-Known Member
Edelbrock is literally worse than the chinese stuff now... and they do not honor their warranty. (my intake was made wrong, PBR got 3 bad victors also..) at least the chinese **** bolts up properly.
Icetech
Well-Known Member
If those are your choices go with IMM.. you know brian and he is solid and will stand behind his stuff.... I ran AFRs on my ford and they do good stuff.. BUT.. i don't understand their mopar heads.. they put a head into the market place that really isn't better than any of the other generic/cheaper stuff.. at least TF improved a bit..
P.S. out of all my stuff i have bought for my car my only thing i haven't second guessed or worried bout is my trickflows...
Icetech
Well-Known Member
One last thing... This is straight from AFR's page...
252@.500.... Stock Speedmasters are only 3cfm less (Per testing buy Earlie A on this forum) and others...
Trickflow advertises 300, which in real world testing is 290-300 depending on the bench, day, and alignment of the stars...
the TF's are a bit more money of course.. so if it's not max effort i would go for the best bang for the buck...
The speedmaster heads are on sale right now for $1011 a pair assembled.. which is insane.. tf's are more for 1 head. (their page says it's 1k a pair.. that has to be wrong... cause WTF...) The head/intake/rocker combo is 2600... maybe the sale is crazy eddie style...
www.speedmaster79.com
| 175cc As Cast Flow Chart | |||||||
| .200 | .300 | .400 | .500 | .550 | .600 | .650 | |
| Int | 136 | 190 | 234 | 252 | 257 | 259 | 262 |
| Exh | 117 | 156 | 182 | 186 | 190 | 201 | 203 |
252@.500.... Stock Speedmasters are only 3cfm less (Per testing buy Earlie A on this forum) and others...
Trickflow advertises 300, which in real world testing is 290-300 depending on the bench, day, and alignment of the stars...
the TF's are a bit more money of course.. so if it's not max effort i would go for the best bang for the buck...
The speedmaster heads are on sale right now for $1011 a pair assembled.. which is insane.. tf's are more for 1 head. (their page says it's 1k a pair.. that has to be wrong... cause WTF...) The head/intake/rocker combo is 2600... maybe the sale is crazy eddie style...
Mopar Chrysler SB 318 360 170cc 65cc Hydraulic Roller Assembled Cylinder Heads
SpecsBrand:SpeedmasterPart Number:PCE281.2149Part Type:Cylinder Head [Assembled]Product Line:Hydraulic Roller TappetCylinder Head Style:AssembledCylinder Head Material:AluminumCylinder Head Finish:NaturalCombustion Chamber Volume (cc):65 ccCNC-Machined Combustion Chamber:NoIntake Runner Volume...
www.speedmaster79.com
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Grumpy Old Man
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I just built a 408 with a pair of AFRs, and they didn't get anywhere near that on my bench.
Icetech
Well-Known Member
ok... that's just crazy... i assume you mean lower?
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Grumpy Old Man
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Yes they were well short of there posted numbers, but it's not real as accurate comparing between different benches.
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