The iron vs aluminum cylinder head argument is over.

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pittsburghracer said:
Just sitting here thinking. The valves and springs going on mine cost more than the heads themselves. Or at least very close in cost. Lol.
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What do you think the valves that come in those heads are made out of?.. I'm not understanding their extreme inferiority..
 
I don't know if mine have left the loading dock yet but there is a tracking number and they are expected to hit here next Tuesday.
 
j par said:
What do you think the valves that come in those heads are made out of?.. I'm not understanding their extreme inferiority..
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I didn’t do any research at all on their valves or springs because I’m just using Edelbrock stuff I already had sitting on my shelf that I may have never used. Doing that shop cleanup last month and labeling everything pays off making a deal a super deal.
 
My assembled heads look fine. I intend to toss them on the block just as they are.

David
 
pittsburghracer said:
I didn’t do any research at all on their valves or springs because I’m just using Edelbrock stuff I already had sitting on my shelf that I may have never used. Doing that shop cleanup last month and labeling everything pays off making a deal a super deal.
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I just hear a lot of people wanting to put quote "good" hardware in their heads and I'm not understanding what's wrong with the stuff that's in there..
 
GreyWizard said:
My assembled heads look fine. I intend to toss them on the block just as they are.

David
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Wait till you call a shop to have them checked out and they say wow I wish we could sell our heads that way..
And they ask- and you say they're new?...
 
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speedmaster.jpg
 
I think a lot of the valve issues were from the old two piece valve days. I’m sure Edelbrock probably doesn’t produce their valves. Most of these heads like 440source (stealth), Speedmaster etc, have been around for years. With the internet today if there was a problem we would hear about it daily. Now I and others have seen lots of tight valves guides that will bite you on the butt but I’ve seen that with high dollar heads too.
 
pittsburghracer said:
I think a lot of the valve issues were from the old two piece valve days. I’m sure Edelbrock probably doesn’t produce their valves. Most of these heads like 440source (stealth), Speedmaster etc, have been around for years. With the internet today if there was a problem we would hear about it daily. Now I and others have seen lots of tight valves guides that will bite you on the butt but I’ve seen that with high dollar heads too.
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That's why I want to take mine apart.. just to look for any of the obvious stuff like sticky valves or chatter on the seat or whatever.. give them a little lap in...
Actually I'm pretty curious with 318 comes up with as well.. this truck I'm working on and snowmobiling is definitely taking a front seat to these heads..
 
I was thinking about merging some threads to combine some if this info. What do you think?
 
toolmanmike said:
I was thinking about merging some threads to combine some if this info. What do you think?
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We pretty much need a cylinder head specific forum. If you want to take this site to the next level that's what should happen.

How you want to section it is up to you but definitely.... Iron Head ...aftermarket Ironhead w2.....aluminum replacement head ...then Exotic AL...w5,w8,w9,brodix,indy,batton,etc
 
Ain't no way any components in these Speedmaster heads are made, machined or assembled anywhere else but China. May have started out otherwise but now? No way. 100% China, including the boxes, info paper, piece of packing styrofoam and the sealing tape used to close the box.
 
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j par said:
What do you think the valves that come in those heads are made out of?.. I'm not understanding their extreme inferiority..
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Guides are all over the place on clearances. Cheap seat inserts. Cheap valves. Some guys have found a wide variance in spring height due to poor QC on spring pockets and even rocker shaft mounts. True you may find a good set but these are being set-up by $9.00 an hour workers in a fast paced environment where production is more important than good work.

Lots more complaints on their Chevy stuff but they sell a ton more, too.

Sorry guys but I could never pull the trigger on anything Speedmaster. Just because it LOOKS the same as a quality part doesn't mean it IS the same.

I know guys who buy bare heads and fix what isn't right. But you spend hundreds to buy good parts and machine what isn't correct.

Will they work OOTB? Yep...if you don't care about quality.
 
Krooser said:
Guides are all over the place on clearances. Cheap seat inserts. Cheap valves. Some guys have found a wide variance in spring height due to poor QC on spring pockets and even rocker shaft mounts. True you may find a good set but these are being set-up by $9.00 an hour workers in a fast paced environment where production is more important than good work.

Lots more complaints on their Chevy stuff but they sell a ton more, too.

Sorry guys but I could never pull the trigger on anything Speedmaster. Just because it LOOKS the same as a quality part doesn't mean it IS the same.

I know guys who buy bare heads and fix what isn't right. But you spend hundreds to buy good parts and machine what isn't correct.

Will they work OOTB? Yep...if you don't care about quality.
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Have you touched a new set of Edelbrock crap that has been produced over the last five years. These Speedmaster heads look ten times better.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Have you touched a new set of Edelbrock crap that has been produced over the last five years. These Speedmaster heads look ten times better.
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LOL Who mass produces a better burger Micky D's or Burger King. lol
Some prefer to sit down and get a real burger. lol
 
Krooser said:
Guides are all over the place on clearances. Cheap seat inserts. Cheap valves. Some guys have found a wide variance in spring height due to poor QC on spring pockets and even rocker shaft mounts. True you may find a good set but these are being set-up by $9.00 an hour workers in a fast paced environment where production is more important than good work.

Lots more complaints on their Chevy stuff but they sell a ton more, too.

Sorry guys but I could never pull the trigger on anything Speedmaster. Just because it LOOKS the same as a quality part doesn't mean it IS the same.

I know guys who buy bare heads and fix what isn't right. But you spend hundreds to buy good parts and machine what isn't correct.

Will they work OOTB? Yep...if you don't care about quality.
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So you know so much about Speedmaster that their employees are paid $9 an hour? Here in Oregon that would be totally illegal as the minimum wage is 15.. what kind of monkey does it take any ways to assemble heads? I mean at least in a brand new Factory atmosphere... no one's going to pay a machinist wage to just put parts in and click Springs on?
for some statements like this make them feel good and cozy about all the money they spent for the same thing with a different name on it.. I absolutely love the McDonald's versus Bigger Burger King analogy on this one.. what are people saying about quality control of the Edelbrock that cost over twice as much?..
I put a piece of glass across the tips of my valves and the stirrups and unless my glass is Warped those damn things are perfect...
 
PBR....you're not the average schmo who buys parts and bolts them on. You have a lot of experience and what you can't fix you know who to send it to to get it right.

There's more to assembling these heads after they get off the boat. They are pretty rough. Not sure about surfacing but the guides need to be fitted and honed, seats need to be installed and machined, spring pockets machined and installed.

Like I said I have heard first hand accounts from engine builders about the quality of Speedmaster parts. They see the Chevy stuff all the time...a few thousand miles and the seats are pounded out...guides are sticking gasket surface is wavy.

In Australia they went bankrupt as ProComp. Some say to avoid the legal hassles they had from lawsuits over fraudulent actions by them.

The Aussies have seen this first hand. They use more Chicom stuff because of their location. Cheaper to ship than buying from USA.

These heads don't flow very well. Aluminum is not some magic metal that cutes all ills.

I save my $$$ for a long time to buy my parts. I'd buy Trick Flo or Brodix before SM...hell I have 40 year old W2's going back on my blowed up small block. I doubt you'll ever see 40 year old Speedmaster heads still being used.

I used to be swayed to buy shiny objects. But 60 years of working on this stuff has taught me many lessons. One is buy the best you can afford. Not buying with plastic also helps. Living on a $980.00 SS check plus some PT work changes your priorities.

Old man rant over...
 
Give me a...I don't know....a break? Old man rant? Old man hearing things would be more accurate. :poke:
 
12many said:
Give me a...I don't know....a break? Old man rant? Old man hearing things would be more accurate. :poke:
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12many said:
Give me a...I don't know....a break? Old man rant? Old man hearing things would be more accurate. :poke:
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I almost pulled the trigger on some of these just to play with but I declined.

The issues I have personally witnessed are all fix able, that's to say the castings are not usually the problem. I wouldn't trust ANY of their hardware, not a valve, keeper, retainer , seal etc.... OK so you buy them bare right? Not so fast Tex. The guides are total crap as in I've seen them need replacing at less than 1000 miles. Oh and they are an oddball O.D. so you can't just source a set of good quality guides and install them easily. I also hate their valve jobs and the hardness of the seats are often far too hard , and I question the press fit. I dunno, some guys get lucky and have success but to me I cannot use them and feel good about it, maybe I'm wrong. J.Rob
 
RAMM said:
I almost pulled the trigger on some of these just to play with but I declined.

The issues I have personally witnessed are all fix able, that's to say the castings are not usually the problem. I wouldn't trust ANY of their hardware, not a valve, keeper, retainer , seal etc.... OK so you buy them bare right? Not so fast Tex. The guides are total crap as in I've seen them need replacing at less than 1000 miles. Oh and they are an oddball O.D. so you can't just source a set of good quality guides and install them easily. I also hate their valve jobs and the hardness of the seats are often far too hard , and I question the press fit. I dunno, some guys get lucky and have success but to me I cannot use them and feel good about it, maybe I'm wrong. J.Rob
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All points duly noted. Need more first hand input like this. I for some reason just couldn't resist that black Friday blowout. I made my bed so I'm going to lay in it for a while and take it one step at a time. See where things go:)
 
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