what are the best heads being made for la small blocks rite now

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winstoninwisc

winstoninwisc

Taint easy livin free,season ticket ona 1wayride
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so much after market stuff being made now days , what head fits the best and gives the best performance on a small block stroker
 
Probably be a good question for Mr. Laroy (IQ52) to chime in on. If he does not see this, maybe send him a PM.
 
winstoninwisc said:
so much after market stuff being made now days , what head fits the best and gives the best performance on a small block stroker
Click to expand...

Fit the best and give the best performance...again..it will be a compromise...

you want to use stock rockers....stock LA intake bolt patterned...???

and How fast to you want to go....???

My guess would be Indy Aluminum Heads.. Since they have been in production for sometime all the bugs worked out....Eddy Victor..I have only seen two post where someone is going forward with using them...

Hughes Big Mouths?.....

Seen a pretty fast w8 motor this weekend at MATS...w8 are not a simple bolt on....
 
That's true! And the question is what is the goal?

The Hughes Big Mouth heads look like they can support a good bit of power. The LA flows very well and the Magnum head is a hair better.

The Victor looks great on paper. The Indy head is a well known. But you'll need to find the been there and done that fellas for that heads in and outs. As well as the W series heads.
 
dano said:
The Best is subjective. What are your plans, application, and budget?
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^^ This^^ What are the best heads for my intended use? Other wise it's like blonds or brunettes.
 
since we don't know you goals, i would say EQs or RHS for the budget iron, Eddys if your looking for budget ALU, then W2s................updating above W2 i wouldn't have a clue as to which ones are the next step in performance.

W2 and up, you have to budget more than just the head work! now you have spec Rocker arms, shafts, long stem valves, special valve spring, retainer, locks exc.
The money can really start piling up!$$$$$
 
Just think, this used to not be a problem with small block MoPars.
We are living in good times my friends. LOL
 
A good Aluminum head would be Speed Master heads set up by MRL for your application.
 
I worked in a shop a while back, and the customer was adamant that he wanted B1-BAs. Well I told my boss,there were no headers made to fit those in a 71 Cuda/4-spd.......Mr Smartipants boss bought TTIs, believing he could make them fit. The passenger side one bolted on,and fit in the chassis, but the port shape totally choked the head ports,so Next!
Well set #2; Oh, he said, I'll just cut it this way and that it way and...a day later;nope! Next!
So set #3; Some cheapies. I think he spent 3 days on those to make the ports work.
Then I adjusted the crap out of them, built special engine brackets for them, cut the collectors off and repositioned those, and put dings and clearance ways in all the usual places. So after about 3 or 4 days we had something that fit, so off they went for coating.I'm getting too old for this; engine in, engine out,repeat,repeat,repeat. In the end, we had;one set of slightly scratched, brand new coated TTIs for resale, one worthless left side cheapie and one good different brand rightside, and two functioning,coated,in-the-chassis, hanging under the steering, headers.
So let's see, I call that nearly $3600 bucksCan.(with sales taxes, and no idea about the shipping costs or import charges on the TTIs).,less whatever he can get for the scratched TTIs. Let's say a net of $3300.....And the 3.31 stroke 340? Yep she made 497 hp. And guess what he uses it for? You guessed it; Trailer Queened to car shows.
Woulda bin cheaper to stroke it and bolt on a set of Eddies, and then those TTIs woulda fit, and he coulda had ten years of gas-money left over. And had a stronger engine to boot.And I woulda had to put that engine in just once. I quit that place as soon as that car was out the door!

Ok so, punchline; whatever head you buy, make sure you can put the correct store-bought headers on it!
 
To answer the OP's question, probably Indy 360-1 or 360-2 ported by someone in the know.
 
no seriously I want to take out pound wholeshots , do donuts , throw on the micky"s and hit the track a few times dropp another .25 and living in the good days means .so many junk don't fit aftermarket heads , I got bit with the RHS marketing scam too, there junk heads imo geometry not there . roached 2 valves ,lucky no engine damage . I like the fact of the proven life of a set of eddies I quess or have a shot at some w2s possibly.my last set was 69 mopar ported x heads and I beat that motor 20 years HARD.
7200 all day 1 tranny ,1 rear end ,100 tires , this Chinese aftermarket chit getting way outa hand with no return in fun . I am to dam old to be pulling engines any more , but I still have this inner child to satisfy . to old to play with turbo"s , JUST WANNA ROCKIT
 
Hughes big mouth eddies or the CNC ported ones should work well.

It depends on what cam, compression, intake, cubic inches, carb gearing and trans set-up you have. Big mouths are good for about 600+hp with the right combo. CNC's are one step down but they don't need offset rockers and are good for 500+hp with the right combo.
 
The only draw back to the W2 besides the weight, which IMO isn't so freaking bad considering the possible power output since they can out flow an Edelbrock head very well, is the expensive valve train.
Same valve train for the W5. And it is a shame the head leant always pan out with chit castings even in the supposed better years. Glad there is a Victor head to replace it and push past it. Looks like a W5-1 head. The way it should have been done.... If it pans out.
 
I'm curious what you end up choosing and what power you make.

I've been thinking of switching to W-9 59 degree heads next year. CNC'd by shady dell. 1.6 solid roller rocker setup. .650+ lift. 11.5 or more compression (if I can get e-85 in my area). I'd like 600 horse on stock stroke. 700 would be cool. I'm curious to see if I can hit it. But something tell's me I have to go 48 degree R3 block to make the 700.
 
yes the new 1ns say MA-X heads I don't know where the indy got in there because they were made by comp cams but they are stamped like they should be an Indy product by the logo . RHS is long gone. mabee I need to put out some
Edalbroks X HEADS from the philipense
 
winstoninwisc said:
no seriously I want to take out pound wholeshots , do donuts , throw on the micky"s and hit the track a few times dropp another .25 and living in the good days means .so many junk don't fit aftermarket heads , I got bit with the RHS marketing scam too, there junk heads imo geometry not there . roached 2 valves ,lucky no engine damage . I like the fact of the proven life of a set of eddies I quess or have a shot at some w2s possibly.my last set was 69 mopar ported x heads and I beat that motor 20 years HARD.
7200 all day 1 tranny ,1 rear end ,100 tires , this Chinese aftermarket chit getting way outa hand with no return in fun . I am to dam old to be pulling engines any more , but I still have this inner child to satisfy . to old to play with turbo"s , JUST WANNA ROCKIT
Click to expand...

I'd go with a well ported set of Edelbrocks, mine made 550-600 (depending on the calculator) on a pump gas 408.
 
For my money Aluminum heads..Hughes cnc'd Edelbrocks seem to be well worth the money spent..
 
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