So I am having a conversation, well more like an argument, with a friend and we were talking abou the best sb head, excluding the LS1. I said that I think that the sb mopar head is probably the best that has come out from the factory for production. I figure this bcuz of its 18* vavles and should have longer runner then either ford and chevy. Also I think that it has a lot of unlocked potental. He tells me that the chevy sb head is the best bcuz the LT-1, old one, put out 370hp and that mopar has never come close. I tell him that has nothing to do with it, and that is pretty much how it ended after a while.

Now my question was I right, or is the sbc, or ford, the best head that has come from the factory, and why? We where talking about heads that are suppored by the current aftermarket.

Thanks
Jeremy

 

GM 18* High port heads

 

I don't know if you mean factory or aftermaket heads, your last paragraph is confusing in that regard. And I don't know exactly what you mean by "best".

But I assume you mean factory heads that have the most power potential. If that's the case, I'll vote for the LT5 heads found on the ZR1 Corvette.

Rich Krause

 

Basically who got it right the first time around, 350/351/360. Stuff that will work with the stock stuff, pre-90s.

 

Probably the small block Cleveland head had the most potebtial for power of the stockers.

 

If we are talking pre 90's then the 4v Cleveland is the way to go. It's basically the Yates NASCAR head. It was a little big for a stocker, but it's one hell of a stock head.

The Mopar 18 Deg head is pretty good too.

Bret

 

Stockers? LT5
Aftermarket? SB2.2

 

Yes you can count the LT5 but I think they were talking regular junk yard stuff but the 4 valve stuff will always be great. The Ford Mod Motor 32 valves are like his too.

The best 23 degree chevy head is the LT4 and for iron probably the Vortec heads. The LT1 is also great for stock stuff too.

Ford has no good inline heads with the GT40 family being the best but also being fairly pitifull as well.

I don't think any of the Mopars besides the later model Magnum 360 heads? are very good and they are like a dodge Vortec equivilent. I can't really remember but they're pretty good.

 

Most tests and build ups with stock stuff always show the GM Vortec heads to be best. Mopar coming in very close behind.

 

How do the new "Fast Burn" heads stack up compared to other "conventional" 2V heads? I haven't heard too much about these lately.

Rich Krause

 

They have larger valves and intake runners but still flow worse than an out of the box vortec head. They have more porting potential than a vortec though.

 

Do the Yates heads bolt up to the Cleveland motors?

 

Wasnt the Boss 302, just Ford's previous unsucselsful 302 block. Tunnel-Jet or something like that? Then they bolted on a cleveland style head, and it became succesful?

 

Yes Yates and Cleveland heads are interchangeable.

 

As Eric said they do.

With some work the Clevelands will bolt up to a Windsor style block. They showed some details on this conversion in PHR.

Austrialia had some Aluminum stock 4V Cleveland castings that were the best of the bunch.

If it's my vote on the 4 Valve stuff I'm going with the Northstar heads. Those things really beat up on the Ford stuff in flow numbers stock and ported.

The best production chevy SBC head is the Vortec head.

Then today we have the LS6 and 6.0L truck heads as my vote for the best 2 valve production head.

On the racing side, the GM Canted Valve stuff is better than the SB2.2 or Mopar P7 heads. There are some good other heads out there though, the Neal Ford heads are pretty sick.

The best thing is that today our aftermarket heads are so awesome that the stock stuff is about usless. A 225cc AFR is one of the best inline valve 20 deg Ford heads out there, same for the AFR 215RR, All Pro RR and Pro Line RR for 23deg Chevy stuff.

I'm just hoping that the next Engine Masters is a big cube small block contest and I have the cash to build a contender for it. If we still have to use stock valve angle stuff than these heads are going to be really fun to work with.

Bret