I have an opportunity to buy some Aluminum Heads from a 1986 Corvette. Cast number 14101128. My friend only want $ 300.00 for the heads with all valves, springs etc. Heads were just magnfluxed and came out clean. Ive checked the hp specs on the 86 vette and it only had 230hp but 330lbs of torque. Im in the market for a set of heads that I can use that will satisfy my hunger for a 400hp street car. Are these heads a good buy or not?

Mark

 

14101128...86-87...350..........Aluminum, 58cc, angle plug
1.94/150 valve size.

I have no experience with the heads but with 58cc you better watch comp ratio or its not going to drink pump gas.

 

You can get 400 from these heads but not in there stock form. Then I did mine I had over size valves installed, had the combustion chambers reworked to unshroud the valves, had them pocket ported and port matched. This was obviously fairly expensive but done back when there wasn't much else.
I know there are better heads available today for less over all money.

 

Well, considering I dont know a whole lot about heads, I just dont want to buy a set from a swap meet because I dont know who Im buying them from nor their condition. These are only 300.00 from a friend so I figured it was a good deal, also because they are Aluminum. But if it'l be more money in the long run to get them p&p'd then I might waite for a better set to come along with work already done on them. The heads I have now are factory 882's... 76cc with no fab work done. These are horrible heads so anything would be an improvement. I called the shop that rebuit my motor and they said with the 58cc chambers it should give me 300 - 330hp with a factory intake. But Ive got a performer intake and holley 750 carb and headers. They also said these heads should put my compression around 10:1 - 10.5:1. With my current 882's I have about 9.5:1. Does this sound right?

 

Well the static compression ratio sounds about right, but I think they maybe being a bit optimistic on the hp numbers. After all they do want to sell you these heads. Do they have any engines or customers with this combo. that can back there estimates. Nothing like having done something to prove someone wrong.

 

No.... its just a friend of mine is selling them to me. He bought them from a friend of his who just never had the cash to finish a project. My friend was going to keep them but he already has a bad *** motor and doent need the heads so he was just selling them to me. I called the motor shop that rebuilt my motor for the specs on these heads Im interested in and also to make sure the pistons they installed had full valve release slots in the tops. I just dont know what the heck Im doing with heads. My brother has a set of 462 humps and they worked very well with his set up on his 69, but he hasnt been in the hot rod scene in 12 years so he cant remember a whole lot of which heads are great to work with and which heads suck. For the exception that mine are 882's and they suck! I have about 500.00-600.00 to sink in a pair but I just dont want to be screwed.

 

Going from 76cc to 58cc heads is going to bump you up about 1.5 points. If you're at 9.5:1 now, you're looking at 11:1. Probably a little too high for these heads, unless you have a long duration cam. I'm thinking in the 230* @ .050" range, at least.
Vortec heads would be fantastic for your setup, but you'd have to drop the compression a bit with different pistons, and you'd need a Vortec intake.

Tough call. With a budget of $500-600, I don't know what to tell you.

 

Going from 76cc to 58cc heads is going to bump you up about 1.5 points. If you're at 9.5:1 now, you're looking at 11:1. Probably a little too high for these heads, unless you have a long duration cam. I'm thinking in the 230* @ .050" range, at least.
Vortec heads would be fantastic for your setup, but you'd have to drop the compression a bit with different pistons, and you'd need a Vortec intake.

Tough call. With a budget of $500-600, I don't know what to tell you.

Then again, 9.5:1 with 76cc heads is optimistic. Your actual compression might be lower. Look into the specific pistons you have, the piston deck height, and head gasket being used. If you didn't zero-deck the block, and the pistons are a standard 4-relief flat-top, and you're using a typical .039" composite head gasket, then you're probably closer to 8.8:1 actual.

Todd

 

Yea I called the shop again this morning and 9:1 sounds more like it. The cam Im using is 224 @ 50, but when I replace the heads I'll go ahead and replace the cam while Im in there. I'll probably make another post on what cam I should be using with the set up. 750 carb.... Air Gap Intake.... These heads we're talking about. Im getting my rear-end worked on today so I'll be short on change for a little while.

 

If you were just rebuilding your L98, I'd say get the heads but with all that you are doing I would save up for bigger/better heads.

This of course depends on both money and time.

 

Yea I told him last night that Im going to pass on them. I mean, Im not trying to build a 1/4 mile car, but I do want a car that I can cruise around in after its finished and restored, and burn these damn mustangs that are in the neighborhood. 400hp is my goal. I can take the money I have now and put it with a little more next month and get a set of heads I'd feel better about. I just dont know what heads to get. I'd like some 2.02/1.60 vortek's but I dont know if my headers will match. I know my intake will have to change but.... man I just know much about heads. I just need some direction.

 

A set of Edelbrock Etec 170cc heads with matching intake would probably be fantastic. The smaller ports will give you better bottom end, and these heads flow well enough to put a 400 inch motor into the 11s. The bigger heads (Etec 200) I think would be overkill for street apps.
With a moderate cam (Comp's XE268), these heads and intake, you're looking at low 13s, easily, and a motor you can easily live with on the street.

 

The exhaust is not a problem with the vortec. It's the intake that's different. Go to the AFR site and look at the flow ratings on there different SBC heads. http://www.airflowresearch.com/
This will give you something to compare other heads to. Then go to Summit or Jegs or E-Bay and get some that are better priced.

 

Thanks! I'll check out the site.

 

http://www.americanspeedcenter.net/WorldP.asp

Check out this website if you haven't picked up a set of heads yet. The Sportsman ll SBC heads are great if you wanna make good power.

I plan on getting a set when I replace the 327 in my 67 Camaro RS with a 350. That way I can hang with todays musclecars/sports cars/pony cars or whatever.