I was dissappointed with 210 RWHP with my newly rebuilt Chevy 355. I have a Edelbrock Performer 600, Weiand Stealth Intake, Hedman Headers, Stock HEI, Stock mechanical fuel pump, 1.6 rockers on the intake side, 1" carb spacer and stock 882 Heads.

My cam specs are:

Crane Energizer cam & lifters (adv dur:274/274, @ .50: 218/218, Gross Lift .450/.450, 106 Lobe Sep, 2200-5200 rpm

I originally was thinking about Dart Iron Eagle heads (recommend by dyno shop) but I have also read some good things about Vortecs.

I would really like to see another 50 RWHP out of my 355 with a head and intake swap. Anyone have any ideas for a head/intake combo that would solve my problem?

Thanks, Jim.

 

Those 882's are definitely killing you. Especially if you are running flat top pistons. The big chambers drop compression, something you don't want with a cam over 210*.

Those Energizers are my favorite bang for the buck series of cams. I'm running the next size up in my 400. Either one of those heads would unchoke your engine, and kick up your compression. If the HEI still has the stock advance curve, get a kit and try running 10-14 initial, bring it in as quickly as you can without putting it into ping, about 36 total.

 

gm fastburn or edelbrock e tech

 

How about Trick Flow 23 degree (64cc, 1.26 in. diameter valve springs)? You can get those from Summit for under a grand.

 

Good set of heads will do the job.............but while your there.....get a better cam. I consider mine to be small......but yours is much smaller. I made 278 rwhp with a .490 lift cam and 378 rwtq. Get a cam in the 2500-6500 range and get a good carb if you want performance. Edels are fine for depenability.........but holley will out perform it.

 

personally, i like the tfs 23* heads, they tend to work better with a split pattern cam though. the intake that you have is a good intake, i would stick with it. the vortech heads are good, the tfs heads are good, the afr's are good and work well with single pattern cams, although they are a little pricey. personally i would go with the trick flows or the vortechs, youll see more outta the trickflows out of the box, but the vortechs have a nice low price tag.

 

You could step up to a edelbrock performer RPM cam, but I think that a cam like that is running at the ragged edge of the performance of the vortec heads. Dart Iron Eagles are great heads for the money and so are the world products sportsman 2s are great street heads as well. The edelbrock cam kit and the sportsman 2s is about 1000 bucks and you should gain easily over 50 horse, have good drivability and have a neat sounding cam. Plus it would work perfect with an edelbrock performer rpm intake and the carb you have

 

I'll agree with your engine shop on the Iron Eagles. They're my go-to heads for cheap performance once you're beyond old stock castings. They flow decent on the intake and very well on the exhaust right out of the box- they work well with single pattern cams. Get them in 64cc chamber size and get your compression up from the dismal ~8.6:1 you're probably at right now with your stock 882 (76cc) heads to a little over 9.5:1.

Your engine will probably be a little "soft" down low with anything larger than 200cc intake runners so definetly go with either the 180 or 200cc runners.

I have a set on a very mild carbureted 350 that is going in my wife's 92 Camaro in a few weeks. I'm even using the same Crane cam you are (but ground on a wider 112* LSA). My heads have 72cc chambers, 200cc runners and I'm using them with flattops for compression just over 9:1. The rest of my combo is very very similar to yours. With your tighter LSA on the cam your engine will appreciate a higher compression ratio than I have. I'm expecting around 330HP @ flywheel with mine (~270 at the wheels) and I've built more than just one or two motors. My estimates are usually very close to what my motors actually make.

 

Damon you make some good points. Thanks.

My dyno tune suggested them because they would be a great increase in power for the price. He thought about $250-$300 a head but Summit Racing wants $449 a piece for the assembled ones. Was he thinking of the bare ones or what?

I would think for $900 I should just go with the Trick Flows since dropping 40 pounds of the front end would be a good bonus. What do you think?

 

I think you can find them cheaper, or you can buy bare an assemble your own and save some money, maybe. Depends how much stuff you can reuse off your current heads. Does it have the right valve springs in it already for the cam? If so, they can be reused at no cost, along with the stock retainers and locks. Do your heads already have screw-in rocker studs and guideplates? If so, they can be reused, too. About the only thing you'll need to buy new is valves, unless you already have a set of 2.02/1.60 valves laying around.

If you can't reuse anything off your old heads you won't save much money by assembling your own (although you may enjoy doing it anyway and know it's done right).

If it looks like you're going to be dropping almost $1000 on the Iron Eagles then certainly a set of Trick Flow 23* heads for only a few more bucks is probably money well spent. Light weight is a nice bonus with aluminum heads.