Okay so I found some 351 Windsor D0 heads in my dad's old garage storage... Plan on getting stock size Ferrea valves,new exhaust seats,screw in studs and guides,new springs that match cam and I plan on porting them. Do I need to do anything else for a good reliable budget street strip head? And on the porting I had a guy at the machine shop say that I could grind the valve guides all the way down in the exhaust side and still have strength... Is this true? Thanks for any answers!
Engine Found Some D0oe Heads... Need Help!
- Thread starter Silver5.0Stang1990
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What's the cost of the machine work? All that could make this a project that didn't give you the bang for the buck you are looking for. All in all, GT40 or GT40P heads with new springs and a good valve job might be more cost effective.
Do0e heads will likely flow about as well as untouched gt40 heads which were modeled after the old 351 units. If they are in good condition then a slight cleaning and valve spring swap would be all it takes. Total cost will likely be in the 2-300 range. That said I've seen plenty of gt40 heads already complete with new springs for that money. If I had it to do over again I would have foregone the gt40 heads and looked for an aluminum head. I see them used all the time between 8-900 dollars which I know is quite a bit more but then again they flow quite a bit more.
Edit- I see you are planning a full build up. I would definitely lean towards an aluminum head. Before the aftermarket companies made performance parts for our cars these were the thing to have. With the catalog of heads we have to choose from I would leave them alone.
Got an estimate from the machine shop... Will be around 300 for everything including magnaflux and cleaning... Valves were 150 so I should have only 450 in the heads.. After machining I'm going to remove the thermactor bumps in the exhaust ports and smooth the guides a bit and do some blending and they should be good to go... What do you guys think about removing the exhaust valve guide in the exhaust port?
At that price I still think you are better off with an aluminum head. For not much more cash you will have a much better head, but that's close to what I have in my gt40s and they are a great street head. If you are happy spending that money since you are getting the heads for free then go for it. Imho get the 351 heads abd sell them, then put the money towards something better.
I'll just use these heads when I get them done and when I start wanting to go faster I'll just use some nitrous and get faster... I've already went a 12.2 with stock heads, intake, and b cam and an aod with factory stall with a 100 shot... I do have 4.10 gears lol
I hope your machine work for the heads included new hardened valve seat inserts. Old heads were meant to be used with leaded fuel, which acted as a lubricant on the exhaust valve seats. No leaded fuel means new hardened valve seat inserts. The seats and machining necessary to install the add extra $$$ quickly.
If you already knew what you were going to do, why ask? A build thread would have been a better choice in this case.
Jrichker beat me to the hardened seats advice, listen to him.
There are some good porting pages out there. http://www.diyporting.com ,if I remember right, covers other Ford heads and should answer your questions. You need to leave some material for support around the valve guides, but not as much as I thought you would.
Jrichker beat me to the hardened seats advice, listen to him.
There are some good porting pages out there. http://www.diyporting.com ,if I remember right, covers other Ford heads and should answer your questions. You need to leave some material for support around the valve guides, but not as much as I thought you would.
I would not be investing $450 in those heads.
Just because you got them for free, doesn't mean they are a good idea.
I think their value is whatever they are worth in scrap, so try and sell them, if not scrap them and put the money in with the $450 to buy better heads.
I remember when i gave my old E7's away, i was just glad someone took them out of my garage so i didn't have to.
Just because you got them for free, doesn't mean they are a good idea.
I think their value is whatever they are worth in scrap, so try and sell them, if not scrap them and put the money in with the $450 to buy better heads.
I remember when i gave my old E7's away, i was just glad someone took them out of my garage so i didn't have to.
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someone actually bought my old E7's for $50 on craigslist last year; I was shocked
I agree with others in this thread. Not worth the money. Lots of good deals to be had on used aluminum heads.
X10. The Early DO0e heads were the ones to have for iron heads on a budget until about 10-years ago when the GT40 iron heads started showing up more frequently in wrecking yards. Today, I wouldn't waste my time with either. As others have stated, save up a little more and buy a set of aluminum heads.
I paid $200 more for my GT40X "Turbo Swirls" heads than you' allready might have wrapped up in these old iron heads and you haven't even changed the exhaust seats, or ground out the thermactor bumps yet. And don't be talked into thinking otherwise.....any aluminum head casting out there will outperform your iron heads (even modified) quite handily.....not to mention knock 50lbs off of the front end of your car.
Be smart. I'm not sure why you seem so determined to use them, but whoever talked you into doing so probably hasn't been involved in small block Windsor performance since they stopped using carburettors. Far, far better options out there, for not much more money.
Take it from yet another guy who wasted countless hours modifying old iron heads in the past.....the juice isn't worth the squeeze! Stock parts, make stock power.
I paid $200 more for my GT40X "Turbo Swirls" heads than you' allready might have wrapped up in these old iron heads and you haven't even changed the exhaust seats, or ground out the thermactor bumps yet. And don't be talked into thinking otherwise.....any aluminum head casting out there will outperform your iron heads (even modified) quite handily.....not to mention knock 50lbs off of the front end of your car.
Be smart. I'm not sure why you seem so determined to use them, but whoever talked you into doing so probably hasn't been involved in small block Windsor performance since they stopped using carburettors. Far, far better options out there, for not much more money.
Take it from yet another guy who wasted countless hours modifying old iron heads in the past.....the juice isn't worth the squeeze! Stock parts, make stock power.
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