Heads, to buy or not...

[Rapid]

I have searched and read the many posts on aluminum performance heads and compression. I believe that the overall answer is that horsepower and torque will increase enough to make the purshase worthwhile even though the will be a loss of compression w/o machine work being done up front. I need new heads and would like to upgrade but do not want to back up b/c I haev lost 4 ccs per chamber worth of compression ( w/ Edelbrock which is within budget) and I don't want to shave material now that may be needed later. My goal is to get my 289 to near 300 HP and ftlbs of torque at the flywheel on my daily driver. Right now I have about 180 HP and 214 T at the rear wheels with the engine timed right and the mixture correct.
I think that puts me at about 215 at the flywheel now. The heads should give me about 35 to 50 more??? Even with the loss of compression?? I am running Edelbrock Performer 500 cfm carb, Performer Plus cam, Performer intake, duals through HIPO manifolds, Pertronix dist., roller rockers and know that a different cam and intake will be necessary to get me to my goal.

Thanks for any cure to the confusion. Santa needs to know what to put under the tree.

 

[D.Hearne]

Narrow your search to 58 cc heads then. But milling isn't going to cost you later on if you do, do it. You can always tailor the comp ratio then with piston selection. And don't be in a hurry to pick something. Good deals still come around to those who wait.

 

[68EFIvert]

Good deals do come around once in a while don't they D.Hearne.

 

[D.Hearne]

Got that **** right!!!!

 

[Fast63]

If you go with a set of trick flow twisted wedge heads, you won't lose any compression. But you'll have to get new pushrods I think. I wouldn't worry about any compression loss with the edelbrocks though, you won't even go more than .5 down, so it won't make much difference.

 

[rbohm]

first given equal port size, valve size, combustion chamber size, and flow velocity, aluminum heads will not add power in and of themselves. however using aluminum heads will allow you to run as much as 1 point higher compression to gain power. the biggest advantages of aluminum heads is the lighter weight, and the easier repairability.

 

[Shakin66]

I have Dart's Pro 1 heads and love them. I also agree with the master in that you can always tailor your future builds around the heads cc. The idea with the addition of aluminum heads is that they flow more......I had an old hot rodder tell me 20 years ago to think of an engine in the simpliest terms as an air pump. Meaning the more it can pump more more power you have. Heads help you achieve this. Either way shop around and research the runner size also.

 

[brianj5600]

first given equal port size, valve size, combustion chamber size, and flow velocity, aluminum heads will not add power in and of themselves. however using aluminum heads will allow you to run as much as 1 point higher compression to gain power. the biggest advantages of aluminum heads is the lighter weight, and the easier repairability.

Te biggest advantage is a lot of them are better out of the box than you can make a stock head. I second the TF TW heads.

 

[rbohm]

Te biggest advantage is a lot of them are better out of the box than you can make a stock head. I second the TF TW heads.

you cant compare stock heads to after market heads. thats why i put in the parameters like i did.