Best flowing heads
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 301
Likes: 0
From: Little Italy MI
Best flowing heads
Im in the process of buying new heads. I have been out of the game for a while. Ihave a 77 with a 1970 400 small block 4 bolt. I need advice from
the experts or knowledged on what is the best aluminum/ assembled flowing head out of the box bolt on for the money.I am thinking somewhere around .600 lift cam. Also if anyone has
any info on these CNC chapman edelbrocks ported out of the box please chime in its greatly appreaciated. THANK YOU........
the experts or knowledged on what is the best aluminum/ assembled flowing head out of the box bolt on for the money.I am thinking somewhere around .600 lift cam. Also if anyone has
any info on these CNC chapman edelbrocks ported out of the box please chime in its greatly appreaciated. THANK YOU........
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,490
Likes: 0
From: A high school diploma fixing what a college degree broke TN
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
You're going to hear a lot of different answers on this subject.I've been looking into this as well,and I'm going by Chevy Performances test of heads and the top two are AFRs and Canfields.I was looking at the 195 cc results,but this doesnt mean they are the right head for your engine combination.Do a google search for the test and you can read up on it yourself,sorry but I dnt have the link. 
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 75
From: Tampa Bay FL
If you are going for up to .600 lift with a 400ci engine, I agree with the others; look at the heads with intake runner sizes in the neighborhood of 195-200cc's. Also as others said, the AFRs are hard to beat. DART also has a PRO1 aluminum head that is pretty respectable. Also Edelbrock, GM Fast Burn, Trick Flows, Brodix, . Check out Chevy High Performance's archives for the smallblock head comparison (www.chevyhiperformance.com).
Figured I'd save you the trouble:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/41598/
More (category 2 heads) :
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index5.html
And, category 3:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index6.html
If you go with cast iron, there are also the DART Iron Eagle, World Products 'Motown', and many others.
I run the DART Iron Eagle 180s on my warmed over 350. Personally, I'd run the new DART 200cc heads (the line that is an improvement over the Iron Eagles) if it were my 400 small block. But that is just me.
Figured I'd save you the trouble:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/41598/
More (category 2 heads) :
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index5.html
And, category 3:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index6.html
If you go with cast iron, there are also the DART Iron Eagle, World Products 'Motown', and many others.
I run the DART Iron Eagle 180s on my warmed over 350. Personally, I'd run the new DART 200cc heads (the line that is an improvement over the Iron Eagles) if it were my 400 small block. But that is just me.
Last edited by TedH; Feb 19, 2005 at 08:33 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 4
From: Va
Go with AFR Heads
I am having a 383 Stroker built. Originally I was going to go with the Dart Pro 1"s, but my engine builder did some research on the AFR195cc CNC ported street heads. He said they were the best choice. He was going to do some port work on the PRO 1's but said he doubt he could make them perform any better than or as good as the AFR 195 CNC'd heads. Attached is a link showing a dyno run with these heads. These heads are apparently very much sought after, I called AFR and they said there is an 8 week lead-time. You might can do better than that by calling around some of their distribiutors. You can go to AFRs website to get that list.
http://www.strokerkits.com/new_page_20.htm
http://www.airflowresearch.com/
Good Luck
http://www.strokerkits.com/new_page_20.htm
http://www.airflowresearch.com/
Good Luck
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
From: Wichita, KS
There is a nice spreadsheet at http://home.earthlink.net/~hennings195s/id17.html
Check out the mid flow data as well as the @.600 numbers if you are planning on running on the street.
Check out the mid flow data as well as the @.600 numbers if you are planning on running on the street.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 301
Likes: 0
From: Little Italy MI
Originally Posted by TedH
If you are going for up to .600 lift with a 400ci engine, I agree with the others; look at the heads with intake runner sizes in the neighborhood of 195-200cc's. Also as others said, the AFRs are hard to beat. DART also has a PRO1 aluminum head that is pretty respectable. Also Edelbrock, GM Fast Burn, Trick Flows, Brodix, . Check out Chevy High Performance's archives for the smallblock head comparison (www.chevyhiperformance.com).
Figured I'd save you the trouble:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/41598/
More (category 2 heads) :
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index5.html
And, category 3:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index6.html
If you go with cast iron, there are also the DART Iron Eagle, World Products 'Motown', and many others.
I run the DART Iron Eagle 180s on my warmed over 350. Personally, I'd run the new DART 200cc heads (the line that is an improvement over the Iron Eagles) if it were my 400 small block. But that is just me.
Figured I'd save you the trouble:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/41598/
More (category 2 heads) :
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index5.html
And, category 3:
http://chevyhiperformance.com/techar...98/index6.html
If you go with cast iron, there are also the DART Iron Eagle, World Products 'Motown', and many others.
I run the DART Iron Eagle 180s on my warmed over 350. Personally, I'd run the new DART 200cc heads (the line that is an improvement over the Iron Eagles) if it were my 400 small block. But that is just me.
Thanks TedH and to all the rest 71 coupe, Fedex, BBeck,Guru,B71Vette
L88,1979toy for the info and suggestions GREAT FORUM
PLEASE keep em coming
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,923
Likes: 733
From: Youngstown Ohio
Originally Posted by b71vette
I am having a 383 Stroker built. Originally I was going to go with the Dart Pro 1"s, but my engine builder did some research on the AFR195cc CNC ported street heads. He said they were the best choice. He was going to do some port work on the PRO 1's but said he doubt he could make them perform any better than or as good as the AFR 195 CNC'd heads. Attached is a link showing a dyno run with these heads. These heads are apparently very much sought after, I called AFR and they said there is an 8 week lead-time. You might can do better than that by calling around some of their distribiutors. You can go to AFRs website to get that list.
http://www.strokerkits.com/new_page_20.htm
http://www.airflowresearch.com/
Good Luck
http://www.strokerkits.com/new_page_20.htm
http://www.airflowresearch.com/
Good Luck
I have the AFR 195's on my 383, and after checking out American Speed's usage of AFR's on their crate engines (500-600 HP small blocks) , they are hard to impossible to beat......but an excellent 2nd choice & good buy for the money are Trick Flow 195's.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Using the data from the Chevy High Performance flow test on small block heads in the above links ( and more importantly a friend of mine who has been building race engines for 30+ years recommended them ) I picked the Edelbrock Vic Jr's and they have not disappointed in the performance department. The Chapmans would even be better but most likely twice the price. I also do not trust the numbers by AFR and a few others on their own websites. 
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 301
Likes: 0
From: Little Italy MI
Originally Posted by MotorHead
Using the data from the Chevy High Performance flow test on small block heads in the above links ( and more importantly a friend of mine who has been building race engines for 30+ years recommended them ) I picked the Edelbrock Vic Jr's and they have not disappointed in the performance department. The Chapmans would even be better but most likely twice the price. I also do not trust the numbers by AFR and a few others on their own websites.
Thanks Motorhead
thats the kind of independant thinking I,m looking for
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,435
Likes: 0
From: largo florida
I am pretty sure AFR's #s for the sbc heads are accurate. Many people doubted the #s for their ls1 heads until several independant tests showed identical #'s to AFR's claimed ones.... Definately great people and helpful.
Originally Posted by MotorHead
Using the data from the Chevy High Performance flow test on small block heads in the above links ( and more importantly a friend of mine who has been building race engines for 30+ years recommended them ) I picked the Edelbrock Vic Jr's and they have not disappointed in the performance department. The Chapmans would even be better but most likely twice the price. I also do not trust the numbers by AFR and a few others on their own websites.