When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
so, if my car is a 350, and not a 327 or something, I still have 305 heads.
If I went to 350 heads(even if they are stock), would I see an increase? what are some good cast iron heads I could pick up on ebay or something(for good price)
A set of AFR heads would really boost your engines power. Slap a "hotter" cam and a good set of heads on that engine and she's a performer. It also depends on how old your engine is. If she's got some miles on her it wouldn't be wise to start uping the horsepower when your bottom end is the weak link.
882, 993, 441... are all fairly good heads, and a clean (rebuilt) set should be around $250 or so. Camelbacks are always a good choice, though you wont have accessory bracket holes, those would be 461, 462, 186... though probably around $400-$450 fresh. If not those, look for other chevy heavy heads, there are lots out there, so they hopefully wont crack, and make sure to find out if they have been milled, so you know what compression you will have. (you will also need to know your motor bore and stroke, and your deck clearance, and your gasket thickness to calculate compression) You should see some performance increase if your heads are low performance 305 heads.
882's? Everything I have ever read says these are some of the worst heads ever. My vette currently has a set and I have a set from when I first got my Camaro. Supposedly they are weak casting and prone to cracking. They also have 1.94 intake valves. I would go with a set of 487's if I were staying with stock.
Why 305 heads suck on any 4.0" bore block (327 or 350):
- The chamber is sized for the 305's small bore and overhangs the cylinder
- The valves are tiny and usually have restrictions in the intake to promote swirl, but really hurt flow...they neither suck or blow
- They are thin, poor castings that limit your ability to make them flow well enough to support anything beyond around 325 HP at the crank
- They can't be used on any medium-bore engine without significant modifications to the combustion chamber, not that it would be worth it anyway
Just about ANY 350 head (yes, even the 882) is going to be a better head in unmodified form than any worked-over 305 head.
Dan, I have a set of 993's....used only a year, went to aluminum, shouldn't have bothered....1.94 valves...screw studs, guide plates, and new guides/seals...gasket matched....just blow them off and put them on...