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Which heads for '81

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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 03:25 PM
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Default Which heads for '81

I need new valve seals and thought I might as well go with some new heads. Which would be the best heads to go with that would bolt on without any other mods ? Thanks for any input.
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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 09:30 PM
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you can put on new valve seals cheap .how much $ do you want spend ?what kind of other mods are you planning ?what hp are you looking for?
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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 10:12 PM
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I got an estimate of close to $500 for new seals. Sounded a little high to me. That's why I considered new heads. I just got the car a couple of months ago. Right now the main objective is to stop the puffs of smoke at start up. The car has headers and the carb and distributor have been replaced with non-computer pieces. Any thoughts on what new seals should cost ??
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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 10:52 PM
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are you paying some one to do the work for you or are you doing the work your self?
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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 11:06 PM
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The price quoted was from a local shop. It's been a long, long time since I've gone into an engine. Not sure my back would like hanging over the fenders, if even for a short period of time.
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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 11:18 PM
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Maybe there's a nieghborhood kid, or a friends kid, who would enjoy learning something about working on an old school hotrod. Might make a good helper, if ya gave him a few bucks, and he could do the dirty work while you supervise. Worth checking into.

Scott
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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 11:24 PM
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How hard is it to install the seals ? How long should it take ? If done at a local shop, what is a fair price ? Maybe the $500 quote is not that far out of line.
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Old Jul 21, 2011 | 11:34 PM
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Here ya go, check these babies out!


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-152123/


Bolt 'em on an go. A teensy bit more compression, and bigger valves, to boot!


Scott
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Old Jul 22, 2011 | 07:59 AM
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It all depends on what you want out of the engine. The stock configuration is fine for a daily driver, though it won't break any speed records. New heads with bigger runners or vavles won't do you any good without additional mods. Unless your planning on doing those mods now or in the near future, your better off going with the repair of your current heads.

$500 seems high if you're going to pull the heads, and all they're going to do is replace seals. If they're going to rebuild the heads, that's a different story. You could always shop around and see what other shops are getting though.
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Old Jul 22, 2011 | 12:32 PM
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20 bucks for new seals, 30 bucks for a spring compressor and I did mine in about 2 hours. From start to finish and I had never done anything like that before.....shop around. It should only take 2-4 hours for someone to do.
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Old Jul 22, 2011 | 01:43 PM
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if you have the money I would just go for some vortec heads and new intake since you already have a new carb and dist, and headers. what about exhaust?? true duals??
seems to me you already have enough mods to make new heads with more flow rock.
las t I looked Vortec heads were not much more than 500.00.
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Old Aug 3, 2011 | 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by 81$$pit
if you have the money I would just go for some vortec heads and new intake since you already have a new carb and dist, and headers. what about exhaust?? true duals??
seems to me you already have enough mods to make new heads with more flow rock.
las t I looked Vortec heads were not much more than 500.00.
I put on the Vortec's, I got them for $100.00 on craigslist, took them to a machine shop for a valve job and for a set better springs to run a larger cam and have $400.00 total into them.....you will have to change intakes because of the different bolt configuration though.....these will wake a small block up! Fred
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