Arao 4 valve heads
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Ringgold GA
Arao 4 valve heads
Has anyone used these heads?
Any problems associated with them or with tuning from using them?
A friend is considering these for a 383 motor he is building.
They sound great but I do not know of anyone that has tried them.
Will they fit in a C4 Corvette or 3rd gen F-body with a Mini-ram or converted LT1 intake?
Any thoughts on performance potential of these heads?
Any problems associated with them or with tuning from using them?
A friend is considering these for a 383 motor he is building.
They sound great but I do not know of anyone that has tried them.
Will they fit in a C4 Corvette or 3rd gen F-body with a Mini-ram or converted LT1 intake?
Any thoughts on performance potential of these heads?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 121
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From: Ringgold GA
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (Vette9d1)
According to the infoon the Arao site the heads are a direct replacement for the stock heads with the exception on the flange for the headers.
They use any small bock Chevy intake manifold (carburated or fuel injection) with the standard 23*.
They sound like they have a lot of potential but are not cheap.
Here is a link to the website http://www.araoengineering.com/
They use any small bock Chevy intake manifold (carburated or fuel injection) with the standard 23*.
They sound like they have a lot of potential but are not cheap.
Here is a link to the website http://www.araoengineering.com/
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (candyapplevette)
I've seen these advertised before and the flow numbers are VERY impressive. I think the problem will be with the height issue and the exhaust as mentioned. In a C4 hood clearance is a premium and then the custom headers will probably be a nightmare. The valve covers would probably require some custom accessory bracket work.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,019
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From: down that one road next to that big tree
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (Nathan Plemons)
a post comes up on these every six months or so, every post winds up saying the same thing. too much $$ & other alternitives that make as much power that cost less.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,418
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From: NW Chicago Suburbs
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (candyapplevette)
Has anyone used these heads?...Any thoughts on performance potential of these heads?
Eric
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,564
Likes: 110
From: Austin Texas
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (candyapplevette)
I was looking very closely at them for my 427 SBC. Clearance issues are not a problem, they are not any taller than your stock heads with tall valve-covers.
Where I balked was that they would never send me in-depth info or contacts. I wanted someone to talk to that had a similar setup (fuel-injected) in a street car (not a full-blown drag car) and they never would send me anything.
The money for me was really a non-issue. They are $2k more than a good set of Brodix heads, but for that money you will see an extra 150-160 HP (not a bad return on the investment).
The "Brand X" heads they used for comparisons were Brodix Track 1's with a full CNC port job done to them. For comparison the Brodix T1 STD X (-23 degree) flow 323 CFM @ .700 lift and the Arao flows about 390 CFM... or for comparison's sake more than MOST -12 degree heads out there.
My concern was how long do the guides & seals hold up...I didn't want to take them off and replace seals every 20k miles or so. They didn't want to discuss any of that, which made me a little suspicious.
I still have not committed for the heads yet. I'd love to give them a chance to get the info to me. A 32-valve 23-degree fuel-injected V8 that can rev to 9000 RPM has a really nice ring...I think it would kick booty all over the track.
Where I balked was that they would never send me in-depth info or contacts. I wanted someone to talk to that had a similar setup (fuel-injected) in a street car (not a full-blown drag car) and they never would send me anything.
The money for me was really a non-issue. They are $2k more than a good set of Brodix heads, but for that money you will see an extra 150-160 HP (not a bad return on the investment).
The "Brand X" heads they used for comparisons were Brodix Track 1's with a full CNC port job done to them. For comparison the Brodix T1 STD X (-23 degree) flow 323 CFM @ .700 lift and the Arao flows about 390 CFM... or for comparison's sake more than MOST -12 degree heads out there.
My concern was how long do the guides & seals hold up...I didn't want to take them off and replace seals every 20k miles or so. They didn't want to discuss any of that, which made me a little suspicious.
I still have not committed for the heads yet. I'd love to give them a chance to get the info to me. A 32-valve 23-degree fuel-injected V8 that can rev to 9000 RPM has a really nice ring...I think it would kick booty all over the track.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 34
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (Joe90)
there was a guy who put them on his F-body. His name is unstable bob on the F-body forums.
He built a 396 with a blower. He put it together and said not one single bolt for the accessories lined up to the stock stuff and he had to go through the whole thing and fix em all.
Last I heard he pulled it from running as he necver really finished (tunning etc) it and it just sits...
there is anotehr guy who is building an F-body drag car who is planning on using them. I check his web page every so often to see if anything is being done. Have not seen an update since I found the page 6 months ago.
So with that said, I think I too would look to a 18 degree head or something similar untill these 4V heads step into the light.
[Modified by bill mcdonald, 11:52 PM 11/18/2002]
He built a 396 with a blower. He put it together and said not one single bolt for the accessories lined up to the stock stuff and he had to go through the whole thing and fix em all.
Last I heard he pulled it from running as he necver really finished (tunning etc) it and it just sits...
there is anotehr guy who is building an F-body drag car who is planning on using them. I check his web page every so often to see if anything is being done. Have not seen an update since I found the page 6 months ago.
So with that said, I think I too would look to a 18 degree head or something similar untill these 4V heads step into the light.
[Modified by bill mcdonald, 11:52 PM 11/18/2002]
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Verdad Gallardo
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 105
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From: Charlotte NC
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (bill mcdonald)
I do not believe that Bob ever got his car running, and the big show hasnt yet that I know of.
They are simply not worth the time and money involved. By the time you drop $4-5k on the heads, $2k+ for decent fabricated headers etc., you could have made more power going the traditional route. IMO it isnt fair at all to compare a 4v head to a 23deg casting, but obviously... theyre not trying to be fair, theyre trying to make their stuff look better than it is.
As relatively easy as it is to make 700hp NA by going the traditional route... I don't expect too many (or any) people to be running their stuff anytime soon...
They are simply not worth the time and money involved. By the time you drop $4-5k on the heads, $2k+ for decent fabricated headers etc., you could have made more power going the traditional route. IMO it isnt fair at all to compare a 4v head to a 23deg casting, but obviously... theyre not trying to be fair, theyre trying to make their stuff look better than it is.
As relatively easy as it is to make 700hp NA by going the traditional route... I don't expect too many (or any) people to be running their stuff anytime soon...
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,620
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From: Hillsboro OR
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (candyapplevette)
The plus side on these heads is that the flow numbers look really impressive.
The problem I see with these heads is that they use the stock cam to drive the valves. They also don't appear to have provision for closing half the intake ports for low rpm operation. Most production 4 valve engines have the port control and have more aggressive lobes on half of the valves for high rpm power. You only have one cam these heads. I guess you could use different ratio rockers to get around this to some extent but the lobes for all the valves would stay on the same centerline.
I'd rather take the headachs of a blower or turbo with good heads than use these heads. I wonder what the long term durability is of these heads.
The problem I see with these heads is that they use the stock cam to drive the valves. They also don't appear to have provision for closing half the intake ports for low rpm operation. Most production 4 valve engines have the port control and have more aggressive lobes on half of the valves for high rpm power. You only have one cam these heads. I guess you could use different ratio rockers to get around this to some extent but the lobes for all the valves would stay on the same centerline.
I'd rather take the headachs of a blower or turbo with good heads than use these heads. I wonder what the long term durability is of these heads.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 682
Likes: 23
From: loxahatchee fla
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (AquaMetallic94LT1)
I was all set to buy a set but when I started asking tech questions and asking for referals from guys who were already running them they STOPPED answering my QUESTIONS AND E_MAIL
THIS WAS THE LAST E-MAIL THEY SENT
PAUL,
MY APOLOGIES, ARE IN NEED HERE . I HAD ALOT GOING ON THIS
WEEK.ACTUALLY EVERY BODY DID!I HAVE MOST OF THE INFO. READY FOR YOU . I AM
WAITING HOW EVER FOR OUR NEWEST IN CAR DYNO TEST RESULTS TO GET HERE.I KNOW
THEY PRODUCED ABOUT 600H.P TO THE REAR WHEELS WITH AN EVERYDAY DECENT STREET
MOTOR IN AN ALL STEEL 1956 CHEVY STEPSIDE TUCK .SO I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THE
DELAY.I HAVE ADDED CHEVYTALK TO OUR LINKS PAGE AND I'VE TAKEN SOME TIME TO
READ SOME OF THEIR FORUM CHATS AND WAS VERY HAPPY WITH SOME INFO I WAS ABLE
TO FIND . I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHT ABOUT OUR 32valve
HEADS. I WILL GET THAT MAILED OUT THIS WEEK.
THANKS ALOT,
DAVEB
(ARAO ENGINEERING)
NO THEY NEVER SENT THAT INFO!
IN FACT THEY NEVER REPLIED TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND REFUSED TO GIVE REFERANCES TO PEOPLE ALREADY USEING THEIR HEADSId say STAY FAR away FROM ANY company that will not show you examples of happy customers useing their products
[Modified by grumpyvette, 3:35 PM 11/21/2002]
THIS WAS THE LAST E-MAIL THEY SENT
PAUL,
MY APOLOGIES, ARE IN NEED HERE . I HAD ALOT GOING ON THIS
WEEK.ACTUALLY EVERY BODY DID!I HAVE MOST OF THE INFO. READY FOR YOU . I AM
WAITING HOW EVER FOR OUR NEWEST IN CAR DYNO TEST RESULTS TO GET HERE.I KNOW
THEY PRODUCED ABOUT 600H.P TO THE REAR WHEELS WITH AN EVERYDAY DECENT STREET
MOTOR IN AN ALL STEEL 1956 CHEVY STEPSIDE TUCK .SO I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THE
DELAY.I HAVE ADDED CHEVYTALK TO OUR LINKS PAGE AND I'VE TAKEN SOME TIME TO
READ SOME OF THEIR FORUM CHATS AND WAS VERY HAPPY WITH SOME INFO I WAS ABLE
TO FIND . I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHT ABOUT OUR 32valve
HEADS. I WILL GET THAT MAILED OUT THIS WEEK.
THANKS ALOT,
DAVEB
(ARAO ENGINEERING)
NO THEY NEVER SENT THAT INFO!
IN FACT THEY NEVER REPLIED TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND REFUSED TO GIVE REFERANCES TO PEOPLE ALREADY USEING THEIR HEADSId say STAY FAR away FROM ANY company that will not show you examples of happy customers useing their products
[Modified by grumpyvette, 3:35 PM 11/21/2002]
Pro
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 702
Likes: 1
From: the corner of walk and dont walk
Re: Arao 4 valve heads (grumpyvette)
I have also talked with these people, for a friend, inquireing about the "longevity" of their heads. The use was going to be in a high rpm/small cube roadrace car and we wanted to know if they could tell us or connect us to anyone using them in a endurance type setting. After several "I will get the info together and send it to you" responses, I talked the guy into a set of #8 raised runner brodix heads. He has run them for 4 years now, and has only freshended them 1 time(last winter) and replaced the springs twice! I highly recomend using proven products from companies that support their product! Good luck. :cheers:
