Hey Jesse, I got a 1970 Mach 1 in the garage, and I was thinking if you could make a call or two...

 

About 6 mo. ago there was a local guy to me selling a set of SB2's that he bought from a team and decided not to pursue it anymore. Last time i saw them he had the heads, jesel shaft mount rockers, matching intake, blah, blah...quite a bit of stuff. I'm thinking his price was right at 3K ?

I can try and contact him if your seriously interested.

Mike

 

The SB2 heads were actually designed (the intakes at least) off of the Ford NASCAR "Yates" heads... They are a mirror port design with 11/12 degree valve angles, and they flow huge air (mine move 409 at .800" lift). But, there is A LOT more to building an SB2 than just obtaining a used set of NASCAR heads from Hendrick, DEI, or Joe Gibbs (where mine came from, we're doing a cryo program on some of their stuff). I thought because my heads and shaft rocker system cost virtually nothing that I could build an inexpensive big inch SB2. Having been in the engine biz for a long time I knew better than this but let my enthusiasm for the project overtake my rational thought... An SB2 requires a dedicated intake, camshaft, lifters, pistons, headers, etc... In order for the heads to be NASCAR legal they have to have a GM production casting number and they also have a "conventional" exhaust port layout (meaning the center two exhaust runners are siamesed). However just because the "look" convention doesn't mean they are; because of the mirror ports the exhaust runners are all on the inside of the intakes (on a conventional SBC the two outer exhaust ports are outside the intake runners). This means conventional SBC headers won't work and you'll have to build some; you can forget about using NASCAR tri-y's too... NASCAR's have the engine lowered about 4.5" to cut the air underneath so the downlegs on the headers are usually less than 10" which means they won't fit a conventional chassis... Break out your box of bends and your TIG welder; ick-ick-yuckity-ick- I'm doing this crap right now. Camshaft is also TOTALLY different because of the port layout; if you use a conventional SBC block you'll have to have a cam build out of a solid billet core. My 4/7 solid roller with the .900" base circle cost $680.00 (and that's my COST from Crane). Oh, don't forget about the $700.00 offset lifters too.

I would never try and discourage anyone from building one of these provided they have the funds (estimate another 30% over what you're thinking). But truthfully you can make close to the same power with a set of 18 degree heads. A Brodix -18X uses conventional 23 degree valvetrain and camshaft and with an adapter plate can use a conventional 23 degree intake as well. Headers will also bolt up provided you don't buy the spread port heads. And the better ported 18 degree castings flow upwards of 370/380.

They are killer pieces though... That's cool you were talking with Yates; we've used a lot of their stuff when we had our Busch engine program going.
-Jeb

 

nuff said!

 

Jeb. what you just described is why I said I would never just buy a set of these heads, without a matching intake etc. They are EXOTIC pieces and mostly one a kinds cause of the work you described.

It would be cool to get a setup from someone like them for conversation pieces, although if I had them here and they were a matched setup. I, like you, would be inclined to pull the rest together mostly more the challenge of it.

I am somewhat bored already with my current setup. About this time last year I was planning it all out and gathering parts, after just building the 406. Maybe the 18* setup you describe is the way to go. Shoot me an IM someone time and we can talk about the 18* heads your talking about. I have looked at some of them in the past. But never really delved into it.


Then again I am focusing on getting a solid axle rearend setup perhaps and that alone should knock me down to near 9s next year. Not sure how much faster I want to go.................YEAH right

 

No problem dude...I'll holler at you later on. I gotta go finish this damn big block car right now.
-Jeb

 

I took that leap this morning!! A set of 18*heads with T&D shaft rockers and port/runner matched Wilson single plane. The heads were done by Auto Specialties in TX for a Super Late Model car.

Jeb mentioned the 370/380 number which is what I was told, he also said they flowed 330 through, I think, a 390 carb which was mandated until a couple years ago.

Now I just need to get the manifold converted to EFI. Anybody know someone that can do that?

 

http://kevthompson.homestead.com/intakesEFI.html

 

Boy page 4 looks awefully familiar...except we were able to retain the longer runner.

http://kevthompson.homestead.com/EFI4.html

 

Boy, I don't even want to think about what that cost

 

sweeet!

 

Well said.

 

I also have been thinking about this setup alot lately. Just ran across a used set of sb2.2 heads,rockers ,head studs,valve covers,and headers which i know wont fit my car for 2500.00$. Yesterday i talked to hogan's racing manifolds and they will make a EFI manifold with nitrous port that will fit my car for 2700.00$.

 

You would be looking at about a $12-15K project if you go that route, cause you might as well figure on about a $5-7k for a solid axle rear to handle that power.

With a setup like this you better have some SERIOUS $$ to blow, or you would be better off with an all out drag car ~2500lbs with one of our motors in it. 9.5s consistantly would be pretty easy to obtain in a lighter car with your setup TOY and A LOT cheaper too.

 

if i remember right 2500 is about what the sb2.2 heads cost new. so it sounds like you gat a good deal on those parts.
i also agree with ski_dwn_it, you better have lots of spare cash lying around for this project.

 

Try again... A bare "as cast" set from GM Performance Parts is almost $5k; that does not include the valve guides, seats, spark plug holes, ANY port work (literally they're "peanut ports"), and a rough combustion chamber... But, they DO have a GM casting number!! The NASCAR team I'm doing some work for and where my heads came from told me that they'll have between $15k and $20k in a set of heads that they'll use for 1 or 2 races. Then they sell them to used NASCAR parts houses for pennies on the dollar. Guys they're cool heads and they make MONSTER power, but the ancillary expenses involved with running them easily overtakes a "cheap" set of used SB2's...
-Jeb

 

Why must there be an "enemy" at all? They are simply different forms of competition. If we can't compete, then we have to step up.

I dispise that Chevy is leaving IRL cause Toyota and Honda are kicking their ***. It was fine when Chevy literally owned the IRL... but now they have some competition, they are taking their toys and going home.

Our real "enemy" is complacency.

 

Jesse - I have met Robert Yates a couple of times... a real class act.

 

I'm a Vette guy because that's what I've always owned; but to paraphrase the late, great John Lingenfelter: "...I'm an engine guy...I could get just as excited over a straight-six diesel pumping water in a rice field as a 500" Pro Stocker...." That's me to a "T," I've always been fascinated with engines; I don't care if they're foreign or domestic, so I'm an engine guy. There are cars I like better than others (obviously) but I don't put down ANY of them...Even imports... A car guy is a car guy...'Nuff said.
-Jeb
PS- I still wear my "Imports Suck" shirt all the time; mostly to import shootouts and the HIN events (Hot Import Nights) where I set up a booth. They all (with very few exceptions) think it's funny.

 

I knew there was a reason why I liked that guy...

great quote....

and the Tshirt? That's in good fun... I was commenting on the prior quote that implied something more insidious....