ProComp 320cc BBC Aluminum Head
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 278
Likes: 2
From: Wellington Florida
ProComp 320cc BBC Aluminum Head
Does anyone have experience with these heads? I see them on Ebay for $1000-1200 a pair complete. They seem like a great value for the price and flow very well. I know there are better ones out there (AFR, BRODIX, etc.) but they are more than twice the money and dont seem to flow that much better. For the budget minded these seem like a great option. Opinions?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 13,015
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From: Corsicana, Tx
2020 C2 of the Year - Modified Winner
2020 Corvette of the Year (performance mods)
C2 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
2017 C2 of Year Finalist
Cheap Chinese heads. They have a reputation for poor castings and machining issues.
That said,,they ARE aluminum...and there ARE a few folks who've used them with some success. But they were machinists and spent a lot of time checking, measuring, correcting them. They did a lot of port work to blend them etc.
You also have to think about the quality of valves, springs, retainers etc in them at that price. I would worry about that more than the actual casting probably.
One more thing, you will never get anything close to your money out of them if you decide to step up. Everyone will associate them as cheap heads and won't give you anything for them. Brodix. AFR and Darts sell a lot easier if needed.
I personally would look for a nice used set of freshened *real*heads before I would use them. There are some deals out there if you look around some.
JIM
That said,,they ARE aluminum...and there ARE a few folks who've used them with some success. But they were machinists and spent a lot of time checking, measuring, correcting them. They did a lot of port work to blend them etc.
You also have to think about the quality of valves, springs, retainers etc in them at that price. I would worry about that more than the actual casting probably.
One more thing, you will never get anything close to your money out of them if you decide to step up. Everyone will associate them as cheap heads and won't give you anything for them. Brodix. AFR and Darts sell a lot easier if needed.
I personally would look for a nice used set of freshened *real*heads before I would use them. There are some deals out there if you look around some.
JIM
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 13,015
Likes: 2,260
From: Corsicana, Tx
2020 C2 of the Year - Modified Winner
2020 Corvette of the Year (performance mods)
C2 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
2017 C2 of Year Finalist
Go over to the Chevelle Forum and do a search. There are a couple of folks using them...one seems to be doing well and I think he did some flow testing.
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
JIM
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
JIM
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 278
Likes: 2
From: Wellington Florida
Go over to the Chevelle Forum and do a search. There are a couple of folks using them...one seems to be doing well and I think he did some flow testing.
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
JIM
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
JIM
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
If money is an issue the GM Performance alum heads are pretty good,That's what I have,they are oval port though....I just don't trust Chinese parts...have seen several bad brand new steel cranks etc.....and as they are performance parts when you try to get stuff warrantied forget it....engine is to expensive to put cheap crap in or on it..............
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 6,048
Likes: 5
From: "cutesy" TN
If money is an issue the GM Performance alum heads are pretty good,That's what I have,they are oval port though....I just don't trust Chinese parts...have seen several bad brand new steel cranks etc.....and as they are performance parts when you try to get stuff warrantied forget it....engine is to expensive to put cheap crap in or on it..............
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
true,slightly better than chinese,also several AMerican companies the crap is made in China...I bought EAGLE wheels for my truck.....they bragged about being American made...they are...the lug nuts are not they came from China approx 1 out of 4 were drilled off center thus the wheels would not fit...took 64 lug nuts to get 4 wheels (8 lugs each mounted ) cost alot in time and effort to complete the process...chance to do over again I would now have left stock wheels on....My Mexican GM heads when I got them I took them to a machine shop and had them checked,if a Chinese steel crank breaks saw one last week as a matter of fact broke right behind the front weight,this particular brand is sold in many mail order companies and out of some mach. shops....it was in a relatively stock 350 with 500 miles on it...truck used to pull travel trailer....they would not warranty it so my friends shop found him an old steel crank 10/10 and gave it to him and will not sell that brand any more
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Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Have a friend on the Chevelle board with ProComp heads on his 557 CI BB. However he spent a few grand extra on them through porting and extra work making sure they were up to par.
I would be real upset if I had port alignment/guide alignment/geometry issues (just as an example)...I am sure over time products over there will get better over time but I would put my money in some good stuff from here as far as heads go.
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
From: Baltimore MD
Does anyone have experience with these heads? I see them on Ebay for $1000-1200 a pair complete. They seem like a great value for the price and flow very well. I know there are better ones out there (AFR, BRODIX, etc.) but they are more than twice the money and dont seem to flow that much better. For the budget minded these seem like a great option. Opinions?
After numerous problems which include simple things like bolt holes not being drilled deep enough to major problems like valve cover rails not to factory dimensions, port misalignment, wrong valve spread, thin areas in the casting, etc.
I have since unloaded most of it and I would not put any of it on any of our engines from this point forward. You get what you pay for. The best heads on the market are Brodix, Dart and Edelbrock. AFR is a close second to those. Let the ebay stuff go to someone else and stick to a name brand on important items.
