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Anyone on here use Powerhouse heads?

20K views 47 replies 20 participants last post by  1badLemans 
#1 ·
Just checking to see if anyone has used the Powerhouse brand small block heads? I found a set on their web site for $700. 190cc intake 64cc comb. 2.05/1.6 valves, big valve springs, retainers, 10* locks, good seals, etc...

Good buy? They are aluminum.

Thanks

Shawn
 
#3 ·
Dude, it has been asked and answered a thousand times before. $700 complete aluminum heads are going to be Chinese made junk and more problems than you can imagine. What the heck is another 300 bucks to buy some heads from a reputable manufacturer? Some of the best heads going are Edelbrock performers. Cast iron Bowtie Vortecs are great heads that you could get along with a manifold for one grr. $300 bucks over twenty years life of a head is what? .030 cents a week. They're only the most important part of your engine, why would you risk it?
 
#4 ·
Tryin' to be as nice as I can but how many people are gonna post questions like this? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don't people stop to think that there might be a reason a set of heads is $300 to $600 less than another set? This site is getting a little boring with the "has anybody tried [insert part of choice] cuz I found this deal on the internet...." Who knows, maybe somebody will answer his post and say to go for it. I'm just an anonymous person on the world wide web just like anybody else. Why my opinion would count over somebody doing the research on their own and coming to their own conclusion is beyond me. Caveat emptor.
 
#6 ·
Hacksaw said:
Just checking to see if anyone has used the Powerhouse brand small block heads? I found a set on their web site for $700. 190cc intake 64cc comb. 2.05/1.6 valves, big valve springs, retainers, 10* locks, good seals, etc...

Good buy? They are aluminum.

Thanks

Shawn
That does seem to be almost to good, might be a good idea to keep trying to find someone who has used them and get some feedback,and maybe e-mail them to see what they say about them.
 
#8 ·
Sorry Mark, can't really agree with the premise of your last post. Edelbrock heads are proven performance pieces that are engineered and made in america. You know what you are getting with them. And.....they have a definite niche and will perform well when used in that niche. $4000 ported race heads will surely shame the Edelbrocks but they are for a different situation. The OP does not name a brand name for these heads, does not list the components included in the heads or the brands of those components, etc. It is just another typical post about some bargain that has been found but the person who found it doesn't have the cajones to purchase them without reassurances from people. IF these heads were truly a great deal at $700 bucks, many people would be running them and they would probably be a well known name by now. The fact that the OP has to ask about them because he has never heard of them should tell him that they are some knock off and not worth the trouble.

I mean, really, how many times do respected builders on here tout the Edelbrock's, Dart's, AFR's, and GM Vortec's to name the most commonly mentioned heads before people get the idea that YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!!! But it's all good. As said before, caveat emptor. :cool:

Chet
 
#9 ·
Dang! Someone must have had a bad day?
No where near the bad day the guy who buys new assembled heads for $700 is going to have when he finds out he's been had. Face the facts, no quality head, assembled with quality parts, is going to be so cheap. Cheap being the key word. I've got a nice brand new set of valve springs that retail for $450+ at any speed shop in the USA, add to those some quality valves, retainers, keepers, seats and some bare proven heads and you get the picture.

If not... Throw those el cheapos on and make a YouTube vid saying the $700 heads are some top shelf items cuz it runs, well, IMHO, is not the way to do it.

:smash:
 
#10 ·
Stroke said:
No where near the bad day the guy who buys new assembled heads for $700 is going to have when he finds out he's been had. Face the facts, no quality head, assembled with quality parts, is going to be so cheap. Cheap being the key word. I've got a nice brand new set of valve springs that retail for $450+ at any speed shop in the USA, add to those some quality valves, retainers, keepers, seats and some bare proven heads and you get the picture.

If not... Throw those el cheapos on and make a YouTube vid saying the $700 heads are some top shelf items cuz it runs, well, IMHO, is not the way to do it.

:smash:
I totally agree with you. But when I look at his first post,He is asking if anyone has used them and looking for some feedback, no reason to jump down the guy's throat, nothing wrong with checking out different stuff. I thought that is was what this place was for? :confused:
 
#11 ·
Product Description
ONLINE ONLY SALE $699/pair**

POWERHOUSE 23° Aluminum cylinder heads (2) for SB Chevrolet. 190cc runner, 64cc chamber. Comes assembled with 11/32" stainless steel, swirl polished valves, new screw-in 3/8" studs, chrome moly guide plates, .550" lift (1.460" OD)dual valve springs, chrome moly valve spring retainers, 10° hardened valve locks, high-temp valve seals. Price is for two (2) heads.

Every Head Features:

• 3-angle valve job
• Rocker stud torque 50 ft. lbs.
• Spring pocket 1.575"
• Rocker - no offset required
• Intake valves 2.05" .100" Long
• Exhaust valves 1.600" .100" Long
• Valve angle 23°
• Intake guide material Manganeze Bronze
• Exhaust guide material Phosphor Bronze
• Hydraulic (Flat Tappet) Setup: 115lb Seat
• Solid (Flat Tappet) Setup: 140lb Seat
• Roller Springs (Hydraulic) to .650" : 140lb Seat
• Roller Springs (Solid) to .650" : 200lb Seat

Flow Numbers (Intake/Exhaust) in CFM:

.100 64/61
.200 128/115
.300 181/158
.400 227/190
.500 260/209
.600 277/227
.700 280/231
 
#13 ·
prostreet6t9 said:
I totally agree with you. But when I look at his first post,He is asking if anyone has used them and looking for some feedback, no reason to jump down the guy's throat, nothing wrong with checking out different stuff. I thought that is was what this place was for? :confused:
Thanks Prostreet6t9. At least some people on here keep an open mind. I am fairly new to this site, am on a limited budget, have a cool car that has a lot of parts already, am trying to use what I already have, and keep the hotrods on the road during these trouble times in the US! With that said, $700 for heads vs. $1000 is a big deal to me. That is what I was wondering. Saving an extra $300 will take a bit longer for me to do. I did a search on the heads I listed before posting and came up with nothing. Not to P_ _ _ in any ones Post Tosties! Thanks for the response from everyone. I will probably keep looking.

Shawn
 
#15 ·
Hacksaw said:
Thanks Prostreet6t9. At least some people on here keep an open mind. I am fairly new to this site, am on a limited budget, have a cool car that has a lot of parts already, am trying to use what I already have, and keep the hotrods on the road during these trouble times in the US! With that said, $700 for heads vs. $1000 is a big deal to me. That is what I was wondering. Saving an extra $300 will take a bit longer for me to do. I did a search on the heads I listed before posting and came up with nothing. Not to P_ _ _ in any ones Post Tosties! Thanks for the response from everyone. I will probably keep looking.

Shawn
So, what are ya building? and what are you gonna do with it?
 
#16 ·
no reason to jump down the guy's throat
Not at all. I cannot recommend or suggest using 'cheap' items on anything but a lawn mower. Aluminum does not make them better than iron, especially if it is cheap low grade aluminum. Engine building, repair, etc requires the use of quality parts, tools, and knowledge of them. If you had an M14 rifle in need of a receiver and found some Pakistani part for it I would not recommend using that either. The cost would probably be a mere percentage, but the outcome may be disastrous. Pretty simple in my book. It applies to most things on this planet.

At least some people on here keep an open mind
An open mind may also be open to bad suggestions. I am not implying or inferring the heads you posted as junk, but I would certainly be cautious before committing to buy them without first doing your homework. Internet forums are full of bad advice. My intent is not to demean or knock the product you ask about, but I have seen too many times folks do the same thing you are about to do and then spend countless hours and money trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. It's your money, you can spend it as you see fit. JMO

keep the hotrods on the road during these trouble times in the US
And why do you suppose some of that trouble exists???
 
#18 ·
Politics don't belong on a hotrod forum!
The purchasing of foreign made parts has little to do with politics. I made no reference to anything political. Get real. I hope the influx of the cheap foreign parts into the aftermarket does not put the reputable and proven manufacturers out of business because of price. This is absolutely insane! :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank: :spank:
 
#19 ·
Stroke gets it. Nobody jumped the guys throat. If he had bothered to do a forum search he would have discovered the prevailing opinion by most on this board that "bargain" heads are never a bargain.

Really don't know what your beef is Prostreet. I really don't get the post where you post the specs on these wonderful heads. Are you running these heads? If not, why not? We don't even know what the original poster's intent for his engine are! Found a bargain on the net but do they match up to his cam and gearing? Quite frankly, your response is really indicative of how this forum is going downhill. The basis of hotrodding is experimentation, research, documentation, etc. You don't start with questionable components because the price is lower than anything else. Now if these were used Dart, Brodix, AFR heads that passed a magnuflux and fit the intent of the engine than they would be a good bargain. Let's get real and start encouraging real hotrodding instead of virtual hotrodding.
 
#20 ·
cool rockin daddy said:
Stroke gets it. Nobody jumped the guys throat. If he had bothered to do a forum search he would have discovered the prevailing opinion by most on this board that "bargain" heads are never a bargain.

Really don't know what your beef is Prostreet. I really don't get the post where you post the specs on these wonderful heads. Are you running these heads? If not, why not? We don't even know what the original poster's intent for his engine are! Found a bargain on the net but do they match up to his cam and gearing? Quite frankly, your response is really indicative of how this forum is going downhill. The basis of hotrodding is experimentation, research, documentation, etc. You don't start with questionable components because the price is lower than anything else. Now if these were used Dart, Brodix, AFR heads that passed a magnuflux and fit the intent of the engine than they would be a good bargain. Let's get real and start encouraging real hotrodding instead of virtual hotrodding.
I posted that because you made the comment the poster did not give a name or spec for the head,So I went to the web site and copied it, And no Its not something I would run.

Quite frankly, YOUR response is really indicative of how this forum is going downhill! Maybe this guy don't have a bunch of experience? and just looking for some good Idea's? Or maybe not so good? That should be the fun part of hotrodding. Hopefully someone can get some good advice and make the right choice before spending too much.

When I have someone come to my shop and tell me what they want done to the differential/trans or driveline and I know they are way off base on what they need, It's actually pretty easy to say " would you like my opinion?" If they say yes,you give it to them.If they say no,I build it like they want it,"as long as its safe".
 
#21 ·
Well, well. My take on the subject is that the guy just asked a "simple" question and did not ask to be slammed. He did not ask any specific person to answer his question. If you can't answer a question in a kind manner, don't answer it at all. He did not ask for rude remarks.
 
#22 ·
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been looking, and reading as much as I can on here about different engine combos. The cyl head is where I am right now. I have every thing elese except for the cam kit and heads. Most people on here have been VERY helpful. I am not on here to slam anyone, even if I get bashed for a post. I will still not bash them. Thanks for info. from every one one here. Good and bad. I was unaware that those knock off parts were from China. I am going to save the $ for a well know set of heads. I have about $550 saved right now and growing weekly. I did check out the Edelbrock Performer RPM's, and that might be something to look into. They might like the 327 I have, instead of some of the other heads that are preaty big on the intake runners. I figre about 9.5.1 comp. Maybe I need to just go with the complete Edelbrock RPM cam and intake as well??? Anyway, thanks again

Shawn
 
#23 ·
Shawn, be careful about choosing RPM heads and cam. You could end up with a soggy bottom end with only 327 cubes. Of course, if you run enough valve spring, gear and converter, you can make 'em work. All depends on the characteristics you want from the motor.

See post #5 on this thread. I ran this combination on DynoSim. It's a 350 with 10.1:1 scr, 300* cam and 200cc heads. It makes good power 6,000 to 7,000, but at low and midrange, it wouldn't pull the hat off your head without gears and converter.
 
#25 ·
Shawn,

If it was me, I would go buy a set of 180 cc Bowtie Vortec heads from your GM Performance Part outlet. Do a little clean up on the bowls and bolt them on to your engine and then hang on. BEST head to ever come out of the factory. If you gotta have aluminum, I would do the Dart Pro 1 heads. Go with what Dart recommends. I am just another a$$whole on the internet with an opinion but that is my $.02 worth. Take it for what it is worth. :cool:
 
#26 ·
Thanks, do you know if the GM Bowtie vortec heads have both sets of valve cover bolt provisions? And do you have to use the vortec style intake. I know some sfter market vortec heads will accept both valve cover styles and intakes? Thanks

Shawn
 
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