[brainsboy]

I found this site which has 32valve heads for the older 350chevys and ford 351w. I have tried calling but no one ever answers the phone. Has anyone heard of these people or tried these heads?

http://www.araoengineering.com/Ford/frdsmb.htm

[woodz428]

Yes, They are beautiful heads and are probably great for a special car,but for the amount of money they require you could build an engine traditionally for much less. They've actually been around for sometime and were developed when there wasn't the wide range of good flowing aftermarket heads available. Unless you want that "special" one off look,you can get more for your money with regular aftermarket heads. The amount of power they claim, and I don't question, would require more than a stock block to use and that would add to the costs as well.

[Centerline]

I hate to bust your bubble but they are NOT hemi heads. If you look at the shape of the combustion chambers on all their heads, Ford, Chevy BB or SB, they are wedge shaped. The intake valves are at the low end of the wedge and the exhaust valves are recessed. Not a hemi design. However, the 32 valve configuration will breath an order of magnitude better than stock Ford or Chevy heads. Bet they're pricey though.

Centerline

[brainsboy]

Well I just got through to them. The cost is 5,200 for base line price stage2 heads are 5,400. Bare castings, heads only are 1,750 each.

[killerformula]

Yeah, I looked into those too. They are great heads, but they really only seem to make a difference in really high RPM applications. Definitely not worth the money for a street ride.

I wouldn't be surprised that the combustion chambers aren't Hemispherical. The design is kind-of outdated, and there are better combustion chamber designs that make more power (tent shaped for example).

K

[Centerline]

Originally posted by killerformula
I wouldn't be surprised that the combustion chambers aren't Hemispherical. The design is kind-of outdated, and there are better combustion chamber designs that make more power (tent shaped for example).

Someone needs to tell all the top fuel and funny car owners that fact because if that's true they're all using outdated combustion chamber designs. Wonder why they haven't switched yet? Probably cause they want to stay competitive.

Centerline

[killerformula]

they may be good for those applications, those engines are on the edge of hydrolock the whole time they run. Tent heads flame much better for 90% of street applications. I thought the same thing until I spent some time talking to an engine/car restoration guy-

K

[Crazy Mopar Guy]

Tent heads?
Do you mean "PENT ROOF" heads??!?!

The four valves per cylinder is what would be advantageous to the heads in the link, but the initial price and price of maintaining parts *might* be too much for some?

I like the idea of them. Never heard of those heads, but I've seen many like them.

[1BAD80]

Then again the dragsters do not use 32 valves and the heads are not pure hemi in the quench area as they have been flowed.

The Arao heads are good and the way to upgrade for something different and more HP.