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What heads for 496 street?

11K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  nofearengineer 
#1 ·
Quick question on what heads to use on a 496 bbc to run pump friendly gas and make loads of torque, i was looking at AFR 315cc heads but 2,700+ is kind of steep but thats what I will get if its the best. Any other recommendations?
 
#2 ·
alot of it will depend on what kind of cam you are going to use, how high you plan to spin the motor, and what kind of power/tq you want to make.

if you didn't plan on spining it past say 5000-5500 then i would say go with an iron head like the world product merlin 269cc heads, it wouldn't be hard to make 450+hp and 550+tq with these heads with a very street friendly cam and under 9.5:1 (est. 1650.00)

if you are looking for a bit more and plan to spin the motor up to 5500-6000 then i would say look into the brodix race rite 294cc alm heads, they would easily make 550+hp and 600+tq, with a mild hyd roller cam that would still be street friendly with around 9.5ish:1 (est. 2300.00)

then if you were looking to push the limits of pump gas a bit and turn the motor up around 6500 then i would say look into the Dart pro 1's 310cc, Brodix BB-2+ 312cc or the AFR 315's. with these you would likely be running a solid cam and would likely need atleast 10-10.5:1, but this still could be done on pump gas with the right tuning and would easily make 600+hp and 600+tq (EASILY!!) but the price tag for these are a bit more (est 2600.00-3200.00)

and i dont know if you are like me but i always have a little tweaking done to the heads before i use them on a motor, you would be suprised at what 400-600.00 bucks to a good heads shop can do for you.

hope this helped
 
#3 ·
I'm glad this topic came up, since I'm trying to decide on which heads to use on a 496.

Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the Chinese Pro Comp level heads out there, but I'm pretty confident they'd outperform the 781 castings I currently have, and be a lot lighter to boot. And I'm thinking the price difference wouldn't be very much, considering I'd be completely rebuilding the 781's (new seats, valves, springs, etc.). Any thoughts?
 
#6 ·
my87Z said:
alot of it will depend on what kind of cam you are going to use, how high you plan to spin the motor, and what kind of power/tq you want to make.

if you didn't plan on spining it past say 5000-5500 then i would say go with an iron head like the world product merlin 269cc heads, it wouldn't be hard to make 450+hp and 550+tq with these heads with a very street friendly cam and under 9.5:1 (est. 1650.00)

if you are looking for a bit more and plan to spin the motor up to 5500-6000 then i would say look into the brodix race rite 294cc alm heads, they would easily make 550+hp and 600+tq, with a mild hyd roller cam that would still be street friendly with around 9.5ish:1 (est. 2300.00)

then if you were looking to push the limits of pump gas a bit and turn the motor up around 6500 then i would say look into the Dart pro 1's 310cc, Brodix BB-2+ 312cc or the AFR 315's. with these you would likely be running a solid cam and would likely need atleast 10-10.5:1, but this still could be done on pump gas with the right tuning and would easily make 600+hp and 600+tq (EASILY!!) but the price tag for these are a bit more (est 2600.00-3200.00)

and i dont know if you are like me but i always have a little tweaking done to the heads before i use them on a motor, you would be suprised at what 400-600.00 bucks to a good heads shop can do for you.

hope this helped

I plan on getting it around the 5500-6000 rpm range, and I dont know what cam im going to be running because cnc motorsports is doing the assembly and they custom grind their own so I might go with them or a Comp hyd. roller. Whats the pros and cons of iron and aluminum? Im looking for a good head with a decent price. If not ill just have to break the piggy bank again for the AFR 315.
 
#7 ·
If you are on a reasonable budget. I recommend the Pro Comp 290 runner oval port aluminum. I have bought them new complete, as low as $699.00 pr. I use Manley valves and Comp Cams or Isky springs on most of the hot (.620+ lift) street engines.

I have used and sold many prs. of the Pro Comp BBC heads. Contrary to all the negative posts on the net. I think that are great heads for the money. Haven't had a warranty problem or user problem since I started selling them years ago.

I have compared the Pro Comps side by side with the GM heads (actually Edelbrock castings). The Pro Comps are lighter in weight. Still have plenty of meat in important places. Better finish than the GM.
 
#10 ·
BOBCRMAN@aol.com said:
If you are on a reasonable budget. I recommend the Pro Comp 290 runner oval port aluminum. I have bought them new complete, as low as $699.00 pr. I use Manley valves and Comp Cams or Isky springs on most of the hot (.620+ lift) street engines.

I have used and sold many prs. of the Pro Comp BBC heads. Contrary to all the negative posts on the net. I think that are great heads for the money. Haven't had a warranty problem or user problem since I started selling them years ago.

I have compared the Pro Comps side by side with the GM heads (actually Edelbrock castings). The Pro Comps are lighter in weight. Still have plenty of meat in important places. Better finish than the GM.
Thanks, Bob. Exactly the answer I was hoping for. $700 sounds like a heck of a deal, especially if it's just going to be a hot street car, and an occasional strip run.
 
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