[Dannylmcguire]

Im building a motor for my brother and on a little budget I have a crane energizer cam with a 454 lift and the heads are a mis match what would be a good head to use with this without going to vortec

[techinspector1]

Loosen up there Danny and give us some numbers. Cam number, head casting number, what pistons and piston deck height, what intake manifold, what carb, what trans, what rear end and what rear end ratio, what tire?

The motor/converter/trans/diff must all work together as one unit to make the power where you want it to be and be reliable.

[Dannylmcguire]

Sorry im building a sbc 350 bored .40 over 4 bolt main I have the whole motor but was told the 624 heads are a mismatch for that cam he has a truck but needs a motor and like usual wants alot done for cheap im not looking to make a monster it is a mexico made crate motor I believe the target buster 10066036 casting the cam has a closed 105 lbs and a open 265 272 duration min rpm is 2000 max is 5000 and lift is 454. I can have the heads worked by my buddy but was wondering what heads I can use without going vortec and spending alot I do have access to a salvage yard due to the fact I work for a company who has one my main question would be is what heads would match this cam I am using flat head pistons

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by Dannylmcguire

Sorry im building a sbc 350 bored .40 over 4 bolt main I have the whole motor but was told the 624 heads are a mismatch for that cam he has a truck but needs a motor and like usual wants alot done for cheap im not looking to make a monster it is a mexico made crate motor I believe the target buster 10066036 casting the cam has a closed 105 lbs and a open 265 272 duration min rpm is 2000 max is 5000 and lift is 454. I can have the heads worked by my buddy but was wondering what heads I can use without going vortec and spending alot I do have access to a salvage yard due to the fact I work for a company who has one my main question would be is what heads would match this cam I am using flat head pistons

I'm told that those heads have 76cc chambers and are very thin castings, so the ones you have may be cracked and you just don't know it yet. Check around the exhaust seats. Best way to find cracks for sure is to have them magnafluxed at a shop. Cheap insurance for a set of heads that will work, but really, I wouldn't spend a dime on 'em. Even if they're not cracked now, they could very well crack in service. These are not the heads you want to start with. Matter of fact, you could do a service to humanity if you'd smash 'em with a BFH and sell the remains for scrap.

Shop around for a set of casting number 882 or 441 heads. These could also crack, so you will want to make a deal with the guy you get them from, that he will take them back and refund your money if you produce a magnaflux certificate that shows them cracked. Tell him he can stamp the heads anywhere on a non-machined surface that he wants to, so he can later identify the heads as the ones he sold you. That way, if they're valid when you bolt 'em on, they're probably gonna be alright because you, as a hot rodder and appreciator of all things that turn money into noise, will be diligent about maintenance on your short. "short" is a name for a car that was used when I was a teenager. The guys were looking for a shorter name for "car", so they settled on "short". Kinda funny if you see it from my perspective.

I'll get further into this motor if you want to.

[joelster]

Tight budget and performace usually do not go hand in hand. Vortec heads are dirt cheap, and if they are out of the budget then I just don't know what to say here. You will spend more money rebuilding a set of 882 heads then you will on yanking a set of Vortec heads off of a salvage yard motor. The Vortec heads will stomp any old school iron sbc head that has stock ports. There are no magical sbc heads to be found in a junkyard. Just later model Vortec heads, and then 1.94/1.50 heads and occasionally 2.02/1.60 heads.

[Dannylmcguire]

I know vortec are the way to go I just built a 355 with vortec heads around 400 hp for myself im not wanting to go super perfomance just got the cam lifters and a double roller timing for almost nothing brand new the cam that was in it had a flat so im doing this I have a set of 882 s I was going to use but thought I would double check cuz I have gotten very good info off here before

[techinspector1]

Originally Posted by joelster

Tight budget and performace usually do not go hand in hand. Vortec heads are dirt cheap, and if they are out of the budget then I just don't know what to say here. You will spend more money rebuilding a set of 882 heads then you will on yanking a set of Vortec heads off of a salvage yard motor. The Vortec heads will stomp any old school iron sbc head that has stock ports. There are no magical sbc heads to be found in a junkyard. Just later model Vortec heads, and then 1.94/1.50 heads and occasionally 2.02/1.60 heads.

64cc heads will put him at 10.20:1 and I think the cam's a little short for that. I was thinkin' of somewhere around 9.0:1 using 76cc heads with the flat-top pistons and the cam would work dandy at that number in my opinion.

I didn't see this lad's immediate need as being performance. More of a "lick and a promise" kind of build for his brother.

[Dannylmcguire]

Thanks for your help I appreciate it he is putting it in a 86 silverado that someone had a 307 in the motor was junk but the way I see it cheap or not there is still a way of doing it right I would have liked to go vortec on it but there is alot to change to do so

[joelster]

Originally Posted by techinspector1

64cc heads will put him at 10.20:1 and I think the cam's a little short for that. I was thinkin' of somewhere around 9.0:1 with the flattops and the cam would work dandy at that number in my opinion.

I didn't see this lad's immediate need as being performance. More of a "lick and a promise" kind of build for his brother.

I ran a big roller cam in my stock shortblock 350 LT1 engine. With the 62cc heads my static compression was 9.2-1 . The cam was 242/248 @.050" with .584/.579" lift on a 114. More compression would have been nice but it pulled very hard at the track. I don't lose sleep when the compression numbers don't exactly work out.

He's going to spend $300 or more getting a set of 882's cleaned up, with a valve job and new guides put in. I would just yank a set of Vortecs off of a pickup truck in the junkyard. Pull some valve covers and find the set with no sludge. There's your heads.

[Dannylmcguire]

If I just yank a set of vortecs then I have to yank a new mani new brackets spend more on plugs tall valve covers and all ill just get a set of 882s have my buddy that owes me a favor do a head job on them and spend nothing

[joelster]

Originally Posted by Dannylmcguire

If I just yank a set of vortecs then I have to yank a new mani new brackets spend more on plugs tall valve covers and all ill just get a set of 882s have my buddy that owes me a favor do a head job on them and spend nothing

Ok.

Sounds to me like you already had your mind made up? Why make the post?