[PrimeMover]

I've been reasearching cyl. heads a lot lately. I've always been one to port and fool around with the old stuff and it's not like I really HAVE to have another set of performance heads, but I've grown curious as to how the aftermarket world of cast iron stacks up against the old stuff. WP's stuff is relativly inexpensive and the numbers all look good. Where are they made?

I'd like to hear from the people who are currently running out-of-the-box sets of either WP Sportsman II's or WP S/R Torquer II's.

Are they worth the money or are swap meets still the best way to shop for cast iron?

Charlie

[BOBCRMAN@aol.com]

World product heads are cast in eastern Ohio by a foundry that has experience dating back to the turn of the century and all machining is done by World Products, they are a good deal for the money, even the S R heads are about 30 hp better than a chevy head right out of the box, they had some quality controll problems a few years ago but those problems are now gone. The Pro Topline heads are a copy of these heads also.

[Jared]

I just bought a set of bare s/r torquers. The engines not done so I cant tell you how well they work but im very happy with the quality of the heads. I got mine for 300.00 and bought better parts to put on them than they come with for less than the fully assembleds cost. Id guess that the money is well worth it since you will probably need new valves, springs etc if you are building the engine, The 2.02 1.6 heads are spendy even if there stockers.

[nickel333]

Bob...if any head is a copy of the Sportsman II's it surely isnt the pro topline. These austrulian heads have a completely different intake port configuration, a felpro 1205 wont fit them, you have to get the topline gaskets to fit them. All the guys ive talked to that have them say they almost resemble a high port head. The toplines are also supirior in flow #'s etc right out of the box. What i will say about world is that there castings are almost perfect out of the box, there wasnt any clean up to do and port matching should be very easy. They are a great deal and will kick your old stocker heads right in the can no matter how much porting you do to them. Well worth every penny id say

[zonk]

I'm using a set of 72cc torquer heads 2.02,1.6 on the coupe have been very pleased, as the others have said any World Products head you'll be ok

[PrimeMover]

Hey thanks guys, I just angle cut a set of 461's and I know I said (in another post) that I was going to bolt them on the 53 and race it this summer. Well I've had second thoughts about that.. It really takes a lot of patience to do a thrash on an almost perfect engine compartment and a motor that already looks and performs fairly well. I pulled it down and cleaned up the top end last weekend. Two of my valve guides were already cracked around the top, I'm thinking it was a result of the big springs that most of the time do me no good at all just doin' the cruise thing. I'm having second thoughts about running the big double springs on a set of questionable heads again. I'd like to run the cam thats in there for quite a while yet - I don't need any flat lobes just yet...

I got out the plastic today and ordered up a new set of Torquer II's with 2.02 1.60's. I upgraded to VTO seals and bronze inserts. From all the tek people I've talked to, they will probably do better on the street than the hogged out 461's have done (No low end torque.) and a 6 grand limit. For now, my nasty heads are going on the shelf. High 12's will work for me in the 53. If nothing else, I'll still have that great sound. If I need to go faster than that, I'll look for an old 62 Nova or something. The 53 is going to stay together for a while this next time around.

Live to cruise.

[PrimeMover]

One thing I forgot to mention is, The small cc Torquer II's come with what WP says are 67 cc combustion chambers. Fred, at Competition Products, swears up and down they cc out to 64 with Manley 2.02 - 160's... I think I'll hold him to that one - I'll be checking for sure.


Now, UPS just has to do thier thing - I'm Standing by in a holding pattern....