Cylinder Heads

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:40 pm

With that lift and duration, I would sure check for valve to piston clearance, especially with a truck motor.
Dave

plowboy34 · Post by **plowboy34** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:25 pm

I guess I misread the duration, my goodness. You will have major idle issues with that thing. No way I would run a duration like that on the street. Dave may also have a good point with the PV clearance issues. Again I know $$ is an issue but using that cam will not save you money. In the long run you will spend more than a new cam just trying to make that thing streetable.

usmcrp1044 · Post by **usmcrp1044** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:12 pm

yeah, I didnt look that closely at it until last night. I showed it to my girlfriends dad and the cam in his completely worked SBC has about the same duration cam.

To use that cam I would need different springs as well as adjustable rocker arms. So that is getting set away until I start my 'real' motor.

I was looking on the comp cams website and found this one.
http://www.compperformancegroupstores.c ... ode=SBHFTC

What do you guys think of that with stock stuff (rocker arms, springs, etc.)
I dont know much about it but obviously the duration is alot less so that should be abit more reasonable with my motor.

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:27 am

Plowboy34, that was my my knee-jerk reaction too hence why I said if that cam had a chance of idling, it'd require a dual plane intake.

As for the new cam selection, it's getting better, but still some overlap of concern. I'd keep looking until you find a cam that fits both of these requirements:

Gets really close if not just a tad over .500" lift
Both intake and exhaust duration is less than 220...preferably both below 216, but if you are going to go heavy on a duration, best it be on the exhaust side not on the intake side. But at least with the durations under 220, you'll have a more stable, and idlable engine.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:08 am

I've got that Crane Cam with lifters that Chris mentioned a couple of posts ago. Had it for sale for several years and forgot about it. Still in box with lifters, never used, needs a good home.
Dave

there's a Crane cam in there CRN-363941 that looks like it's going to be about as close as you'll find to what you are looking for. The intake duration is well below 220 which will work well with an intake and carb to prevent temperamental driving

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:45 am

That Crane you quoted is still a bit too aggressive for my tastes and of course it's a flat-tappet cam, but it is probably exactly what he's looking for. It's conservative enough on the intake lobe to make it idle right, but the exhaust duration is heavy enough to give it a distinctive tone AND maximize flow out those very restrictive stock exhaust ports. It's a zero-overlap cam (but just barely) which is good. And the valve lift is much improved over stock. As long as the stock springs and retainers are replaced, I don't see why this cam wouldn't do everything he's wanting it to. If he wanted to sacrifice a little top-end, he could advance the cam 2-3Â° and get some more torque at the bottom end. But even installed straight-up, I think it'd perform quite well and idle right with a single or dual plane intake.

Links:
Crane Cams PN 363941 Grind H-272-2
Summit Racing PN 363941 Grind H-272-2

usmcrp1044 · Post by **usmcrp1044** » Fri May 02, 2008 9:43 pm

sorry to bump a thread thats a few days old but didnt feel like making a new one.

Anyways, I found a new set of heads for my motor. Going to buy them tommorow afternoon I'm imagining.

Anyways, hears a link to the adds just to give an idea of what they are
http://albany.craigslist.org/pts/664783728.html

The guy offered me the heads and the intake for $250 after I talked to him on the phone. He said he use to race but doesnt anymore and the heads have been bagged in his garage for a few years. He said he wasnt sure if there were rocker arms on them, if there are it's a definite + if they are adjustable since I'm sticking with the cam I was given. I figure with that cam, the new heads, and the torker intake--jegs says it's good from like 2500-6500, I should be pretty well along and will start looking into carb's.

stranger · Post by **stranger** » Sun May 04, 2008 7:44 am

be carefull most older heads have non hardned(leaded gas) valve seats.

new seats and valves can cost 500-700 bucks to upgrade no bargain.just get a nice set of aftermarket. 50 hp more than any ported stock head will give you

usmcrp1044 · Post by **usmcrp1044** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:06 am

Why would I need to change the seats and valves?

Is there anything wrong with using the old ones on a newer motor? The guy said they have triple springs on the phone, I dont really know what that means....

Believe I'm going to get them today...

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:57 am

In leaded motors, the lead actually acted as a lubricant and the raw cast iron the head is cast from could be used as the seat. When leaded gasoline was discontinued and we all were forced to use unleaded, those older motors started having valve problems because of the missing lead.
In newer heads designed to work with unleaded gas have hardened metal insert seats and hardened valves that can withstand prolonged rubbing without the benefit of the lead.

These 69 heads were admittedly used as race heads which probably used a leaded race gas or possibly even 100 octane low-lead aviation gas, so that's probably why they are still in working condition. Does this mean the heads won't work on unleaded? No. They will for a time. But they will require work eventually if you run unleaded in them for any length of time. It's also quite possible they are in marginal condition now.

As this relates to you, even if this is to only be a weekend warrior, I wouldn't bother with those old heads. They were a good head for their day. Those old 69 heads are something of a "legend". You hear people singing their praises all the time. And in their day, they probably were the hottest thing going. But by today's standards, there's just no comparison. I believe the E7TE head would work just as good as those old 289 heads for what you are trying to accomplish (upgrading your E6 heads). AFAIK, the 3 best flowing heads Ford ever made as production units are the E7TE, GT40, and GT40p with the ladder being the best. The GT40 heads were introduced on the 93 Cobra and were used on the 94 & 95 Cobras as well. They even had a 1-year usage on the 96 and early 97 Explorer 302s but they just couldn't meet the emission demands. So Ford redesigned them. So 97-2001 Explorer 302s got the GT40p head hence why GT40p heads are quite often referred to as Explorer heads. Even though the GT40p head has a smaller exhaust valve (1.46") than the GT40 head (1.54"), the GT40p will outflow the GT40 in stock condition hence the GT40p head's popularity as bolt-on upgrades to most any SBF. Their only Achilles heal is the limited header options. Although thanks to the larger valve in the GT40 head, it will outflow the GT40p with some exhaust porting work making the GT40 heads the best production foundation head if you are willing to do some grinding to them. The problem is the cost of doing work on stock heads is usually cost-prohibitive if you aren't going to do the work yourself.