Pro Comp and other BBC aluminum heads

Bar50

Pro Stocker
Jan 31, 2009
1,870
2
38
Tulsa, OK
Okay, I am looking at some aluminum heads for a big block chevy. I got to thinking about a 496 versus some aluminum aftermarket heads. I am leaning towards a streetable 454 with some good heads. I am looking around 9.0 to 10-1 so it will be pump gas friendly. So, I look on ebay, Patriots and Pro Comps and some Strike Force.

So, are they any good? Compared to fixing up a set of old oval ports that I have, some 781's or some 049's. I figure adding big valves, the machine work and parts add up to about the price of these heads, and well, they are cast iron.

One friend of mine bought a set of the small block heads and they seem to be working.

Just thought I would through this out there and see if anyone thought like me.

Another thing, I have been around muscle cars all my life, but, I have never heard an actual LS6 running, do they thump pretty good? I noticed Comp makes a hydraulic with the same sound, it looks like if would fit the combo I want...anyone?
 

TNTS79

Dragway Regular
Jan 6, 2006
1,252
0
0
Illiniois
There are some guys on here running some Patriot heads I think... I have seen some posts about them, seem to be a decent budget head! Lot eaiser on the wallet than AFR's thats for sure...
 

Sikmalibu

Dragway Regular
Apr 2, 2008
744
0
0
Central NJ
If your gonna be just running on the street and you don't care about the actual weight difference I would have the 781's gasket matched and flow benched and that would be fine for what your looking to do.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
is it going to be a mild build? Pariots are dirt cheap at +/- 1300.00 for an assembled pair depending what springs you want. i have a 489 BBC with 244/256 duration .632 lift @ .050 with an 871 blower on top making 815HP @ 6200rpm with peanut headers, installing my coated 2" headers will make it more like 850HP. but AFRs being over 2500.00 was out of my budget. I bought my Patriot heads cheap bare and installed Manley severe duty valves, titanium retainers, arp studs, comp cam springs.....
 

Bar50

Pro Stocker
Thread starter
Jan 31, 2009
1,870
2
38
Tulsa, OK
Mild, I just figured the ProComps ($960 + S&H) or Patriots ($1300 + S&H) have the 115-119cc chamber, I could angle mill them so they would make compression like the Edelbrock Hi-comp Oval ports at about half price.

The 781's, well, figure $200 or so for valve and springs then $200 give or take for machine work, ie cut for the 2.19 1.88 valves (my heads are bare, cost the same for bigger valves as smaller ones right?), then I have iron heads, add in some bowl work or porting...then angle mill them to get decent compression with a flat top piston(look I got a couple of flat top 454's to work with and a few extra sets of pistons)....it looks like I am only a little $$$ away from big new aluminum heads.

I was just looking for 9 or 10.1 pump gas friendly rat, I don't think I'll need to spin ir much past 6200 or 6500 RPM. I am really looking at the Comp Cams hydraulic version of the LS6 cam. I have a 270H I am sticking into the 454 I am putting in my latest Malibu, along with headers and an RPM air gap. The motor is stone stock out of a '74 truck, 400TH and all, I'll leave all the a/c and stuff on it, even leave it automatic for now. I am thinking 3.42 or 3.73 gear and I have an 11" TCI break-a-way converter if needed.

I just figured the bigger heads would make power easier, look cool, be new, shave weight, closer on the compression, and fade some heat of compression for pump gas. Short of it having a gear, it will be my driver.

But, there is a friend with a big piston skinny motor in an old camaro...he's going down, and I will drive my car to the track and wax his *ss, even if it requires pepper spray, shouldn't be too hard, he's only running 11.50's on the bottle, whats that six or eight passes?
 

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