Need more power!
 

So im running these crap cast 041 heads and need to upgrade. What is a relativly cheaper head that will make at least 400-450 HP. I dont know anything about heads or valves and stuff so plz bear with me. Car is street/strip/weekend warrior.Thx all!

Re: Need more power!
 

your budget is the limiting factor. power costs money.if you can,go aftermarket. AFR,brodix,ect all have heads for you.you can also go with a set of heavily worked over stockers and do ok. as to which ones? everybody here screams "vortec".

Re: Need more power!
 

What is your budget? What else has been done to the motor?

Brodix, AFR, Trick Flow will all be north of $1300 for a set. World's heads will run $1100-$1200 or so.

Vortec's will be between $900 and $1100.

Re: Need more power!
 

Budget is cheap lol but as to whats been done to the motor.. 350 bored .060 with summit flat top pistons and a 272TL-6 comp cam with 1.5 rollers with edelbrock performer and eddy 600. (I know I need better intake and bigger carb but this is just to break it in but gonna be running victor jr and holley 750 DP. And also what kind of vortec heads and what exactly do I need to do to them?? Motor turns 6500 max.

Re: Need more power!
 

runnin them damn 4 bolt vortecs will limit your intake selection.and the ones I have seen are pricy. if youre handy with air tools you can port the heads you already have and save some coin.

Re: Need more power!
 

I was thinking the same thing but everyone on here says these heads are not good for my build. I think they do fine as is but with port work they should do ok rite? Already have 202 160 steel valves with big comp springs but what would I need to do to the inside of them?

Re: Need more power!
 

Either pick up a set of used Vortec's or port and polish your current heads. That would be your cheapest budget option. Also get a set of hooker 2055 or Dyno don headers with a good cat-back system and you'll free up around 15-20hp from your current motor.

Re: Need more power!
 

what casting number do you have? is it 882? if so, sometimes they can be milled to bring up compression, and they really need flat top pistons. but hey, sometimes you gotta work with what you have

Re: Need more power!
 

041 is not a "crap" head. Old, yes; obsolete, yes; no longer competitive at the highest levels, yes; but, up until the early 90s or so (CNC casting), about as good as it got, for the vast majority of us. All those "blazing fast" "old skool" cars you hear about, had stuff like that on em.

What's the rest of your combo? Why "400-450 HP"? Ya wanna go fast, or brag about some number, or what? ;)

Re: Need more power!
 

I wanna go fast and have the HP for top end and low end. The rest of the combo is .60 over with summit flattops and 272TL-6 comp cam with 1.5 roller rockers victor jr intake and holley 750DP. Need any other specs just LMK.
What all do I need to do to my 041 heads to make them better? Already have big valves and springs but as far as porting them any tips for a newbie? And also do I need to do any porting to the intake?

Re: Need more power!
 

It is 041 and I already have flat tops.

Re: Need more power!
 

If it's running now, I'd dyno it and see where you are at. Get a good exhaust first, headers and cat-back, followed by the head work. Victor Jr. Is an older design, but not terrible. Do you know if it's a dual-plane or single-plane intake? Holly 750 is borderline big for what you're running now but tuned right will run well. Easily good enough for 400hp.

Next question, do you want 400hp at the crank or at the wheels? If it's the wheels, you need to plan for 480-500hp at the crank.