Well I got my LT1 cam, and now I'm in the market for some heads and I found these in an ad in the back of the new Chevy Highperformance magazine (pg. 103). They seem like a pretty good deal. Anybody ever had any experience with them? Is there anything I should ask for specifically from the dealer? It's for my 91' RS LO3.

GM HP Heads $475/pr

58cc
194/150 valves
Bronze Guides
3 Angle Valve Job
Resurfaced
Magnafluxed
Stage 1 Ported (blended off seat into valve bowl)
Cut for Screw-in Studs and Guide Plates
Stainless Valves
PC Seals
.510" Lift Springs

Phone # for the company: 1-800-722-4645
They're based out of Phoenix and I talked to some guy named Bill. He mentioned something about some Fel-Pro gaskets, but it was a horrible connection and I couldn't understand him.

These look like a good alternative to the S/R Torquers huh?

 

That would depend on what heads they are....

 

Got any casting #s on those?

They're in my price range.

 

Are they iron or aluminum?

 

For $475 you better bet they're iron.

 

That's what I was thinking, but wanted to ask. I thought they might be the 'vette heads.

 

Nah, those sell for like $475 a piece new.

 

I'll call and find out. Give me a few minutes.....is there anything else yall want to know about them, when I call?

 

Ask him how these heads would be on a 350 that is modded and has 76 cc heads right now with 8.5:1 compression if you don't mind.

 

According to the ad, you can get them in 58, 65 or 76 cc; with no difference in price.

O.K., I'm calling now....be back soon.

 

Do they offer angled plugs?

 

I just hung up the phone when I saw your post.....sorry...I'll bother him again tomorrow.

For the 58 cc heads, they're casting #187.....I don't know what that is.

I talked to him, and he's willing to do a group purchase. I'm going to need 4 people to jump in on this (5 total). And he stated he'll give us 20% off. That comes out to $380 for a set of heads. Now understand, that they are reconditioned, but since they're magnafluxed, and everything else is new, I have no worries.

Any more questions, you might be able to bother him today if you like, just use the phone number I gave yall.

You also have a choice of going with either the 1.94/1.50 valves or the 2.04/1.60 valves at no extra cost.

He says, typical gains with his heads are around 40 HP or so. Now that's what I call good bang for the buck, but I'll verify that upon using the heads myself.

The guys name is Bill if you want to call.

 

the fact that they've been resurfaced pretty much means that they are a reconditioned head IE- not new. They probably have different casting numbers for different chamber sizes, either that or they mill them to get the desired chamber size.

Eric

 

2.04s, sure not 2.02s never heard of 2.04s, $380 is a great price, I'd be really interested as long as these are good heads, I have no idea, if you can get like RBL or someone like that to say they're good , I'm all for it.

 

i just looked it up, 187 heads are swirl port 305 heads. Most people on this board say to stay away from them, but i dont' know enough about them to judge myself....

Eric

 

Yeah they're 2.02's, that's a typo. Oops.

 

Well, to most people on here, if it came on anything less than a 350, they stay away from it.

If I can even get 30 - 35 HP from them, for half the price of S/R Torquers, then that's what I'll do. I'm in the military, and I don't get paid sh*t, so my car is definately a "budget" build up. For the difference in price, I can get my entire rearend done with posi and gears. Not tryin' to flame anybody, I just get kind of tired of people not liking anything, but 350's. Sorry, had to vent just a little.

 

Screw that, those are TBI heads and they suck azz. Sorry, I'm out.

 

I think most people on here will agree that 305 tpi heads are way better than the 305 tbi heads, swirl ports I hear are horrible.

 

this is taken from the tech section on chevytalk.com.....


"187" – 3927187. Another good performance head (I think). They were found on 1969-1970 350 engines. I believe they had 1.94/1.50" valves, 64CC combustion chambers, DO have accessory holes. I do not have any data on port volumes for this casting. These heads have double hump casting marks.



.......well if these heads include all the features gunny highway says they do and they have 64cc chambers and 2.02/1.60 valves, these heads should give a good compression ratio and flow reasonabley well, especially for the price. i am not in the market for new heads, but i am interested to see if any one else knows anything about these heads.

 

Hmmm, anyone have a clear answer on these heads?

 

The 187's are for the 58cc, not the 76 ones. He didn't know off the top of his head what it was. They might just be milled down in order to get 76cc, or they just might be a different casting, I'm not sure, but I'll check.

Wait, I'm tired of calling. Someone else go bother Bill. He's a nice enough guy, I just don't have the knowledge about heads in order to lead this charge.

 

If they're 58cc 187s, they're TBI swirl-port heads. You don't want them no matter what anybody has done to them. If they're the double-hump 187s, they're 64cc; that is a decent head for a 350, but will give kind of low CR on a 305. I don't know of a 76cc 187 casting.

187 double-humps aren't that common. The 186s are far more plentiful. But like the one post said, they're all a good platform for performance. All the double-hump heads are 64cc. Those 2 casting #s are both straight plug only.

It's still really not enough information to know what's going on here; can't tell if they have lots of all the same kind of head, or if they're just offering any junk castings they can find, worked up to a certain level.

 

i wasn't trying to flame you or anyone else here, just quoting info from this post:
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...ht=187+casting

and this post:
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...ht=187+casting

Sorry for any anger i may have inflicted upon you

 

Should start by determining which heads you already have.
take a valve cover off and look.

The ones you are looking for, for a 90 305 have a casting #
ending in "081" If you already have these heads, use them.
If you have "swirl port heads" find a set of "081's" or the older 416's and mod the intake bolt holes to fit.
These will work nicely with a generous porting job and bigger 1.94 valves.

 

#3927187 original casting: 1969-1974 production Z28 + LT1.

2.02/1.60, 64cc chambers. Accessory holes provided. 172-184cc average intake runner (production casting coreshift/technology was weak then).

GM ran a production order for them a few years back and they are plentiful. PAW and Scoggins Dickey were the primary purchasers for the bulk of the order from GM.

Great old school head, but you would benifit from the combustion chamber technology/improvements from.....say the S/R Torquers...

 

I had the crappy 187's on my L03 (stock), so I went to Pep Boys, and ordered a set of 083's. They get them from a local rebuilder, and I was really surprised when I got them that they had bronze guides, 3 angle valve job, all new valves, hardware and springs. I ported them myself, and screw in studs ain't hard to do. The best part was I got the pair for $380. I didn't want to sink any dough into the 305, and they work fine.

 

problem with 187 is the have perimiter v.c. holes and the center bolts wont work...plus the late intake middle holes must be modified.

 

So what is the big difference between 87' - up heads and pre 87'? Is is just that 87' and up heads are for centerbolt valve covers? If that's the case, then why not just by old style valve covers? Or is there more to it......like EGR and intake manifold mating problems?

I'm trying to learn here

 

'86-earlier had all of the intake manifold mount bolts at the same angle. '87-later had the center two at a different angle (except Vette aluminum heads). That is in addition to the center- vs. perimeter-bolt covers.

No problem with EGR, as they all have the exhaust cross-over passage (except Vette aluminum heads and Vortec heads - of course, Vortecs are a whole 'nuther subject...).