I have an option to get some 041 heads that need a valve job, and probably springs, but I want to decide if I should just wait untill I can afford some alluminum heads.

I don't want to replace my intake again, so vortec isn't an option. I just want to know if I should get a set of trick flow alluminum or maybe some edelbrock heads, or should I use the 041 heads. I can afford to get the 041 heads now, but I have to wait for anything else.

what do you guys think. 041 now, or alluminum later.

Just so you know, I am having to run crap 991 75cc heads untill I make up my mind. I am not happy with those.

I know this kind of thing gets asked all the time, but I have searched a lot, and I can't find much about the 041 heads, besides the cc's and what they are off of.

THanks

 

What are your goals?

Those are among the best of the old-school double-hump heads.

Whatever you spend on those now, will simply delay the day you can afford the others.

Sounds to me like, if you REALLY want something else, you should just pass.

 

Do those 041 heads have acc. bolt holes?

 

Yes they do.

 

041 have acc holes
461 do not

 

I've asked about 041 heads too. There aren't many guys here who have any background with them, I've looked all over for flow data too, nothing so far. My guess is that they'd probably be comparable to the 305 heads that have been reworked for a 350, performance wise. But I've seen 041s bring a pretty good price on ebay.
You said that you have a single 041 head already. One option might be to rework a single 305 head with 1.94 valves and 64cc chamber to match your existing head. I'll bet it would be a good match and it would save you some $$.

 

They are FAR better than 305 heads, in stock form.

After a "complete" port job, the 305 heads become comparable.

They are one of the old "double-hump" castings (with bolt holes) that all of us old geezers used to scour junkyards for; back in the days before CNC casting, when aftermarket heads were $$$$STRATOSPHERIC$$$$ and the only kinds there were, were hard-core racing stuff that wouldn't work on the street (Stahl header flanges etc.). They are much like the 186 and 492 castings. They aren't as good as the 292s (arguably the best of the "double-humps"), especially not the 292s with angle plugs. They are much better than the earlier ones with no acc'y bolt holes for modern motors; not only because they actually allow you to install minor details like an alternator, but also because the ones with bolt holes also all have the "squish" area under the spark plug, that GREATLY reduces detaonation when used with the gasoline that we've been stuck with since the early 70s.

I still happen to have a bunch of those old heads around, from my days of building stuff back in .... ummmm, in the Civil War days. In fact I have a set of 186s in my 83 at the moment.

 

My goals? Be faster than the other guy. I am not sure how well that will work out...

I understand that heads make or break the engine. But what I am concerned about is wether the 041's would be better to use, vs a $600 price tag or more for aluminum.

I can't get a set for $600, but that is the additional cost after refurbishing the 041's. Price is $200, and whatever for new guides, springs, rockers (not nescessary for me), and gaskets.

Valve job too.

So, how much of a diff would it be compared to a set of aluminum, or maybe a cast set of trickflows. I don't care about looks, if I can get better heads cast, than aluminum, I will go for it.

Thanks for the replies

 

First you have to buy a set of cores. Figure $150-200 for a good workable set.

Then there's labor. It costs about $400 for a good complete head job, equal to what you'd find on an aftermarket head. That would include cutting the spring pockets for larger-than-stock springs, machining the tops of the guides for higher lift and good (Teflon) seals, replacing or renewing (not knurling) the guides, milling and drilling and tapping for screw-in studs and guide plates, enlarging the push rod holes, truing the deck and the intake surface, clean-up, and removing the threaded pipe plugs. Then on top of that, a valve job, cutting for larger valves, any port work (that piles up the $$$$ in a HURRY), and chamber work such as cc'ing. Then when you're all through, assembling them and setting the spring installed height properly.

Then on top of that, there's parts themselves: valves, guides, seals, springs, keepers, retainers, shims, studs, guide plates.

It's real easy to have $700-800 in a set of old stockers by the time you get them to be competitive. You can spend less by doing less, but you'll mostly get beat by people that didn't stop halfway.

To take a set of junk heads, out of a junk car in the junkyard (did I say "junk" enough?) and work them up into race-ready status, usually costs as much as or more than new ones. Didn't use to be like that, but with CNC casting nowadays, working up old junkers is alot less attractive than it uesd to be.

 

TESTS JD1 JD2 JD1a JD2a
LIFT CFM CFM CFM CFM
.050" 32.9 32.2 32.5 31.5
.100" 64.3 61.0 63.0 62.4
.150" 97.9 90.8 95.7 89.3
.200" 127.6 122.0 123.3 116.1
.250" 154.9 147.8 146.1 138.4
.300" 177.0 172.9 165.3 155.2
.350" 197.7 193.6 177.1 170.0
.400" 203.0 212.8 184.5 181.8
.450" 210.6 227.6 188.9 189.2
.500" 215.5 230.5 191.3 189.2

Here is a flow test of some stock (JD1) and some moderately ported (JD2} "040" heads. (1.94 x 1.50" valves) They are very simular to a "041" head.

A friend of mine has a set of these 041 heads on his 350 2nd gen Camaro. Work very nicely. Car runs solid 12's in street trim. His flow test results was near identical ( ported with 2.02 x 1.60" valves).

A Edelbrock Performer RPM head flows about the same as these ported ones do, right out of the box.

But a RB advised you really have to carefully compare the total cost of refurbishing a set of old GM heads with all the new aftermarket stuff available.

Helps if you have a few good conections in the machine shop trade and can do some of the work yourself ( porting).

 

I agree, I had a set of old junk heads re-done and it cost me right around $750.00, and I didn't even have good castings like the 041s. I used 882s because I didn't do enough research, and I didn't know better at the time.

Shortly after the heads were done I discovered TGO. Too late then, the money was spent, and the Ol' lady was tappin her toe on the ground with her arms folded and a scowl on her face when I told her I wanted to buy a different set of heads. Needless to say the 882's are on the 355 as I type. And I am grateful to have them.

I wish now that I had gotten a set of Vortecs RTR for around $550.00 from Jegs or Summit.

 

Just spend the money on some aftermarket ones...more power, less wieght and less headache...Hey- if your restoring a car that had them originally okay but otherwise why waste the time and effort only to net less HP...been there done that