the 383 stroker motor i had built came with 72cc Dart Pro1 aluminum 215cc heads, i also have a set of 74cc afr 195cc competition package heads. should i leave the darts on or swap on the afr heads?motor is not in car yet so the labor is not an issue. cam is lpe-74219, super ram setup. i know bigger cc runners isnt always best, so which is going to match my cam better. also do the dart heads have the egr provision in them? im in california so smog is an issue.

 

I would go with the AFR heads.They would be a better match for the street. I don't think the Dart heads have provisions for egr.Also is that cam emissions legal? The AFR heads probably flow similar numbers to the Dart heads even though they are 20cc's smaller. They might even flow better.I would think the Darts would be better suited for a 383 with a larger cam. The only 215cc Dart heads I have seen are on strip 383's or 400+ small blocks on the street.

 

I would go with the Dart heads. I was reading a post from a dyno shop and they state the Darts average make more power. Flow numbers arent everything and smaller ports generally just give more torque but are not an indication of more power. The Pro 1s have an excellent cast port.

 

Quickstyle, I went with the dart heads. See below:

ATI P1SC 14-lb
383 using Eagle forged/balanced assy with Hbeam rods
Cam:
Int: .520 / Exh .540
Duration Int.236 Exh.248
LSA: 113

-16cc pistons
TPIS Bigmouth intake
BBK 58mm TB
Harland Sharp Roller Rockers
Dart Iron Eagle 215cc heads
60# Injectors
$58 Code
SLP Siamese runners
MSD 6AL
Hooker 2210 LT headers
Tremec 600
SPEC Stg 3 clutch
Strange 12 Bolt rear
SPOHN: LCA, Panhard,Torque Arm, SFC's and tranny xmember

 

i checked summit's catalog out on the dart pro1's and it has the "Race Only" icon next to them. so since i am using this as a street car, i would probably be better off with the afr's right? i have seen several cars with the lpe-74219 cam in a 383 with afr 195's and all have good results. summit says the darts are for flow up to 7,000rpm, and i doubt i will get higher than 5,000rpm on the street, maybe 5,500

 

hey AC, do you got a dyno sheet or something? what are the results of having those heads.

 

With that cam I would go with the AFR heads. With a cam that small you won't be revving high enough to take advantage of the larger runners of the Dart heads. The AFR heads with that cam will make a lot of torque and be very street friendly. If you think you may upgrade to a more radical cam in the future though I would consider the Dart heads.

 

Why dont you run it with both and see which heads you like better? The Darts are already on the engine right?

 

yes the darts are already on the engine, but the engine is not in the car, and i dont want to put it all together, and then decide later that i want to put the afr's on. and go through all the work of removing the intake headers and accesories, while its in the car. and then what if i decide i liked the darts better, and get to do it all over again. i want to do this in a one shot deal before i put it in the car. i would like to have a bigger and better cam, but im not sure how big i can go without the smog emissions being tto high. and i have read that people are passing CA emissions with the lpe-74219 cam, and thats why i chose it, and it is also supposed to be the perfect match for the super ram that im running. i will have the dyno sheet within a couple days for the engine with the dart heads, lpe-74219 cam, and an air-gap manifold. and if anyone has the compareable data with the afr's. then we can go from there.

 

If you are using a small cam go with the afr heads have a 30 deg back cut put on the intake valves and ride on.

 

unless your planning on reving it higher or the bigger cam i wouldnt worry about it... i bet the AFR's will give you more down low anyways which will be good for the street just keep the darts around if you decide to get a bigger cam and up your revs... or just sell them to me ... alot of the ZZ383 motors use the AFR 195 and depending on the cam ive seen them go from 390-500hp on that head... how often would you need to rev to 7,000 rpm on the street? but seriously sell me the heads i do need to rev that high..lol

 

Do you know if the Dart heads are the CNC versions because if they are they will make tons of HP and still flow great at low lifts. The Superram would hold you back though. Dart really did their homework with the Pro 1s and they make great power all over.

 

i will be selling the darts if i decide to go with the afr's, and the darts are the cnc version 2.08/1.60 valves. im about 90% sure that i will go with afr. i think the recomended rpm for the motor is 5,500 max anyways, so i will never rev 7,000. and the super ram was my only choice for intake because of the carb e.o. and i dont want all my power to be on the low end, im going with a PI Vigilante stall converter, 2,000-2,500 dont know what rpm yet though. would i be able to use the pushrods that came with the dart heads on the afr's? since they are brand new and only ran on the dyno once.