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Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

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Old 08-20-2016, 06:28 PM
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Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

I am rebuilding the top end of my motor due to damaged valve stem ends, they are all chewed up from the rockers.

I believe the motor to be around 1993. It's a 350 with what looks like iron truck heads on it. After pulling the heads I found it to be bored 030 over with everything looking in great shape under there.

The carburetor going on it is a 670 cfm holler avenger with vacuum secondaries. The distributer is an hei coil in cap with msd ignition. The intake manifold is a weiand team g 7531. Also has a mallory 110 gph fuel pump.

The cam has been replaced and it's specs are a mystery to me. I know it had flat tapped hydraulic lifters. All I was told by the previous owner was 480 lift.

I plan on putting 1 3/4 headers a other midlength or long tunes.

The only thing I haven't picked out are the heads. I'm looking at trick flow 195 heads on summit but I am unsure on combustion cc specs I would need. Any opinions are welcome.
Old 08-20-2016, 06:32 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?











Old 08-23-2016, 01:48 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

I've narrowed it down to trickflow tfs-30410006 or tfs-30410002. I'm just hesitant on purchasing them. The plan is to pair them with hooker 2210 headers

Last edited by LostX; 08-23-2016 at 01:53 PM.
Old 08-23-2016, 02:06 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

have you run the casting numbers behind the rear china wall?
if i was that far into a motor, i'd probably pull it out and inspect the bottom end, change to some flat top pistons and put a roller cam & lifters in there since it looks like a roller block.
JMO
Old 08-23-2016, 02:16 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

Block number is 14093638, date code E038 so 1988 block. Block has been decked so I think the other number is gone from the front passenger surface. The heads on the motor were from 1995 casting number 10110810, which I assume are tbi truck heads.

I believe someone bought a rebuilt short block and just stuck the original heads back on, I can't see the bottom end having more than 100,000 on it. I've owned it for 5 years and only put about 30,000 on it.
Old 08-23-2016, 02:16 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

I'm with Joe, go ahead and check the rest of the engine out since you made it this far into it. I have learned over the years not to assume anything with an old engine, everything is suspect until it can be verified good by proper techniques.


If you are not wanting to tear into the bottom end I would at least put a new cam in it if you are going with a nice new set of heads..
Old 08-23-2016, 02:19 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

^^ I would have to agree that looks like a roller motor take that cam out and put in a nice roller cam it will be a ton better.

I probably would not go with D port heads they have fewer header choices on thirdgens.
Old 08-23-2016, 02:24 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

If not d ports then my next choice of head would be the promaxx freedom 2180. I believe they are formerly patriot heads.

I do not want to touch the bottom end. It's been starting to turn into a deeper and deeper project. All I wanted to do was slap on the new intake manifold until I saw the valve stem ends were damaged. So now instead of spending money on these heads, I'd like something with a little more performance.

Last edited by LostX; 08-23-2016 at 02:29 PM.
Old 08-23-2016, 02:30 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

Originally Posted by LostX
If not d ports then my next choice of head would be the promaxx freedom 2180
I have the iron version of those heads. Great improvement over the 882 heads I had before. Although I had a few issues, I had 8 or so of the valve spring dampers break using a 490 lift flat tappet cam. I talked to promaxx (then patriot) and they sent me some new ones and said the springs were made by melling. They also took out a few valve seals when they broke.

Other than that I found a machining error on the push rod hole so I had to grind down a few areas and install adjustable guide plates.

I now have PBM springs on and they seem to run well and smooth.
Old 08-23-2016, 02:32 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

Are there any decent headers that I can make fit for the d port trickflows
Old 08-23-2016, 02:35 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

Originally Posted by LostX
Are there any decent headers that I can make fit for the d port trickflows
https://www.google.com/search?q=d+po...w.thirdgen.org
Old 08-26-2016, 03:10 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

Skip checking out the engine and skip the Trick Flows. The trick flows are great heads as I myself have ran them on a few engines but in seeing the price of LS engines as well as power adders drop like a rock over the past ten years I would urge you to just buy a set of the lower buck Jegs aluminum heads and buy a Turbo. The cost of Jegs heads and an ebay turbo setup could be the same amount as the TFS heads. Install, go have fun and if the engine blows from too much boost you can debate going to LS. If my engine goes bye bye again I may switch to LS. Decision is harder for me because I have soo much aftermarket sbc specific parts.
Old 08-26-2016, 03:15 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

I purchased the promaxx 2180 heads, $773 at jegs for the pair
Old 08-26-2016, 04:38 PM
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Re: Rebuilding the top end, which heads?

Originally Posted by LostX
I purchased the promaxx 2180 heads, $773 at jegs for the pair
You should like them, I would probably get the bare and assemble them my self after all the issues I had with their springs. Also make sure that you check the push rod alignment. They missed some areas on mine when they machined. I had to use a dremmel to fix it then get some adjustable guide plates.
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