68FastbackGT

I am strongly thinking about replacing the stock 1977 cylinder heads on my 1975 351W. This motor already has headers and Edelbrock Performer Intake Manifold and a Holly 600cmf carb and a mid range cam. I am more interested in bang for the buck rather than optimizing performance. Because of the money, I will probably stay with the factory lifters and rocker arms for now unless I can find a good package deal.
Can I get some recommendations on what to buy and where to buy it?
If I replace the head, should I also replace the head bolts?

Thanks

Scott H.

I would suggest that you hold off until you can afford to do the entire valve train. While you're saving up the moola spend some time researching through threads.
My suggestion for your engine would be a set of 185s with 1.7 rockers (check piston clearance). A set of head studs, and some hardened 0.080" push rods. With this setup you'll optimize the cam you have, as well as pick up some serious flow. As far as brand, pick your poison. They're all good heads, and pretty much you are splitting hairs that make no real world difference between brands. I think the name "Twisted Wedge" is pretty cool and canted valves brings back a flood of Boss and Cleveland memories. If you like those exotic sounding names, Canfield would be a good choice, or if you are of the "acronym" generation AFR (especially if you can say it like the monster truck anouncers) sounds pretty darned fast.
If you feel the need to have a coordinated outfit (you'd make me a little nervous ) go with the whole Performer or Holley line. you could even accessorize with the Edelbrock or Holley aircleaner nut and valve cover breathers. You'd have that whole Paris Hilton thing going for you.

Bottom line dude, save your duckets, do some research and get the whole enchalada at one time.

Good luck,

THUMPIN455

x2.. cant half azz it.

68FastbackGT

Thanks for the suggestions. If I felt I could wait, I would take your advice because it would result in the best end result.
I started off to resolve a valve ticking issue and ended up finding 8 bent push rods and a cylinder with 6 to 1 compression. I took the cylinder heads off to determine if my problem was with the valve or the rings and found a pitted exhaust valve seat and badly worn valve guides (like .01 to .015 inch tolerance). I am assuming the pushrods bent because of the worn valve guids.
In order to get back in the saddle, I will either have to repair the heads (valve job, one or more new seats and probably all of the valve guides) to the tune of $300 to $400 dollars, or I will have to get new heads. Putting money into these heads (with air injection ports) just seems to go against my grain. I would have to wait a year for my toy account to accumulate enough for a complete kit.
Other than making a sub-optimal choice of parts, what harm could I do by running the stock rocker arms? (assuming that I check the valve clearance with clay to prevent a munched valve and assuming I get a head with a 61cc chamber to replace the stock heads with 60.4cc chanber)

Lucafu1

i have a set of d0oe heads complete and stock. 1.84/1.54 valves and no smog. basically gt-40 heads. if your interested you can email me at Lucafu1@aol.com

72rustang

Hey, I chose not to respond to this thread until after someone who actually knows something about engine building responded. I have never built an engine, I have only helped one of my friends dismantle the motor from his 66 Coronet in my garage. But he just carted everything off to a builder, and that's it for engine work for me so far.

Several times I have started researching into what I might do for my 1974 351W block with 1977 heads. I believe the combustion chamber for the 1977 heads is 69 cc (taken from Tom Monroe's book). I know there are older Windsor heads with 60.4 cc combustion chambers. Very naively I have wondered if there could be some decent gain from just swapping in older, smaller-chamber heads. Monroe has a chart listing compression ratios obtained using 60 cc heads, and for 73-76 351W blocks he says compression ratio would go from stock 8.0 up to 8.7. I am wondering if this is something that would be worthwhile to do if you could find older small-chamber heads dirt cheap (or dare I say for free).

I have absolutely no idea whether you can just swap in smaller chamber heads without needing to do anything else... but I have wondered about it some and figured now might be a decent time to ask...

Colorado_Mustang

You can swap in smaller cc heads without changing anything else...to a point. Make sure you verify the compression ratio doesn't go through the roof.

As for heads, I'd go for a set of cast iron heads from Jegs or Summit. You can get a set for less than a grand.

Using your stock rockers will only drop your performance, and can result in a tick if they aren't perfectly smooth.

rmodel65

the gt40 out flow the 69-70 351 heads by a good bit

Lucafu1

look at the stock numbers here, they dont lie. they are close enough.
http://www.jason.fletcher.net/tech/f...a/castiron.htm

lots of ported info too.

Brandontyler65

i don't care what you get just do it right the first time cause its just gunna cost you more money in the long run