BBR heads
01-07-2007, 07:05 PM
#1
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BBR heads
about to do some work to wifes 05, vortec, cams, etc. I was seriously considering getting some ported BBr heads. I am new to this mustang stuff, but in big block stuff, and everything else for that matter, it is all in the heads. The flow charts they have up on them show significant flow over stock at everything from .200 and up. Just wondering what you guys think?????
01-07-2007, 07:10 PM
#2
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RE: BBR heads
I dono if you want to do heads/cams/ and a blower on stock internals...a few people have blown on less than 500rwhp and with that centri properly setup you would be right around there....with heads and cams you would shoot out way past that. is this a daily driver?
01-07-2007, 07:20 PM
#3
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RE: BBR heads
Yes, ported heads do flow more than stock. However, there's really no point to adding them in your application:
Any supercharger you can bolt on is capable of making more than enough HP to destroy the stock engine, transmission, and rear end by itself--you don't need the heads! The heads won't be a bottleneck unless you have a seriously built car (forged reciprocating assembly, new transmission, built rear-end, etc)and you're trying to push something like 700 HP or more.
On the other hand, if you're planning on staying naturally aspirated then heads are worth a lot of HP assuming you have the supporting mods (intake, headers, etc.). However, cams will give you a very similar HP gain for less than half the price of the heads.
Any supercharger you can bolt on is capable of making more than enough HP to destroy the stock engine, transmission, and rear end by itself--you don't need the heads! The heads won't be a bottleneck unless you have a seriously built car (forged reciprocating assembly, new transmission, built rear-end, etc)and you're trying to push something like 700 HP or more.
On the other hand, if you're planning on staying naturally aspirated then heads are worth a lot of HP assuming you have the supporting mods (intake, headers, etc.). However, cams will give you a very similar HP gain for less than half the price of the heads.
01-07-2007, 07:37 PM
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RE: BBR heads
Thanks for the input. I am a BBC guy, so please suffer me, but, if i make the engine breath better, and limit restriction, than i could run the charger at a lot less psi and still see the same benefits. Pulling the short block out and going forged is not a big deal if thats what i need to do, but my thinking was less restiction, not more boost. Again, new to this modern stuff
01-07-2007, 07:56 PM
#5
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RE: BBR heads
Of course, ported heads will let you make the same HP with less boost. However, the factory 3v headsalreadyhave very good flow numbers compared to olderhead designs. I was originally a SBC guy (I still have a 383 in my 4x4), andthefactory 3V modular heads actually flow betterthan most of the SBC race heads!
Anyway,on the 4.6 engine you might be talking abouta pound of boostdifference. Yes, that is "less boost", but the difference is really quite small given the price and the effort required to install.
Anyway, you need to think about what kind of HP limit you want. You can bolt on just about any supercharger(Vortech, procharger, Paxton, Kenne Bell, Whipple, Saleen, etc...) and any of them are capable of exceeding 450 RWHP, which is the practical limit of the stock engine internals. If you want to go beyond that, then your first order of business needs to be a rebuilt engine with forged internals, and you also need to think about the driveline. After that hurdle is crosseed then think about how best to hit your HP goals.
Again, I would only consider the ported heads if you were really wanting to push HP limits on a built motor. At that point you'd already have $15,000 or more in engine parts, driveline, suspension, and so on so it really is an advanced item on the mod motors.
Heads can be nice on a N/A engine, but cams have a much better bang-for-your-buck if you're looking for a 40 HP upgrade, and a blower is much better if you are looking to hit 400 HP or more at the wheels.
Anyway,on the 4.6 engine you might be talking abouta pound of boostdifference. Yes, that is "less boost", but the difference is really quite small given the price and the effort required to install.
Anyway, you need to think about what kind of HP limit you want. You can bolt on just about any supercharger(Vortech, procharger, Paxton, Kenne Bell, Whipple, Saleen, etc...) and any of them are capable of exceeding 450 RWHP, which is the practical limit of the stock engine internals. If you want to go beyond that, then your first order of business needs to be a rebuilt engine with forged internals, and you also need to think about the driveline. After that hurdle is crosseed then think about how best to hit your HP goals.
Again, I would only consider the ported heads if you were really wanting to push HP limits on a built motor. At that point you'd already have $15,000 or more in engine parts, driveline, suspension, and so on so it really is an advanced item on the mod motors.
Heads can be nice on a N/A engine, but cams have a much better bang-for-your-buck if you're looking for a 40 HP upgrade, and a blower is much better if you are looking to hit 400 HP or more at the wheels.
01-07-2007, 08:01 PM
#6
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RE: BBR heads
thank you for the info. This is my wifes car, she does drive it a lot, but it is not her only means, she has several mustangs. She mainly wants to be able to outrun someone if she wants, and like the sound the overlap in the cam gives. So, if the heads flow ok, i will go with cams and a paxton i think, mainly because that is what brenspeed likes. I think 450 to the rear wheels would be fine, she already has much much more in others, she just wants to wake this car up.
01-07-2007, 08:14 PM
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RE: BBR heads
Sorry if I wasn't clear in my earlier post, but cams are really only useful on an N/A engine.
Performance cams are a very bad combination with a supercharger, becasue the overlap of the cams is such that the supercharger will actually blow the intake charge out the exhaust valve. Stock cams or very mild aftermarket cams are typically used with forced induction becasue of this.
If you want 450 RWHP, then all you need is the supercharger. You could add a set of very mild cams (no overlap) if you want, but I don't think there's much of a point. The cams and their associated parts (valve springs, etc.) will cost about $1000. Then you've got a 12-15 hour job to have them installed. That could be another grand in labor alone! I suggest spending that money on a new clutch and suspension instead. 450 HP is useless if you can't put it to the pavement.
Performance cams are a very bad combination with a supercharger, becasue the overlap of the cams is such that the supercharger will actually blow the intake charge out the exhaust valve. Stock cams or very mild aftermarket cams are typically used with forced induction becasue of this.
If you want 450 RWHP, then all you need is the supercharger. You could add a set of very mild cams (no overlap) if you want, but I don't think there's much of a point. The cams and their associated parts (valve springs, etc.) will cost about $1000. Then you've got a 12-15 hour job to have them installed. That could be another grand in labor alone! I suggest spending that money on a new clutch and suspension instead. 450 HP is useless if you can't put it to the pavement.
