How much head is too much?

[mailman]

Okay, now that I've got your attention....

I've read lots of posts about building HP engines, and I understand the importance of choosing the right heads....but what do the commonly used numbers really mean?

I've seen numbers like 044, 043, 041, etc. I presume these to be casting numbers, but what are the differences between them, and how does one choose wisely?
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[sandnut]

in my opinion (which is worth about as much as a day old cup of coffee)choose a head that flows just more air than you need to get to your desired power level.i.e if you want to make 100 hp then get a head that will make up to 125 hp.also make sure it moves said amount of air in the lift range your running as well as your desired rpm range.as for differences in casting numbers,i have no idea.i have 044 but a set of properly ported crappy heads could out do them.

[akokarski]

http://cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=1241

click on "044 Castings" in paragraph:

[timsvw]

[akokarski]

[mailman]

That's good info on the 044's.

Any info on the other types that are out there? What's the difference between them?
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[Jimmy111]

Currently all of the stock type of type 1 heads are either OEM or Autolinia castings. Except the MOFOCO.

[earthquake]

any body use the heads that CB's sells listed as "Los Banditos" they seem like a pretty good deal.

Earthquake
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[dog_jr911]

the 19 year old thinks there is no such thing as too much head.

seriously
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AKA Chris™
ROCKIN a ESP LTD F2E

[miniman82]

[EZGZ]

Ah, can we get back to the heads....... I'm also curious about the Los Bandito's.
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[mailman]

X2 on the Los Banditos.

And what about the other numbers? 041, 042, etc. I've seen the numbers used, but don't know what they mean. I'd like to learn enough about it to make an informed decision when shopping for heads.
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[dog_jr911]

[dirtkeeper]

I've come to the conclusion or understanding that if you stick with stock or mild heads you save a lot of money and will have a reliable engine...but may lack some of the power you desire.

as i see it the bigger the heads or more porting you do then you need to increase the carburation and then you have increase the exhaust system to get that flow through and these changes usually mean youre probably going with higher compressions too and than you have to get involved with additional cooling and ...well these things all get pricey and exponentially increase the cost of the build and / or trade off of reliability and cool running.

although you can get a lot of extra power from head work at a reasonable cost it will be the other engine components to support that power properly that will push your total engine budget a lot higher

i claim no expertise. this is just my observation

[dog_jr911]

you dont have to buy it all at once, and i wouldnt reccomend high compression.

get the bigger heads, dont drop more than 400 in them, thats way too much.

a bigger exhaust system is cheap. you dont need a fancy setup

carbs can and will be gotten later.

your going to kick yourself for not getting those heads, you can always clean them up and use them on the next engine. like carbs, and exhaust. take care of them, and they last.

trust me, i let my engine have the ability to add all those "options" when i had the cash. dont limit yourself.....

plus, i beat the sh!t out of a new jetta today.... lol a vette was just following and watchin, laughin his ass off.
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AKA Chris™
ROCKIN a ESP LTD F2E

[MURZI]

Call one of the head guys like Steve Tim's or Darren at DRD and tell him your combo, and deck height. They will prescribe the exact head for you.

You heads should be optimized for your combo, not just bolted on. For many combinations this means STOCK heads will do the job just fine. A lot more theory is involved than valve size. PORT VELOCITY will affect performance.
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