I hate studs

[norvalwilhelm]

But I use them. I believe it ties the block and heads together better then bolts. It is a pain individually installing the 16 studs, putting thread sealer on the block end and then a blind nut of the end and gently screwing it all the way into the block but not tightening it.
Sliding the gasket over is difficult in that is has to be perfectly square or it will hang up.

You then have to slide the head over the studs and that can be another problem with sufficient room on the drivers side. But after the head is on 16 washers followed by 16 nuts and then the torquing in 20 pound increments in a spiral pattern. It too me about 2 hours to install one head and I took the easy on first

This is just a shot of one of the intake ports, While the camera doesn’t do it justice they are big

Bolts would be so much easier. :lol:

 

[bossvette]

Ah Brodix, I like your choice in heads; one of the longest in the business.
And my favorite brand.

 

[norvalwilhelm]

Ah Brodix, I like your choice in heads; one of the longest in the business.
And my favorite brand.

Brodix are noted for good castings but I had to spend one week per head working long hours each day to get them to a place where I could accept them. In the raw state I think they are pretty rough.
I feel Dart and Pro flow do better jobs right out of the box.
I spent a total of 3 weeks on the heads and intake getting them ready. And that is alot of hours per week.
I did actually break through one port on the intake and had to weld it up and regrind in that area.

 

[ratflinger]

Wow! Looks like the Chunnel opening! I too have thought about studs, but I don't plan on makeing near the hp you do, so I'll probably stick with bolts.

 

[Mac]

I did actually break through one port on the intake and had to weld it up and regrind in that area.

That had to be frustrating. Talk about two steps forward, three steps back!

I've never seen head done out to that degree. Fantastic. :eek

-Mac

 

[norvalwilhelm]

That had to be frustrating. Talk about two steps forward, three steps back!

I've never seen head done out to that degree. Fantastic. :eek

-Mac

Not really. There was one spot where they had a releif for a bolt and the wal was thin in this spot. It is really easy for a good welder to add material on the outside, Nice neat beads of add on wall thickness and then back to grinding on the inside of the port.
Never bothered me and the fix looks trick. When you are measuring the chips comming off in pounds you know you are removing alot of material.
The heads should flow about 360 cfm alone and with 12 psi of boost about 680 cfm.. In theory and it is strictly theory based on the engine working at 100% you double the air flow to get theoretical horsepower so my heads at 100% would support 1360 horse.

Look at a set of heads and if a small block set would flow 300cfm at 100% efficiency they would support . 257 x 300 x 8 =616.8 horse or rougly double the air flow of the head but a good intake takes away 15% right off the top so our 300 cfm heads now flow 255 or rougly 510 horse but that is a good intake and we might have a bad one at 25% off.
Then we run into engine efficiency and we drop another 15-20%.

Heads make power, spend the most money on them, get the best set of heads you can afford if you are after maximum power. The problem is the high flowing heads don't work down low on the street so you compromise and get a lesser set of heads to work at street rpm.
The only way around this compromise is a blower. You can run the wildest set of heads you want and they flow fantanstic. You have the best of both worlds, heads that flow huge quantities of air and at the same time have that bottom end grunt.
Life is about compromises but sometimes it doesn't have to be.
In total I have about $5000 in my head swap.

 

[Mac]

In total I have about $5000 in my head swap.

I take it that you're not counting your time. You're absolutely right about heads making power. Over the years, I've played with cams, intakes, etc. but the restriction was the heads because of that compromise. I've never had the bucks to try forced induction (supercharger or turbo) but maybe someday...

-Mac