Cylinder Head Upgrade

[Greg Gaitens]

I rebuilt the 200 in my '66 Stang with a performance package from Clifford. It seems to run pretty good but it could be better. I have been reading that a stock cast iron Assie head for a 250 would be a big improvement. I see the Al heads for sale but frankly to much $ considering what I already have into the the rebuild with the Clifford Performance stuff. Are there places selling the cast iron heads and will they be a direct bolt on? I appreciate any help.

 

[ludwig]

Man, you gotta check in more often then five times in four years. You just nailed the hot topic for the last half year.

 

[Greg Gaitens]

We're all busy people. If I found he forum helpful I would be on it more often. This is a group of inline 6 people but it seems I have kind of simple questions and folks either don't want to help or don't know the answers

 

[rbohm]

8) you might want to ask some of the guys who have swapped to the new aluminum head from an oz head, and see if they are willing to sell you their old head. that or save for the new head.

 

[hasa68mustang]

i have yet to find a message forum that has so many knowledgeable people, and so few drama makers. 99% of the time your question doesnt get answered its simply that people get tired of answering it. You also tend to find more info by using the search button, then waiting for replys anyway.

As for your question, what are you looking for as far as performance? a log head is definately ideal. Check your local autopart stores, ebay, local machine shops, junkyards these motors are everywhere.

 

[rbohm]

why women do what they do?

8) because they have the insanity disease, and they try to spread it to us guys so they wont be alone in their own minds.

 

[AzCoupe]

I have three OZ250-2V heads on the way over from Australia, plus I'll be selling the one off my 67 coupe as its being replaced with an aluminum head. All four heads will be put up for sale on the CI website. One in a couple weeks, and the other three when they get here, which should be here around the first part of May.

The three coming from OZ will need a full rebuild, but the one off my 67 was recently rebuilt with custom Manley SS valves and dual springs. It also has the port divider welded in, and a mild port and polish which flows 20cfm more than a stock head.

I'll also be selling my triple Weber and triple SU intakes (with carbs). However the SU intake may already be sold, but I'm not sure.

 

[82F100]

Greg, we apologize for anyone who has rubbed you the wrong way on this forum. The majority on here have the sickness and love to pass it on to those new to the sixes and for those who have been to the "Other" side and have come back LOL. We do hope you stick around here and thanks for being apart of the Forum. Rich

 

[Greg Gaitens]

All,

Thanks for the help. I have received some great input on both my posts. It looks like I'll be spending some more time here. After I get the head swap done, I'll be looking at a distributor and ignition up grade to help take full advantage of it.

 

[JOHN G]

Ignition upgrades may be a good idea now. I don't know what you are running now, but it may not be able to supply the upgrades you have done to the engine.

 

[CobraSix]

Mike is where I got my OZ head from 4 years ago. As he said, he should have a few more coming up soon.

One thing is you may want to look at the price difference between the OZ fully rebuilt and the AL Heads. I know that by the time I was done rebuilding my head, I was into it for a little more then $1200. (New valves, new US Spec guides, seats, and enlarged valves).

I would say to go ahead and do the ignition upgrade. It was my first upgrade and still my overall favorite as it really made the car more reliable for daily driving.

Slade

 

[ludwig]

Do you have the Falcon Performance Handbook? It is bible of us sixers here. If not, you would do well to order it from the Ford Six Shop link below. For $15, or whatever they are getting now, you can't go wrong and can go very right.

Right now you are getting a bullet-point rundown of the topic. The head questions are handled systematically and in very useful detail in the handbook. It also has many suggestions for improvements that won't suck up a wad of dough. The electronic ignition is the first and best improvement you can make.

 

[Greg Gaitens]

Thanks for the good advice on getting the Falcon 6 perf. book. I'll find some time to get that ordered today. Looks like I have quite a bit of learning to do to catch up.

 

[ludwig]

Yeah, but this time 'book larnin' is fun.

 

[falcon fanatic]

I'll echo cobrasix' sentiments regarding the cost/benefit. I put well over a grand into a log head between buying the head and modifying it. Had I waited six months and spend $500 more, i could have had an aluminum head.

 

[Greg Gaitens]

OK at the risk of sounding stupid I'll bite, what's the extra expense of Al head going to do for me. We're only talking one, not two as with a V8 and the cast heads are not monsters so weight difference can't mean that much can it? I'm already throwing away the money I put into the 200 cast head with the Clifford performance kit only having a few hundred miles on before I realized I'm pumping a dry well on going faster with that. Now before you guys start telling me you gotta pay to play. I have several cars I'm working on at any given time and, with the excpetion of the 66 fsk 6 waiting for the snow to melt, they all run and get their share of investment to stay that way. If were talking night and day power gain over the cast head maybe you can get my attention but, would the cast head with the extra $500 not spent for Al put into a good ignition system be a better path to go faster?

 

[shmoozo]

If were talking night and day power gain over the cast head maybe you can get my attention but, would the cast head with the extra $500 not spent for Al put into a good ignition system be a better path to go faster?

I think you can upgrade the ignition to something quite sufficient for a great deal less than $500, actually. There are some threads here about the subject. Let me give you a few links to some useful info about one of the possible swaps.

How to pics of my Duraspark II conversion

Swapping your old Load-O-Matic for a Duraspark II

There are also folks who use other types of ignition upgrades on their early sixes. Poke around and I think you'll find a few.

Now having said all that there are ways to spend almost $500 upgrading your ignition. Here's a link to one of them:

Classic Inlines: DUI Ignition

For a bit less you could install a brand new Duraspark II ignition kit. The Duraspark II (often abreviated as DSII) was the one Ford used on some of their engines starting in about 1976 (I think). Classic Inlines sells the Duraspark II kits, too.

Classic Inlines: DSII Ignition

If you have a salvage yard near you and you don't mind working with used parts, then you might be able to find the parts needed to assemble a used DSII set up for a lot less. (See those first two links above for more info on that.)

 

[CobraSix]

Greg,

I'm not saying the AL is night and day difference...just pointing out the overall cost. I almost wish I had waiting a few more years and gotten the AL head.

Advantages are the ability to run a much higher compression ratio due to the better heat dissipation of AL heads. Also, the design is not just a mirror image of the old cast head poured with aluminum, it was redesigned and flows around 25% more air on the intake stroke with a .45 valve lift and 30% more on the exhaust side which translates into more power. How much more, I don't recall, I haven't see side-by-side tests.

Disadvantages are cost and I know that in days old, AL heads with Iron blocks had problems with blowing out head gaskets due to different metal characteristics. not sure if that is still a problem or not.

 

[66 Fastback]

cast iron heads and will they be a direct bolt on?

Someone correct me, but I think the imported heads take different exhaust manifolds / headers.

what's the extra expense of Al head going to do for me.

Four main benefits I can think off:
1. The aluminum head will get you the best flowing design due to Mike's work on developing the head.
2. Weight savings
3. Aluminum dissipates the heat better and you can run the same pump gas at a higher compression ratio without pinging.
4. Mike's head will have all kinds of different carb/efi/intake manifold induction options.
Doug

 

[Bort62]

The benifit of "the aluminum head" has little to do with it being aluminum. Those are fringe benifits.

The benifit stems directly from it's increase flow capability. It is an aftermarket performance head, and performs like one. I don't have the #'s off the top of my head, but the are avaliable in the respective forum.

It has a detachable intake manifold that also flows much better than the log manifold, and is more easily configureable to different carburetor options that allow you to continue the trend.

Putting the CI head on your six is akin to putting a set of AFR 190's on a SBC that had smogger 416 previously. The performance gain comes not from the material it is cast out of, but from the increase flow performance of the new design.

Make sense?