E0xxx head 2bbl Conversion

StarDiero75

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Howdy guys,

I just talked to a guy today about having him do the work on my 1980 200 head and he quoted for a rebuild and doing the 2bbl conversion was $2100, about 30 hours. Does this sound right? If thats the case I might as well go and buy the VI aluminum head.

So I have a dremel, and basic mechanical skill, what can I do to cut down the majority of the head work? I would prefer to get this down to more like $1000 or less.

The guy and I will be keeping in touch so we can discuss what I want to do. The one thing he wasn't crazy about what that its got the huge hex log rather the flat top. I plan to use the adapter from VI for the autolite/holley.

Let me know what you all think,
Ryan
 
:shock: :wow: sounds like quite a lot to me plus thinking about it a little more I don't really see it taking 30 hours of work either! How much is the charge for a three angle valve job with back cut and surfacing? Edited
 
bubba22349":2cin9e9y said:
:shock: :wow: sounds like quite a lot to me, plus thinking about a little more I don't really see it taking 30 hours of work either! How much is the charge for a three angle valve job with back cut and surfacing? Edited
Thats what I thought too. So that was for the whole thing. He lumped it all together and said probably 30 hours. After I get the plate from VI and meet with him again, I'll ask what for soley the conversion. I'll have the normal machine work done at NAPA instead. They got me on fleet haha.
 
Wow that is a lot! It's been years since I had this type of work done and machine shops are disappearing all over the place but I still think that is way high. The last one I had done, they took the same machine they used to mill the head surface and ground off the carb mount down flush for me. Then with a dremel and drill and tap (and a little JBWeld for a small low area), I was able to finish mounting a Holley 2 bbl adapter to it myself. All the machine work cost me $350. I think the equivalent in today's dollars would be $500 or so.
 
A few months ago a guy sold a 2v conversion head ready to bolt on with rocker shaft for $900 on ebay. I should have bought it.
 
Georgia200":1pgbh75g said:
A few months ago a guy sold a 2v conversion head ready to bolt on with rocker shaft for $900 on ebay. I should have bought it.

The seller is 1hotvega. He doesn't have any of the converted heads on eBay right now, but you could contact him and ask to do one for you.
 
rocklord":lckldicx said:
Georgia200":lckldicx said:
A few months ago a guy sold a 2v conversion head ready to bolt on with rocker shaft for $900 on ebay. I should have bought it.

The seller is 1hotvega. He doesn't have any of the converted heads on eBay right now, but you could contact him and ask to do one for you.
Isnt he the one I've been seeing that people say stay away from him? I think he sold someone a completely rebuilt engine and the block was cracked or something.
 
mustang6":18zn255v said:
Wow that is a lot! It's been years since I had this type of work done and machine shops are disappearing all over the place but I still think that is way high. The last one I had done, they took the same machine they used to mill the head surface and ground off the carb mount down flush for me. Then with a dremel and drill and tap (and a little JBWeld for a small low area), I was able to finish mounting a Holley 2 bbl adapter to it myself. All the machine work cost me $350. I think the equivalent in today's dollars would be $500 or so.
I'll see if i can have the NAPA shop just machine it down and I'll cut it out with a dremel. I cant afford $2100 or anywhere near that. I was hoping for about $400ish. That to me seems a little more fair. But the guy and I will talk a little. I think obviously he wants the whole job. But thats still high.
 
I expect to get ripped for this but honestly if I was dead set on doing this conversion on that budget and did not have access to a mill, I'd get old school with it. Assuming you were planning a JB/Lab Metal job, this can all be done with hand tools, straight edges and level/angle finder.

You'll still need the valve work and planing(deck side) done at the shop.

For the conversion I'd get that thing setup on a very sturdy flat work surface so you can establish the pane of the adapter from the stock carbon mount. It is not parallel with the head right, Keep the head in that position for the duration. That angle never changes. Hog the bulk off with the angle grinder, open the inside with a carbide burr and establish the new plane with some good files and a short straight edge.

I'm still waiting for a large log to fall into my lap and plan on exactly that with the exception that I have a mill. However I am confident one could accomplish good results with hand tools. The way my father and grandfather would have done it.
 
lotta ol timers did 100% of what we now call 'machining' by hand (files, etc) on their 'Flatties' (1st bent8s)
so they could go racin. Imagine hand wrk on a cam, valves, etc...
 
63falconATX":qjaivdc3 said:
I expect to get ripped for this but honestly if I was dead set on doing this conversion on that budget and did not have access to a mill, I'd get old school with it. Assuming you were planning a JB/Lab Metal job, this can all be done with hand tools, straight edges and level/angle finder.

You'll still need the valve work and planing(deck side) done at the shop.

For the conversion I'd get that thing setup on a very sturdy flat work surface so you can establish the pane of the adapter from the stock carbon mount. It is not parallel with the head right, Keep the head in that position for the duration. That angle never changes. Hog the bulk off with the angle grinder, open the inside with a carbide burr and establish the new plane with some good files and a short straight edge.

I'm still waiting for a large log to fall into my lap and plan on exactly that with the exception that I have a mill. However I am confident one could accomplish good results with hand tools. The way my father and grandfather would have done it.
This may be the route I'll go, so don't worry about getting ripped lol. I'm not afraid to tackle anything. Worst case scenario, i screw it up and look at cutting the whole log off and go that route. I just gotta go slow.

I'm gonna get the adapter and talk to the guy again and see if he'll quote me on soley the head stuff, i csn do the exhaust ports and all. I'll keep you all up to date.

Thanks for the input man!
Ryan
 
Can you post up a link or pic of the adapter before you buy it...I would like to see if it will work for you or against you, a scratch build adapter may work out better in the long run.
 
if a scratch one is needed, get me the critical dimensions/back of napkin sketch and I'll do(donate) a CAD solid model for you to get quoted.

drag-200stang":mhal5esi said:
Can you post up a link or pic of the adapter before you buy it...I would like to see if it will work for you or against you, a scratch build adapter may work out better in the long run.
 
That adapter looks like it would work, but if you center it like they did and look at the pic that upper left corner is filled with braze, that wont work well if done with epoxy...Epoxy will work great to fill low areas that will be compressed between the head and the adapter, that spot is to large and can be pushed in...If you slid the adapter some to the front to avoid cutting through the side of the manifold it would be better...Also if you try cut the head to get the stock tilt (or level as installed in car) the metal will be to thin, maybe split the difference and some in the manifold and the rest cut from the adapter after bolted down...Or drop the front of the car ;)
A adapter that you shape to fit the manifold and the carb would give you better control over a good sealing job, when using epoxy to fill low spots.
Just trying to give you things to think about.
 
drag-200stang":3gotwau4 said:
...Also if you try cut the head to get the stock tilt (or level as installed in car) the metal will be to thin, maybe split the difference and some in the manifold and the rest cut from the adapter after bolted down...

The log is already tilted with respect to the head(to level the carb), why would the cut need tilting?
 
63falconATX":1f0wz635 said:
drag-200stang":1f0wz635 said:
...Also if you try cut the head to get the stock tilt (or level as installed in car) the metal will be to thin, maybe split the difference and some in the manifold and the rest cut from the adapter after bolted down...

The log is already tilted with respect to the head(to level the carb), why would the cut need tilting?
Then why is the carb pad higher and thicker at the rear than the front ?...Some people would complain if its not at the factory angle saying that the carb has to be perfectly level,but who knows how it is as in the car..I do not think that it is a big deal ,I like mine tilted forward as I am always accelerating so then the fuel will be level ;)
 
The carb mount is somewhere around 3 degrees tilted from crank centerline. It isn't parallel to the log either.
 
So I found out a friend of mine actually has a small mill and CNC. So i could design my own adapter plate and have it machined and hogged out at his place. He'd be willing to do it all for like $50. I think im gonna go that route and help him out with it
 
63falconATX":20fj9c53 said:
drag-200stang":20fj9c53 said:
...Also if you try cut the head to get the stock tilt (or level as installed in car) the metal will be to thin, maybe split the difference and some in the manifold and the rest cut from the adapter after bolted down...
The log is already tilted with respect to the head(to level the carb), why would the cut need tilting?
B'cuz the miller's bed is flat/plumb & the surface being milled (where h. gasket goes) is flat/plumb. They R mated for the pass. Cutter (on other hand) can B made to place in the 'pitch'.
 
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