Welding cylinder heads

[Kokkolanpoika]

Hi.

I´m just curious, does it make any sense(no it won´t make any sense)to weld rover v8 heads to get better flow figures? Like V8 developments/David Vizard heads.

http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?6,12170

I´m seriously intresting to get +450Bhp for my 5.2litre RV8.
Yes i need offset valve guides, 2x head welding (16 port) cost approx 330£, 16x offset valveguides 330£, valves, spring etc approx 540£ if use 8mm valve stem diameter.. I think those valves are VW parts?
+ machining etc +700£.

Spoke to John Eales today.. He say it wont make any sense, he has got experience try to weld those heads, offset guides etc.. But he still recon that best value for money is his CNC heads.. 423hp for 5.2litre race engine, and head flow only approx 180cfm..

He has got experience also on Wild cat´s and TA-performance heads..
If i understand correctly that his 5.3litre engine with TA-Performance head´s give approx 460Bhp.. He didin´t mention engine specs with his first replay..

460hp is good if engine is running road cam, but if it is running solid M256 cam, dry sump, silly compression ratio, +etc. In my mind 460Bhp is quite low readings with those heads vs John CNC heads..

Chevy LS is not alternative.. Turbo is, but not first choice..

I know there is couple of disadvantage to weld those heads..

I have to offset rockers also, not proplem
Push rods are slightly askew then..
I have to make offset/oval cylinder bolt holes..
Custom inlet manifold gasket..
Slightly modify water ways..
Oil ways have to plug in head and oil have to go uppstairs inside of pushrod.
I have to weld ITB manifold also to get better flow figures match to head if inlet port rise approx ½"

It is nice to say, i have got fully home modded rover v8 heads, not aftermarket version..

[stevieturbo]

What about the old Buick heads ? Werent they supposed to have bigger ports ? Not that bigger ports necessarily make you go any faster.

Did Real Steel ever make their castings ?

[Evoluzione]

I suppose it depends on how serious you are, 'CNC' doesn't = power, it's just easy repeatability.
There is no mention of port speed, it is just as important as CFM....

[Kokkolanpoika]

I won´t touch Real Steel head´s.. Too bad quality for that money.. My friend bought set of Merlins and i fit those. Inlet seat is approx 1mm smaller one side that inlet track.. So there is resistive lip.. Inlet port floor height difference is also couple of millimeters.. And they flow similar readings as ported rover ones.. + valves sit different installation height, I measure approx 1mm height difference in same head..

Buick 300heads is 1 choice, but very rare in Finland.. Yes i know big port is not shortcut for power.. But good design inlet/exhaust track, gas speed, right size valves etc is.. And i think those heads also need welding + offset guides..

[rev-erend]

Sounds like a lot of development time and work ..

Far easier to buy a set of Wildcat or those new heads from America.

Only issue is usually the exhaust ports are in a different place.

Gotta go fit my Wildcat TB's to my engine now - talk later.

[stevieturbo]

Maybe a daft question.

But are there any other heads from another manufacturer that have similar bore spacing that could be used instead of anything Rover ?

I'm sure if there was, someone would have done it by now though ?


A quick google...lol

http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?6,12097,page=1

and more.

Typical RV8 has 110mm bore spacing. The LS platform uses 110mm bore spacing. Maybe something could be achieved there ?


A Buick 350" uses 4.24 same as the 215 ? Or is that the same heads as I mentioned earlier ?

more random info

http://www.british-cars.org/mgb-gt-v8-technical-bb...

Edited by stevieturbo on Wednesday 22 August 10:35

[stevieturbo]

Something cheap to work with ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-BUICK-5-7-CYLINDER-HEAD...

[Kokkolanpoika]

Those are cast iron head´s..

[neal1980]

I have a set of Buick 300 heads Aluminimum heads that I may part with. Took me 3 years to find a set lol

They were off a running engine as well so good condition, when you put them next to rover heads you can really see the difference.

May part with those as I have got an LS now.

[stevieturbo]

Kokkolanpoika said:

Those are cast iron head´s..

Cast iron can be welded and ported too

[Pumaracing]

stevieturbo said:

Cast iron can be welded and ported too

Not by anyone with a grain of sense. Cast iron is a bar steward to weld and will generally crack immediately afterwards anyway. Special fillers can be used to reshape cast iron ports more easily and cheaply than welding. Aluminium is easy enough for anyone with a good TIG welder but I've had a couple of nightmares with rock hard tungsten inclusions in the welds that bksed any attempt at accurate post-weld machining because bits of the welding nozzle had melted off into the weld. I didn't use that guy again.