Re: IML: Dick B's valves

["Frederick Joslin" <fljoslin@xxxxxxxx>]

For about $1300 you can get brand new Edelbrock aluminium heads with all new valves, springs, hardened seats, bronze guides,  etc. which because they are aluminium will happily run 10:1 compression on pump gas. They also weigh about 50 lbs less that the iron heads. The 452 casting # heads are the 1976-78 B and RB (400 and 440) heads with good flow and hardened seats.

Speaking of heads, I have read various discussions about inserting an additional coolant line from the back of B/RB heads (fire wall side) to the radiator to increase coolant flow through the heads and thus maintain a more uniform temperature from cylinder to cylinder. I have read that this allows higher compression to be run because the cylinder/head temperature is more uniform across all cylinders reducing the tendency to pre-detinate in the "hot" cylinders.. 

Has anyone done this? It seems like an easy and cheap way to make the engine more durable and perform better.  

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robin Giesbrecht"
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: IML: Dick B's valves
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:13:29 -0700


I know what a lot of urban myths say but that
should be laid to rest with evaluations done by
MOPAR performance magazines on big block
heads. If you want hardened valve seats get a
set of 400 heads from the wrecker. Problem
solved. And they breath very well, better than
the old heads.They are open chamber so your
compression ratio may go down depending on your
engine but there are ways of fixing that.

Robin Giesbrecht
72 Imperial


> From: "Pete Engel"
> Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To:
> Subject: Re: IML: Dick B's valves
> Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:02:05 -0500
>
> Dick,
>
> I was able to sneak into your garage and snap a few pics of the Imperial
> heads right after you pulled them. In this shot you can clearly see the
> "hot" valves at each end of the head.
>
> http://bos-engel.com/66newyorker/headsoff/2hotvalves.jpg
>
> On closer inspection it's obvious that one of the valves is pretty badly
> burned.
>
> http://bos-engel.com/66newyorker/headsoff/burntvalve.jpg
>
>
> ;-)
>
>
> Actually, I suspect that Dick's Imperial heads looked an awful lot like the
> heads I recently pulled off my 66 New Yorker 440. I bought the car this
> past Spring and it took some head scratching to get it running. It turned
> out that it had 5 stuck intake valves and 5 bent pushrods. Ouch. Once I
> remedied that little problem and got it running it sounded pretty darn good
> but there was obviously still a problem. A very impressive backfire caused
> the muffler to instantly change shape:
>
> http://bos-engel.com/66newyorker/p7090005.jpg
>
> Hmmm, I wonder if there's a bad exhaust valve? With 97k on the clock it
> seemed prudent to just pull the heads and have them reworked. The machine
> shop did a hard sell on hardened exhaust seats so I decided to do it (for
> the first time ever). Installing the seats cost $200. The whole cylinder
> head rework cost just over a grand, pretty much insuring that I will never
> break even on this car. I got 8 new exhaust valves, 16 new guide inserts,
> glass-beading, 3-angle valve job, and surface heads 0.010" I have yet to
> find the time to put the 440 back together :-(
>
> Pete in PA
> Busy with a 6 month old baby
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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Fred Joslin