I appreciate all the suggestions for ?improved heads? you folks are making to me, but I wouldn?t consider changing from the factory design. The next owner can modify the car if he wants, but any car I own will be the same as the factory designed it.
My goal is to recreate, as closely as I can, the exact experience of owning one of these cars when they were new. I even go so far as to reproduce the inspection daubs of paint on the various adjustments and the crayon markings on the engines, and the paint overspray on some of the components (fuel pump, accelerator linkage, spark plug wire guides etc). I know I?m a nut, but that?s the way I like to see them done, and I practice what I preach.
As for the difference between 67 and 68 heads, I own both years (2 cars each), and I notice a much quicker throttle response with the 67s than I do the 68s, with engines in equal (very good) condition ? I ascribe that to the smaller intake valves and passages in the 67 heads, as compared to the 68s. I know the 68?s have better high speed performance, but I don?t drive 100+ mph very often. I drive at normal speeds most of the time, and I like the quick ?bite? of the car when you first tip into the throttle. I?d guess going to the even larger intake valve heads would make a big improvement at the drag races, but that?s not my bag.
So, thanks again, but no thanks.
Dick Benjamin
Subject: Re: IML: Dick B's valves
>>>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.
>>>>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.
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