hotrodpc

I noticed the Eddys have come down in price too from what I remember. Seems about $900 for the set now. I'd prefer the OEM Irons myself, just to stay OEM as much as possible, but I can sure see why some guys will use them. For what you get out of the $900, they are practical. As far as the reliability, I don't know a thing about them having problems because I've not been around anyone that has ran them. I do agree with what your connection said about stripping the OEM though. Down to screw in studs, adjustable roller rockers, stainless valves etc, but you'd spend a ton of cash on them to do all that and why it's practical to do the Eddys.

VinMichael

Where are you seeing Edelbrocks for $900? I have been looking for a used set for months without any luck, let alone a set for $900. I have been searching Ebay and RacingJunk.com, nothing has come up .

hotrodpc

DOH, I lied. $900 EACH. Summit has a spot where it says "IF YOU BUY A PAIR.." So I thought it was a pair. Nope, they are sold individually. No, they are still $2000 with tax and shipping. Sorry for the false woodie !!!

coppercutlass

i will say this. I built my 350 with just around 3000 and it should have been a high 12 sec 13.0 car. It was my first real high performance build i did on my own. I picked the parts and assembled etc. I did alot of stuff alot of guys wouldn't i wont go into detail but the bottom end finally gave up on me. it was only suppoused to stay in for a few months and it turned into a year with just over 3k very hard street miles and 35 runs on it if finally gave up. I learned alot and it made great power for what it was. It ran 13.3's consistently with a converter that was too tight and a small carb. That is potential right there ., it may have been short lived but i learned what works. Just my 2 cents.

hotrodpc

Are you saying you built the whole motor for $3000? Was it a full rebuild, or just modified a used stock engine? I assume the point you're making is the OEM Cast Iron heads worked well for you?

coppercutlass

The heads where re worked bigger valves and milled down and bowl work no porting. the bottom end was a bone stock 72 350 with cast flat tops from a w31 new bearings rings and polished with crocus cloth and shoe string . They where o.e.m heads but re worked. I know a few guys runing sbo's well into the 10's with heavily reowrked iron heads. and yes 3000 for the rebuild carb to oil pan.

VinMichael

Do you know why the bottom end "gave up" on you? Were you just beating on it or what? What did you do after it gave up; open up the bearing clearances on the crank?

VinMichael

Yeah, that's way off. But fyi, Mondello has the best price on Edelbrock heads: $1,600.

hotrodpc

I wonder if those are off the Eddy assembly heads at Mondello's or if maybe he's worked them over a bit too. That would be a great deal if Mondello's has done the porting they need. Obviosly, it's a great deal anyway if Summits is $1800 plus tax and freight.

coppercutlass

It probably gave up for a number of reasons' my machine shop said possibly over revving which did happen more than a few times. maybe unbalance issues. maybe bent crank, failure of 40 plus year old parts etc . the block and all that stuff is scrap now not worth saving i got a new .030 forged flat top engine im working on and it's getting done right. I had 700 dollars into that whole bottome end i got a year out of it not too bad. I also beat the living tar out of it. The damadge was 3 broken piston skirts, number 2 rod bearing beat but not spun and the number 4 main bearing just the bottom side worn down.

hotrodpc

So even though the bent end went, it doesn't sound as if it was a catastrophic failure as in rods thru the block or anything like that. Seems you could have possibly use the block still with a line hone or bore. Did you by any chance strap or girdle the mains on that budget build? Dumb question really, I guess for $3000 I know you didn't girdle it.

coppercutlass

nope. and the next one wont need straps or girdle still. I was pushing my limits with this set up and the abuse i put it through.

deltathunder

Does anyone offer new olds cranks? At a reasonable price?

380 Racer

That's the last place I would buy them from.

coppercutlass

edelbrocks are good street heads. prouduction cars have aluminum heads and most new ls engines are all aluminum. fwiw i spent 1100 on my 6 sbo heads thats everything but porting on them. if i would have had them ported it would have been a couple hundered dollars less than the edelbrock heads. If you want to make it reliable you are gonna need to spend some money. Aluminum heads allow for more compression on the street if i remembered right too so they work better on some combos so they actually help make hp and keep it street friendly allowing pump gas.

coppercutlass

then you also have to make sure the intake fits right. all said and done i have 1500 completly in my heads, vlave train parts big valves , pushrods, guide plates roller tip rockers and milling the intake to fit right .

hotrodpc

In light of Rodney King recently passing away, "Can't we all just get along"? I find in the auto industry, you're always going to find people who disagree. You want to start a real fight? Just ask where you hook up Vacuum Advance to the dizzy? Ported Vacuum or Manifold Vacuum? I also know somethings work for some, and somethings work better for others. It's also a fact different things for different applications and vehicle intent too. Everyone is willing to pay big bucks for big valve heads. Not me, I'll scoop up a set of heads will little valves for dirt cheap and I'll use those heads with small valves. If I'm building a motor for my truck to pull a boat, big valve heads will actually hurt my performance for that vehicles intended purpose, so don't start calling me names and stupid if I won't step for the big valves. At any rate, it's a great discussion here with the OEM vs Eddy heads, no need for any hard feelings over disagreements. I'm like coppercutlass, I'm on a Chevy budget too, and not only a Chevy budget, I'm on a Small Block Chevy budget and going to be building a 455 BBO. It'll be a slow process and it'll be done right, but I'll be using OEM heads too and I'll be satisfied with the power they make for half the cost of Eddys and I won't get to find out if Eddy's are reliable or not, but I'm gonna live just fine not knowing first hand. Not on this build anyway. Maybe at a later date.

coppercutlass

no one is fighting here everything turns into a debate lol. there is nothing wrong with a small valved head. i ran 13.7's with a bonestock re rebuilt 73 350 with a towing cam, and bone stock 72 7a heads, eddy intake carb and headers, . it was all built for under 2500. the engine is now in my dad's car and it runs like a top.

coppercutlass

no my heads wont touch the edelbrocks . the edelbrocks will work the best they flow better than as cast big block heads and since they out flow big block heads they will work awesome on a sbo. guys run big block heads on small block because of the taller runners and added flow or so i have read in literature. the added benefit of the flow wont bee seen till the higher rpms so unless you are drag racing kinda pointless which is why i didnt port my heads but i will be for the next combo. i might actually got with the procomp heads which go for like 1500 all set up with an intake i think i seen.

hotrodpc

Well sumbish then, I'll get a fight started. I'll just ask where to hook up Vac Advance !!!

That sounds like a good combo for a DD street car or boat towing truck engine. Small Valve, RV cam with a dual plane intake and some headers. Won't be a 12 second ride, but still fun cruising around town and enough power for some nasty tire squealing. Good combo for low end grunt and not suffer in the mid range. It'll fall flat on it's face in the top end, but for a DD once your on the freeway doing 70mph doesn't really matter what the top end does, you're already there at cruising speed. So in this case, it would be a waste to use Eddys or even $1500 in headwork, you'd never get to take advantage of it.

coppercutlass

why the dick miller 800$ headers i know early cars have some fitment issues but i dont think it's that bad unless you dont want headers than thats understood .

380 Racer

Listen Sparky, I have been racing for thirty years trying to get it to go faster every year.......little by little. I gave up many things to race my car. Many lean years and still don't have an endless supply of $$$$. Right now the ring & pinion are out of it and am trying to figure out where that money is gonna come from. You go ahead and do what you want but don't judge me when you know nothing. By the way, I went the iron head route afraid to buy the Edelbrocks.......big mistake. So bring your checkbook when you decide to play with the big boys.

D Appeldorn

i bought a olds performance book "how to build max performance olds v8s"

it is from bil trovato, explaining most of the v8's are good to pass 500hp, exept for custom or expencive parts you need to achieve it.

he build also a high performance 403

As i read it it is not that hard to get over the 600 hp, but you need parts like a girdel to fix the weakness off the older v8's.
And performance parts are expencive and hard to come at.
A good engine builder that nows his thing, also custom chainges to parts like the heads, intake etc.

As for chevy.............. they order them parts from a cataloge.

oldcutlass

I think people ought to build them the way they want ta build em. I also believe that one should not reinvent the wheel. I have great respect for some on here as they do know their $hit. Howevers there are others on here that just dispense info, whether right, wrong, or indifferent. I pass info on that has been practical for me and works in most applications. I learned a lot over the years drag racing, and experimenting on my cars and others, just as a lot of these guys, who like me are over the age of 50.

There is no reason to bash anyone on here for a difference of opinion. If they want to go off in another direction, ... it's not my money. So if 65ragtop wants his new found best buddy to build him an engine, is his perogative!

BTW, for the difference of $100, I would opt for the Edelbrocks! They are better than any cast iron head.

ah64pilot

They don't work them over...but they do have a good price. Just don't buy ANYTHING else from them. Ask me how I know...

There are those of us that have learned the hard way, and those that still have to learn. Don't buy from Mondello

Don't run off...I think you're a nice guy. Maybe a little thin skinned but you haven't ticked me off in any way...well, except for the pm. I wasn't trying to make you look like a douche with the aluminum heads comment on page 1. I was actually trying to point out that the advice you have been given by your "buddy" might not be as sound as you think.

I'll explain: For a guy that brags so heavily on cast iron heads, why on earth would you run Edelbrocks? I know you say he regrets it, but if he truly regretted it don't you think he'd pop those off and trade them for a set of C's? I know plenty of guys that would trade him for the Eddy's...and I'm sure he knows it too. I'm just saying, a guy selling cast iron heads that doesn't run cast iron heads is a little fishy.

Anyway, I wasn't trying to call YOU out...but I was calling out your "buddy". I apologize if my words offended you. Also, the reason I bold my reply when I have quoted people is so that you see my words apart from those that were quoted...It is not, as you suggested in your pm, to make you look like a dumbass.

LMAO!

And for the record, I prefer the Edelbrock's. I made 500 HP with out of the box Edelbrocks, 10.63:1 compression and use 93 Octane. AND I drive around in Houston's 100 degree heat with no detonation issues. Try that with cast iron heads

deltathunder

I am no drag racer but it isn't the first time I've heard that aluminium head to cast iron block "could" cause head gasket issues because they flex at different temps. Obviously plenty of people run that combo from factory 4 cylinders to all out drag cars but you have to admit if nothing else it will probably be MORE likely to happen than with iron heads. Like if your motor was subjected to conditions that promote a blown head gasket it may happen easier/faster with aluminum heads. The only part that I don't get is what reason does that guy have to regret using aluminum heads? They haven't blown the head gasket and they are
the same old heads he put on there.

D Appeldorn

i don''t see the problem if the heads are checked retorqued several times after that.
using good quality headgaskets.

same as the intake, if done right i don't see any problem. (doesn't chevy have cast engines also?)

read the manuals cast or aluminium, they all have to be retorqued after a while when installing them.
I do check them as long as it takes, after short trips, and im happy with it if it stay's on the amound of torque i want to see
They most set after 3 times

easy to do, with propper schedule's or manuals with it.

coppercutlass

relax jeez. Btw j heads are not very desireable for performance builds.

ah64pilot

Well, as you remarked in your pm a "typical military hothead" would have just called you a douche. I wasn't pointing out YOUR mistake, but the douche bag you're having build your engine. Just a word, spend some time around "military hotheads" and you'll find out quickly when we want to call you a douche we will outright do it. I am almost ashamed that I thought you could be cool...but after a failed attempt at apologizing to you be aware that I now DO think you're a DOUCHE.

One day when your ***** drop you'll see the value in the older guys knowledge and experience. We're here to help and collectively we know a hell of a lot more than your "locally respectable" boyfriend. So when your "J" headed BBO is done post up some dyno numbers so we can see how badly you failed. Good luck with your build...wish you weren't such a tard, it would've been nice to follow another engine build.

Mods...I wrote this expecting a warning...I'm good with that. This guy is a dumbass and I thought he should know it.

coppercutlass

Man this got out of hand fast. I might just say IF your guy is so good you should not be asking what's good or bad etc. You should trust him. If he seriously thinks cast heads beat aluminum so be it but I know a ton of hardcore racers who think diffrent not only for all out race but for the street too. There is no need to insult our military they fight so that you can have the freedom of building a car and being able to hot rod it out instead of driving around in a yugo.

Jamesbo

Gentlemen, PLEASE let's keep it civil.

380 Racer

Oh boo hoo.....sniff, sniff.

oldcutlass

The problem with you "65ragtop" is that you have a closed mind, and don't know when to keep your mouth shut and listen. You are going on 1 persons opinion, where here there are many years of experience. Your skin is very thin, and your entering a gun fight with a knife.

ah64pilot

Mythbusters confirmed that entering a gunfight with a knife is a dumb idea. They actually tried to bust it but couldn't. Although they did come close, it was from a fast draw perspective...so in any other situation (guns already drawn) it would have been even worse.

Just thought I'd throw that in there...lol!

coppercutlass

My buddy say's a knife is better.

gearheads78

And this ladies and gentleman is what no dodge ball and trophies for everyone in school gets you. I see it all the time. These kids get out of college that have been coddled their whole life and don't know how to survive in the real world. You slightly raise your voice because they did something wrong and they quite because they can't handle it.

oldcutlass

That combined with being handed things for free, and not taking the time to be educated enough to make educated decisions.

ah64pilot

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one...

I said what I had to say, and I got my pee pee slapped. But I took it like a man...I even thanked the mod that did it. I wonder if I should have run off in a huff...

Copper...you're bad! lol!

coppercutlass

Lol hey sometimes you have to be.

oldcutlass

Thank you sir, may I have another!

NO you weren't the only one, I upset him in another post when he was rambling on and on to what could be wrong with his stumbling issue without troubleshooting. I referred to it as Mental ************!