joepenoso

Anybody using stock or modified Procomp aluminum heads?
Anybody tried this head...
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/360436386347?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1423.l2649
thanks
joepenoso

cutlassefi

It's still the procomp. I bought a set bare when they first came out. I haven't put them on anything yet but they look just fine.

SBORule

They're made in China, they got to be good.

nofiveo

Got an engine (sbc) in the shop now that a customer had built by a local machine shop with procomp heads.. Junk dosen't quite describe what I've seen. We pulled a cover and noticed that teh pushrod guide plates weren't lined up with the pushrod holes, causing the push rods to rub on the heads. the roller tip rockers they installed were no where close to centered on the valve tips (poor machine work). I hear they also have a rep for dropping valve seats. IMO, procomp stuff is best suited for use on claimer motors. I think we took pics.. I'll see what i can come up with.

joepenoso

So Hawaii nofiveo tell me how you really feel
joepenoso

Vega

I havent had any first hand experience with them, but from the reviews ive heard theyre not bad for an aluminum head on a budget. Any aftermarket head is going to take a little machine work to get to fit/work just right no matter what brand or what country theyre made in, but i do believe in this case you get what you pay for. Great for those who dont have wads of cash laying around or the more "do it yourself" kinda guy who can mill, port, polish, etc. But for "plug and play" its Edelbrocks all day

Id buy them. I dont like China, but i like my car more than i dislike china haha

nofiveo

Heres some pics I found today... As I said earlier, these are SBC heads, the Olds may be different. You'll notice that the parts in this engine are by no means high end. The owner had it it built by a local shop and brought it to us to be installed. Notice the pushrods being forced into the runners by the guide plates and also the misalignment of the rocker to the valve tip. Now some of you may say that being aftermarket, that some modifications may be needed, but I've worked with Dart, Brodix, TrickFlow, Motorsport and RHS heads and never run into this. The engine pictured was built with parts intended for claimer engines.. Eagle stroker rotating assembly (crank looks like someone chiseled it out of a piece of track from a Sherman tank) Howards splayed main caps, cheap stud kit, pro-comp intake no-name rockers and push rods etc. Hopefully those of you who have these heads have good luck with them, but there will never be another set in this shop again.

100_3790.jpg
100_3791.jpg
100_3794.jpg
100_3796.jpg

joepenoso

These are cast off reject parts meant for a claimer engines....................... they are not meant to be good. Typically it's not that bad.....................unless no one steps up to give thier first hand experiences saying this is so?????.
joepenoso
CAVEAT EMPTOR
buyer beware......................or, maybe not...............
somebody had to buy them and have personal experience using..........The Good ..The Bad.....Da Ugly
joepenoso

380 Racer

So a person is going to buy a cheap-*** head and put high dollar/top quality parts on them? Claimer is probably the correct description

joepenoso

OK.......Looks like you are right.........A whole mess of people bought these things and very few are willing to admit it.. All the reveiws I heard seem to be negative. Somebody had to use one for a couple of months now................is it that embarassing to admit and share your pain or gain??
joepenoso

droptopron

IMO Nofiveo gave you a really good review and good pics to work with. If they can't build a SBC head that they plan to move in bigger volumes what will they do with an Olds head?

ah64pilot

Doesn't Bernard Mondello use the Pro-comps? Surely someone from ROP has heard a story or two. I would share but those yahoo's have never approved my account, 2 years I've been waiting.

LX89mustang

I spoke with Bernard about these heads . I will be buying a set "bare" . The hardware they come with is not of good quality . He offers them with quality hardware for a very reasonable price if you want them assembled . He also does some light port work when you buy them this way . At the time he had 10 sets sold with his hardware .

allyolds68

http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/...light=pro+comp

http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/...light=pro+comp

http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/...hlight=procomp

http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/...hlight=procomp

No one appears to be running them yet. I really posted this for ah64pilot's benefit because joepenoso has aleady posted on ROP and no one has really responded

ah64pilot

I don't need them, I have edelbrocks but I appreciate your effort. I will check it out, I'm interested in the topic. By chance if you ever get in touch with a Moderator over at ROP have them approve my account lol!

allyolds68

A moderator at ROP, now that's pretty funny



Sent you a PM

ah64pilot

You like that? lol! I sent you one back with my info. I have an account, it's just never been approved.

joepenoso

Meanwhile..............back at the ranch...................Procomp and I assume Prostar...............is a North Korean copy of Procomp is being sold leisurely. Is any customers who have taken the plunge been happy with either product?????????????Names and identities will and can remain anonymous
thanks
joepenoso

nofiveo

Joe, take the plunge and pick up a set and let us know how it goes. The alignment issues could be addressed and corrected with some work. The owner of this engine has been notified of the problems pictured, but says to run it anyway. For the record, it's a 383 thats going to reside in a 62 Biscayne with a 4spd behind it. It was built from parts intended for a roundy rounder (low budget) and if it makes it 500 miles on the street we'll be amazed. We've got a pool going at the shop if any of you guys are interested.. $50 gets you a shot and winner takes all

380 Racer

^^^lmao^^^

joepenoso

I'm writing this thread to find out how others who were the first made out............ but as you see first hand experience is rarer than getting a peek at the moustache behind a burka
thanks
joepenoso

ah64pilot

When it comes down to it, if you spend $500 more for a complete set of Edelbrocks and slap 'em on your engine you are way ahead in my book. You'll spend that in machine shop fees just to make the pro-comps work...not worth it IMO.

Added bonus (and should be a requirement on our cars) - They are made in the USA

joepenoso

Ironically.........the person with the cheapest prices for Edelbrock Oldsmobile heads is Mondello....the original................. not Bernardo's his son.
joepenoso

jeff71olds

I bought a set of the procomp heads from Bernard back in December, I believe they were the Package #3 heads(back then he offered 3 different versions of them) where he cleaned them up, installed better valves etc. I just got the engine in my car and fired it up for the first time yesterday. I don't have any plans to dyno it, so I really can't give you any performance numbers, but the heads did look nice, I have some pictures of them I can post later if it would help. Mark(cutlassefi) has been a tremendous help answering questions with this build as well as grinding a roller cam for me, Bernard was also a good guy to work with answering any questions I had.

nofiveo

Theres a set of rocket racing heads and an intake on fleabay right now.. looks like they are starting at 1K.

joepenoso

jeff71olds
Congradulations you are the first to acknowledge purchase and give positive results for Procomp. Send in some pictures and tell how the car is running.
Thanks!
joepenoso

380 Racer

I don't feel there is any comparison between the Pro Comps and RR heads.

nofiveo

Not trying to start an arguement here, but I wouldn't exactly say the engine starting is "positive results".

droptopron

Joe, why is everything in bold?

droptopron

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Olds-Rocket-...35c125&vxp=mtr

jeff71olds

Here are a few pics. For what it's worth(not really much, since I only just got my motor started), My take on the ProComps from Bernard were, looks like a decent head at a good price for someone who's not looking to squeeze every available ounce of HP out of a motor.

cutlassefi

Your pix have nothing to do with quality of those cylinder heads. He used cheap/incorrect parts.
Notice the pic I enclosed. Look at the center 2 cylinders. The exhaust rockers are straight, yet the intakes on the same cylinders are a bit crooked. This is an Iron Olds head with Comp cams #4851-8 guide plates.

He used cheap guide plates/rockers or the wrong ones. From the looks of it there's nothing wrong with that SBC ProComp head you pictured regarding valve/rocker alignment, it's the valvetrain parts he used.

VinMichael

Same here. ROP never let me in . But atleast I have ClassicOldsmobile

joepenoso

Yeah getting a motor started is the closest real world example given for a positive Pro Comp experience. There are a lot of E Bay vendors with little pro or con Oldsmobile experiences given.
joepenoso