got the 70 455 e-heads out of storage.started to clean them up a bit before i take them to the machine shop .any opinions on their condition ? exhaust side of one is pretty pitted .also where are these a.i.r bumps i hear guys talking about grinding down?can i use the rockers and hold downs from my j-heads on these?thanks

 

Yes, you can use the "J" heads rockers and bridges. The air bumps are under those circular protrusions next to the spark plugs in the ports. Basically where the air lines would screw into the head. Get a quote from your shop, by the time that seat is replaced, depending on valve and guide condition it could add up quickly. What else are you doing to the motor?

 

Looks like decent head cores to me.

 

the plan is to replace the j heads with theses e heads, new cam, aluminum intake and headers .my machine shop guy said hell look them over and give me an estimate

 

I like the plan. Hope they work out.

I wouldn't worry too much about those bumps. I've removed them on at least two sets I've used through the years. I'm just not sure you gain anything from it. But, it doesn't take long with a die grinder and bit though. Thats one thing I like to see confirmation on. Dyno runs or even flow bench readings would be nice to chew on.

 

thanks for the advice .the car currently has the original single exhaust so the header addition alone should help a ton .

 

Any reason why you're bothering with the stock type irons?

 

mostly cost .most fully setup aluminum heads seem to be on the high side of my budget and i already own the cast iron heads .ill weigh the options after the estimate from the machine shop .

 

if i may bump this thread ?when i hear a guy say he "went up one with the cam" ,what exactly does that mean? seems like a whole lot of varying numbers to a cam to me .is this a guy that do know sh-t or is there actually something to this statement ?thanks

 

It doesn't mean anything. It's not too much different than "3/4 or full race cam". Most people that say that don't have a clue.
Decide EXACTLY what it is you want and go from there.

 

When you compare cost of all the work and parts, especially when considering porting and other performance mods,, the aluminum aftermarket heads can be a bargain, especially considering all the performance advantages.

 

Porting can be done by the op if he chooses to go that route.Dave the Freak has shown how it can be done. Nothing wrong with iron heads. A lot depends on what the op is wanting.He did say cheap! Iron heads are cheap to use in stock form.

 

there are many credit cards that charge no interest for the first 12 or 15 months if budgeting is a concern like is for me. Procomps might cost you less that redoing irons and are way lighter. Also the price has come down on the edelbrock 60515 since the 605119 rolled out.

 

I like porting the irons just because i can, you dont get the same sense of pride when you break out the plastic for aluminums like you do when you port your own.

 

thanks for the responses .i looked into the ebrocks on summit, 2100 for a pair and they recommend hydraulic roller cam and new hardened pushrods,which would be pricey for me.since im not changing pistons it doesnt make sense to do a whole lot of performance upgrades to the heads .so, factory e heads with a good valve job suits me just fine .would a w-30 cam be overkill ?the specs i looked up for a 70 455 with auto trans are 285/287-degrees duration with 472/472 lift. cam part number 400165 .keeping in mind this is a 1976 455 .still trying to figure out the factory cam specs that is in it now,not sure if ill know until i actually pull it out .

 

If you keep the 1976 pistons you'll end up with a true compression ratio of about 8:1 unless you got a really good pair of E's. That midrange cam may not do much for you with that low CR either. W30 cam would definitely hurt performance more than help with those pistons.


Given that, use the E's. They'll surprise you compared to the J's. EGR bump removal? I've done it, but doubtful you'll see much difference unless you're building all-out street terror engine.

 

Any recommendation for a better cam than my stock ? Sounds like I'm limited on cam selection by keeping the original pistons.

 

Talked with a guy from supercars unlimited he told me that w30 cam would be fine for my low compression motor (not sure I agree)also talked with Engle and they recommend an ep1618 210/216 duration @ .050 and 472/488 lift for my application.any thoughts? Thanks

 

If you're using headers the higher lift/duration on Engle cam exhaust side will work wonderfully. Someone figured out many years ago that Olds engines kinda like split duration/lift cams and respond well to them. Olds heads had the reputation of breathing more efficiently in stock trim than most other GM heads.


I'm not so sure on a big 328 (or even 308) duration cam with compression under 9:1. Seems like your valves would be open and then overlap too long to get any real power stroke or scavenging without high compression to squeeze it out on exhaust stroke. To put in perspective, the 328 degree cam would keep the valves at least partly open for 90% of its revolution, and the time the intake and exhaust valves are open and overlapping affects power output. Hard to explain...

 

I kinda get it so makes more sense to go with Engle.also yes will be adding headers .as a side note I'm retaining the turbo 400 trans / with stock converter and after doing the wheel test looks like I have a 2.56 posi after 10 tire revolutions I had a little over 25 .5 revolutions of the driveshaft.

 

Sorry but virtually none of that is true. Go to the Engle website, they offer the EXACT same off the shelf grinds for many other makes as well.
Consequently ANY application with subpar exhaust flow will benefit from a split pattern cam. However that can also negatively effect low end power.

 

Any suggestions cutlass ? Not sure where to go from here.

 

Still researching .tech at comp cams recommends cam 262 . Duration 218/224@.050 .lift 475/480 on 110 lobe sep.

 

Yes, Erson Hi Flow AH on a 108. 220/220@.050 with .504 lift. I hope whatever you do you're replacing the springs right?

 

Yes new valves , springs,seals and lifters .seats if necessary .

 

Is there a part number for the erson ?and where would I get one ?

 

PM Mark Remmel (Cutlassefi). He is an Erson dealer and sells cams, including customs. Procomp heads are considerably less than Edelbrock's from someone like Bernard Mondello and I believe Mark deals with Procomp heads as well.

 

Since I've been called out as ignorant and nearly a liar, I'll leave this to the experts who do this for a living and return to my own area of expertise- nuclear power generation.


Deadeye, good luck with your build and have big fun with it. You could benefit from higher compression pistons and deeper gearing but a budget build can be the most fun.

 

thanks rocket thats the plan for now. i welcome any and all advice,i dont know alot about engine building thats why im here.when the time comes ill start a thread on this build so that maybe, people can learn from my sucess or failures.

 

I knew it!!!! Our nuclear power plants are run by a bunch of ignorant liars!

 

"Sorry but virtually none of that is true. Go to the Engle website, they offer the EXACT same off the shelf grinds for many other makes as well".

I never called you either one. The reality is had you taken just a few minutes to scan their website you would've noticed the same thing I did. There are few if any differences between their "Olds" cams and most everything else they do off the shelf.

There are lots of myths and old wives tales still floating around, most of which are untrue. Imo in todays age of info, it's pretty easy to decipher what's real and what isn't.

Thank you.

 

I can get you all the Erson stuff, as well as most other pieces.

 

D-oh!


And yes, we find Homer insanely funny!

 

I know split grinds have been made for virtually all makes for many years- at least back into the 70s. I was pointing out that Olds engines have responded especially well to those type grinds, not that Olds had a lock on split duration/lift.


But again, I do this strictly as a hobby and not for a living, so I'll leave future engine build advice to those with more experience.