Advice on heads for sale down under

MAZVER · Post by **MAZVER** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:19 am

Could anyone shed some light on wether the work that has been done on these heads is of much performance benefit?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =208835886
Cheers for any help....

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:57 am

I think the best advice is to ask them for a set of flow figures, that is ultimatly what counts. You can do any amount of work hogging out the ports and fitting different Valves but if it doesn't give more flow it is a waist of time. If they can't give you a set of flow figures then odds on it hasn't been developed using a flow bench, in which case it just looks pretty.
Mike

ian.stewart · Post by **ian.stewart** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:15 pm

They dont look that fantastic if you put them up against my current heads or even my old heads, they do appear to have a mechanical cam /GrpA? conversion, and the first rocker in the pics appears to have been punched and had PTFE tape wraped around the adjuster to stop it coming undone. not a good sign,

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:54 pm

chevy 350 valves? Be good to know which ones and what size.

Group A rockers can be used with ford pushrods, but I don't know if they are ford rockers though. Proper Group A rockers use Volve rockers.

The exhuast ports don't look like they've had much work, and the inlets aren't much better. Given what they have apparently done to the rest of the heads in terms of valves and rockers, you would have thought they'd rip the guts outta the heads as well.

CastleMGBV8 · Post by **CastleMGBV8** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:46 pm

Difficult to tell from the pics.

The group A type rocker gear with suitable length push rods are of some value, the head work itself looks a bit iffy, for the inlets they seem to have machined out the guide and the casting support area that you would only do on full race heads whilst the port runners appear fairly unmodified.

Without the valves out you can't see what work has been done to the seat areas and blending the area below the seats into the bowls which is very important.

The pic of the exhaust is just a black hole so reveals nothing.

If they go cheap could be worth having, if your not far away go and have a look and ask him to take somer valves out so you can see properly.

Kevin.

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:52 pm

[quote="CastleMGBV8"]The pic of the exhaust is just a black hole so reveals nothing.
quote]

I was referring to the fact that the exhausts port sides appear to be unchanged, as in as-cast, therefore I'm assuming (worst case) that there hasn't been any work on them.

Post by **katanaman** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:15 pm

inlet looks pretty stock to me, looks like they have just ground big lumps out of the valve guide area and flushed the guide down. It hasn't been done very nicely either. The walls actually still look like the cast finish. No idea on the valves but going by the gap between them they aren't very big.

Andy515666 · Post by **Andy515666** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:30 pm

Hey dude

Have a look at triumph rover spares (its a website in Aus) and you will find a pair of big valve heads for around $1300
www.triumphroverspares.com.au
Would seriously buy some myself however I have had a pair worked on my Headmaster reconditioners in wellington.

Thats the other option

v8man · Post by **v8man** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:46 pm

not a nice pair stay clear away from it

MAZVER · Post by **MAZVER** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:44 pm

Thanks for the advice guys ill leave em then! Looks like theyll sell for fairly cheap but if the work on them itsnt worthwhile i may aswell run my standard ones for mean time..

Wotland · Post by **Wotland** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:30 am

Just for Olly,
In Australia some Chevy engines are sold under the name of Holden which is a subsidiary of General Motors.
I seen already this references of Holden valves used on Rover Heads : EVL P/No 37062 (in) & 37065 (ex). But I don't know the exact size of valves.

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:55 am

Wotland wrote:Just for Olly,
In Australia some Chevy engines are sold under the name of Holden which is a subsidiary of General Motors.
I seen already this references of Holden valves used on Rover Heads : EVL P/No 37062 (in) & 37065 (ex). But I don't know the exact size of valves.

Hmm, wonder what size/stem they are then? Might have to look into that one.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:31 pm

Hi Chevy and Buick use the same valve stem, 11/32, the 350 chevy has had inlet valves in it from about 1.64" inlet to 2.02" in "standard" form. To say "Chevy valves" is a bit meaningless as the two devisions share parts bins, a Buick pasenger car and a chevy truck cylinder head could well use the same valve as standard. A valve is a valve to GM, its parts bin engineering where what is important is that you use parts already stocked by GM when you design somthing "new".
Mike.

ppyvabw · Post by **ppyvabw** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:54 am

katanaman wrote:inlet looks pretty stock to me, looks like they have just ground big lumps out of the valve guide area and flushed the guide down. It hasn't been done very nicely either. The walls actually still look like the cast finish. No idea on the valves but going by the gap between them they aren't very big.

I agree. Big lumps taken out around the valve guide without a very nice finish, valve guide has just been cut away which to my mind has few benefits. Bulleted and shortened valve guides, yeah fine, but just to cut them away like that is just stupid, they are there to do a job, especially on a road engine!

The port openings are standard, you can still see where the inlet gasket has been, not been opened out to match the gasket or anything.

Doesn't look like there has been any work in the chambers.

Spose the group A rocker assembly might be worth a few sheets but I hadn't noticed until Ian said, seems like one of the rockers has been bodged with PTFE tape or glue or suminc. Could be repaired perhaps with a helicoil or insert. Not sure if that would effect anything in terms of the rockers being different weights.

ppyvabw · Post by **ppyvabw** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:01 am

Also, the rockers have holes in? Don't know about group A rockers, but what's that about?

I've read that certain rockers for use on a rover need holes welding up.