I had to cringe when I heard about possible nightmare drilling steam holes in a SBC head. About 20 years ago, I bought a pair of Edelbrock alum heads, and someone I knew drilled the steam holes for me. If I had to do it over again, I would just order heads with the holes already in them. Eric's honesty about issues is very refreshing.
its easy to see : all the external casting is identical around the Pushrod hole areas between those 2 Heads , also very same waterjacket deck cutout shapes , and Eric , have a Blessed Easter with your Family !
Would you recommend going with the afr 200cc or the promaxx 200cc for a budget 406 build? Learning a ton while watching your videos thanks for the great content!
Thanks for going in depth on this and other videos with the AFR’s. Really considering these on a mild roller 355 building for a “rock crawler”/ fun play truck. Think they’ll do just fine. Liked your comparison to the Project X head as well just not sure I’ll need that large of a head with only .535 lift and 10:1
Regarding the steam holes, the 400 SBC was originally used from the factory only in trucks. If you were putting them under a constant heavy load on a hot day, the steam holes are needed. They were not great in this application, they've found a 2nd life in performance applications. When I worked in a shop back in the day (80s), I used to tell people to just switch to a 454 rather than rebuild a truck application 400, and sell the 400 core to a guy with a 2nd gen Camaro or Firebird. The 454 is going to be way better all day if you are towing a travel trailer or a big boat. For drag racing only applications, i.e., you're putting the car on the trailer and towing it to the track, you don't need the steam holes. $0.02. If it was more of a driver though, and in my area (Central Texas) where you might find yourself sitting in traffic when it's over 100 degrees out, I'd probably make sure I had the steam holes on a 406.
Actually from experience towing with a 400 is fine. The shit smog parts are what killed it. Build a 9:1 or 9.5:1 400 with good heads like vortec or aftermarket and a towing cam and they are fine. Have to have steam holes and a good radiator (like the big block one) and you will have no trouble. I had a 89 Suburban tow vehicle with that exact setup. Had 150k on the motor with no trouble. Pulled like a train. 400 was .020 over and I used 5.7 rods because I had about 50 LT1 rods laying around. But basically a stock style rebuild. I made factory style roller rockers work and a retrofit roller cam. Vortec heads were stainless valve, cut guides and beehive springs that it. Wish I kept the motor
Great videos Eric , I appreciate what you’re doing educating us , my other concern would be is whether there should be any concern of the seats pulling out of budget heads like these .
I have the DNA heads on my 350 in my K5 Blazer and I really like them. I bought all US parts and have not done anything but drive the hell out of the old truck.
The only problem I have run across is they ALL need to start milling inside the valve cover rail for the stock centerbolt valve covers to fit. AFR tech rep argued with me that the stock covers fit, they absolutely do not. AFR and Edelbrock both mill their own dual drilled heads for the stock center bolt covers to fit. AFR tells you they will fit on these and they will not. Some may wonder why that is an issue. On a L31 truck, suv or van about the only thing that will fit under the unmodified stock a/c compressor bracket is the stock valve cover. Makes these heads a real PITA to use on a L31 truck engine with the stock accessories. I have a set of Assaults on the 383 in my 97 Express. I also just put a pair of Enforcers on a L31 in a 2000 Tahoe for a customer. It is a total PITA that AFR wants to argue with you about when you call their tech line. When you put these heads on a Vortec application, you also have to tap the coolant bypass port under the lower water pump mounting bolt on the RH side of the block if the vortec block came with it. The L31 pump does not cover the machined passageway in the blocks deck surface like a stock vortec head and the hole will pour coolant out of it. Tap that port to 1/8" NPT, put a pipe plug in it with some sealer and all is good. Finally the OEM L31 spark plug wire loom brackets and dipstick tubes in the trucks use the 1/4-20 bolt holes between the exhaust ports that are a solid 1/2" too low and header flanges cover them up entirely. Would not have been a big deal to drill and tap another pair higher, but I already had the 383 shoved in my Express van when I discovered it.
Used to be better cs when Tony was around. Current guy is bad for biz...I should go apply and take his job. Some have 0 business sense. CS AFTER the sale is everything that builds or kills reputation real fast
CS used to be so much better when Tony was there. Always helpful in finding a solution provided the buyer didnt screw thigns up Thier recent new faceman whos gotta be 50ish and calls himself a hawk (lol) lost my biz forever. Has no clue how many sales per yr came from me alone
Eric, You've mentioned before you're a Trick Flow dealer. Have you ever looked at the small hump heads they offer for SBC that look like 461's or 186's? I'm looking to build a sleeper engine with these heads and would love to see a review and hear your thoughts on them. They claim around 260 cfm out of the box, they aren't big heads, but would be curious what can be done with them. Thanks.
I have the exact same heads, 11/32 stem 2.02in 1.6exh they have the steam holes, hand ported, ran 1.46' sixty foot time on my street 379ci small block short block. After the sixty foot, could not put the power to the track until high gear half track with 3.00:1 gears th-400 and 9" @3400+ pounds weight, twin 2.5" exhaust to the rear bumper.
Thanks for the video, looking at getting a set of these heads, using on a 355 and a 383 stroker, this answered some questions, steam holes eh, I know so many variables, but these possible to be increased in flow ? They capable possibly of 550 horse not ported ?
Nice video Bud! You don't seem like your going to jump off a bridge, LOL. So I'm guessing the 2bbl engine wasn't a complete turd? LOL JK! I'm hoping you had good luck! There's not much worse then when you dyno a engine that you cannot do much to, & power is down from where you know it needs to be to be competitive! Hope to hear about it sometime this weekend, & Happy Easter to you & your family! Try to stay out of the shop! At least on Sunday!
I dabbled in the 2 barrel world of stock car racing back in the late 70's, the best results were when the V8 engine was built "for" using a 2 bbl, putting a 2 bbl on a 4bbl V8 platform was a disappointment, the biggest problem was the "gulp" factor coming off of the corner, the 2 bbl lacks the area to compensate for heavy loads without nosing over (lack of air velocity), best results were had with slightly smaller displacement plus gearing to rev the snot out of the engine to keep the air speed up in the intake. V6 was the hot setup for 2bbl.
Wow I was expecting better than this from AFR. You can get within a few CFM of this with a well set up Vortec head. Granted a Vortec will give you more headaches setting up a cam that is much above stock. And these AFR heads seem pretty cheap for an "AFR" head. I just was expecting more flow.
They are cheap generic castings...a vortec wont flow near these. Lots of bogusa flow #s floating on the web. If it were me go with your vortecs or even an afr 180 eliminator head. They get overlooked many.
Do undercut stems help flow? If so, why are they only 1/2 inch long instead of going up to the bottom of the guide? I would think the longer undercut the lighter the valve plus the smaller diameter would still be in the throat at full lift.
I debated on this as well and ended up with Promaxx 183s cuz I found them on special. (Otherwise I was going to go Enforcer) But the Brodix are a REALLY good head for the money but you’re still paying about a 30% premium for an American made head. There’s not really any performance difference in most cases. For reference, the Promaxx heads are a copy of the Brodix IK. Eric went through this in another video.
@@joeamato3936 what was interesting with his comparison was the Promaxx 200 outflows the Brodix IK200 due to the Brodix requiring basic chamber work. I'd still go Brodix though and get the CNC chamber option.
I have a pretty reasonable question, why does any manufacturer use 11/32 valve stems any more? 8mm is really common and there seems to be a whole bunch of benefits with almost no downside.
When the sbc was made with 11/32 valves for over 60 years the tooling to build the valves to 11/32 is cheaper, more readily available. It comes down to the economy of scale when gm subsidiaries built the tooling it was 11/32, so it is still cheaper to build them that way. Welcome to the wonderful world of capitalism and a free market. Even though an 8mm valve uses less material the 11/32 is still cheaper. Confusing isn't it 😂
Flowed the same casting on a sf600 same bore no pipe numbers were slightly higher but not by much. See some sellers using the 4" bore and for the most part claiming 250ish int 190ish exh thoughts?
A bit disappointed afr is using Chinese castings. 😕 I get that they are better than regular stuff cuz of afr parts but besides that I just wouldn't. My eliminator heads were amazing but I prefer my brodix dragon slayer especially after I had them ported and new guides springs and valves
These heads have a 100" raised intake port opening. Which intake gasket will work with that design? I have felpro 1205 gaskets that I had the notch the bolt hole openings in the gasket so they would work. Also, will that raised intake port interfere with a rpm air gap intake? My old Victor Jr was small enough that it still would, but I'm not sure about the newer rpm air gap intakes.
Hey Eric, so on engine masters season 7 Episode 120 they ran these heads and made 470ish hp on a 383. In one of your earlier videos you flowed the street version and it flowed about 20 more cfm's. How much more hp do you think the street version would make on about that same setup? Also on your website you have "street" afr195's listed for $1700, I'm interested in buying those from you, im just trying to see if it's worth the extra $500. Trying to get the best bang for my buck ya know! TIA
Eric, do you feel the afr is the better buy, vs buying the kmj assault, and doing your own hard parts? Which is the better bargain, you have built and and sold both is why I ask.
I was wondering this myself and by the time you buy decent hard parts you're at the AFR price anyways. PLUS ! the AFR has 8mm stems. I'd go with the AFRs
I was wondering the same thing, it really comes down to how good the valve job done in China is. Cant seem to find any examples of people taking these apart out of the box and checking concentricity/runout. I KNOW you're supposed to do that anyway. I suppose if I cant afford to buy top of the line stuff, the bare minimum I can do is buy a valve spring compressor, take them apart, and take them to a machine shop who knows what to look for.
@@aidenstefanson2175 Youre still gonna spend a bunch. Valve spring compressor set me back close to 400 (air) and not even a real good one. Dont think the smaller stem on these makes any noticeable difference in power . But Im super leery of cheap white box china valve train parts.
@@aidenstefanson2175 you can check valve seat seal buy pouring a liquid of water like viscosity in the ports and see if they hold the liquid. you could also by some newway valve seat cutters and do a 5 angle valve job and if the seats are ok dont do the seats just the 4 other angles.
@@WeingartnerRacing Thanks Eric glad you're feeling better. Those are $348.00 ea at Speedway but the cost of 8mm valves are higher cost. Thinking DNA but like you've shown the AFR flows better. Since you did that flow test I see others on RU-vid and some recent forums stating your numbers or very close. Kinda funny, I tell my friends YOU actually flowed those numbers.
Maybe I missed it. Is the AFR enforcer head worth the 500 dollar a piece price? I'm planning a 350 with Comp cam XE268. Can I just slap these on and get some good numbers?
I want to see if 4.06 over for those of us that like to buy 383 that everyone else thanks they can't rebuild it because it's already.30 over 😂 388 baby it confuses the fuck out of people that don't know
