Open chamber 117cc oval ports.

These heads were taken off a running motor in a '67 El Camino with only about 500 street miles on them. They have new Manley valves, new retainers, new Manley springs, new push rod guide plates with 2.19 intake and 1.88 exhaust valves. They are professionally ported and polished.
Casting number on both heads is 14092360.
Any opinions on value or flow is appreciated.

Thanks.

14092360...86-88...oval...OPEN...454 Truck, "peanut" round ports

so they started life as "peanut" ports....Is there any hope that they have been ported out to make some HP?

junk

They are great heads for the right combo. It depends on what your goals are.

My vote is for Junk as well.

Someone got ripped if they paid for professial porting on those heads.

That is an interesting combination of small ports and larger valves. On something like a 396 or 402 motor they may perform alright. Definitely will choke a 454 at 4000RPM or so I would think. Would be interesting to have them flowed for real data. My guess would be maybe as good as the regular large ovals with std valves.

Imho, they will run great on a duelie, work truck motor with headers, a good old 750cfm, 3310-2 Holley and high-rise, 1.75" four tube, long headers and a 210 duration at .050" lift MAX EFFORT torque cam!!

Bet they would pull a long goose-neck, horse-trailer up one heck of a grade real fast!!!

And the afore mentioned smaller BB motors too...

pdq67

The goal for these heads was to eventually put them on a 454 motor I was putting in my 69 Chevelle. It will be a street car with an occasional trip to the track. I'd like to keep it on pump gas. I have a rebuilt th400 2,200 stall and 3.08 gears behind it. I'm just waiting for the block to be done. I got these heads from a guy who had them ported and polished, and took them as partial payment on some money that was owed. Thanks for the input guys. Should I keep 'em or sell em?

what pdq67 said would work.... esp when you have 3.08 gear, i dont think you would want too hot of a cam... you could probably stick with stock stall too... one hell of a daily driver!

Ditto slpin!!

Bet she will be explosive even with 3.08 gears up til the heads give out with no more then a good old CC 268H high energy cam.....

Or the 260H high energy for MAX grunt like I mentioned before..

pdq67

IMO, I think a set of peanut port heads with a little work done to them would make a nice head for a "street" 396-402.

Do some bowl work, maybe larger valves (2.19 / 1.88) but I don't know if this would be needed. A good hydraulic cam (maybe even a small solid) around 220-225 @ .050 and a lift of 525-550, 9.5 cr, an RPM intake with a 650-750 cfm carb and some small tube headers.

I would think this setup would be very streetable with real good low-mid range torque and make good power up to about 5500rpm.

These small port heads are probably abit too small for a 454 performance setup.

If you want a (200 H.P.-454) that would be the way to get it. Might work on a 396, maybe. Sorry heads, my son's Suburban has a 454 with these heads and it pulls like a 350, a tired 350.

Don't listen to the BS..
A properly prepped peanut port head can work fine on a street 454..
The larger valves will help it even more..

I usually wouldn't go to the trouble to install larger valves, port, etc.. but I have for customers Gen V marine applications.
They work well...
Over 400 HP from a 9.25-1 454 sound OK? That was with stock size valves too...

I stand by my earlier statement that these are great heads on the right motor.

Originally posted by jakeshoe:
Don't listen to the BS..
A properly prepped peanut port head can work fine on a street 454..
The larger valves will help it even more..

I usually wouldn't go to the trouble to install larger valves, port, etc.. but I have for customers Gen V marine applications.
They work well...
Over 400 HP from a 9.25-1 454 sound OK? That was with stock size valves too... Good stuff, jakeshoe! graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Here's another one! (http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/forum/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/4/22128.html?) Any cylinder head that can put a mild combo in the 12's is alright in my book. ;)

I also remember seeing a post some time ago on here with someone running low 12's with peanut ports but I can't confirm that without finding the post. Don't hate me because I love peanut ports. :D :D

I wouldn't spend a whole lot of money on them either, just a nice valve job and cleanup, paying attention to the small details.

I agree totally. The big restriction in big block heads is not the intake port, it is the exhaust port. Stock peanut ports wouldn't be a good choice for a 6000+ RPM drag motor, but having the larger valves installed will make up some difference. If you had to make a comparison, a 400CI smallblock motor makes due with at best a 200 - 220 CC intake port. The p-ports you have are probably coming in around 235 -240CC. Much more important in a big block is the cylinder pressure you generate which is needed to drive those big pistons and turn that big rotating assembly. Ultimately that's a function of displacment, cam, compression and cylinder head flow. Most low HP 454 truck motors suffer from incredibly short valve timing and real low (7.8 to 8.0/1) compression. Short of a blower, there's just no way to make power that way. You have 2 choices - run them and see how it works or get something else if you are unsure if the p-ports will do the job. If money is tight, I would use them and see what happens.

Also forgot to mention..
Lingenfelter made 660 lb/ft of torque using a set years ago..
They were extensively worked, and on a roller motor, don't remember if it was a 502 or 496 based combo..

I had the dyno sheet from the marine motor I did that was dyno'd but cannot find it.
I did several motors for a customer, he ran a boat shop in the Seattle area.

I did everything from oval port heads to replace peanuts on Mark IV's, to the newer Gen V stuff that either came with a peanut or a rectangular port.
We dyno'd a couple of my builds at a local race engine builder.

The boat market, almost all motors get dyno'd before installation. My understanding is that they are such a PITA to install that most want them dyno'd smile.gif

So I go to do several builds in somewhat varying degrees of head/cam selection.
Most were made to run a constant 5100-5200 rpm with a broad torquey curve to get the boat to "plane".

The main problem was many of these boats had the peanut port heads stock on the Gen V motors.
So the only options at the time were to use the lowly peanuts, or buy some $$ rectangulars.

Being a fan of the ovals myself, I talked the customer into trying a set of the peanuts with some port work performed. I have pics of a couple of sets of these heads by the way..

He asked if I thought we could get 400 HP out fo them. We were getting 430+ from the rectangulars as I recall. I will try to dig out the dyno sheets...
Anyway the peanuts DID make a hair over 400 HP, and a very good torque curve.
I used a generic hyd flat tappet cam for that particular motor, 228/238@.050 with a .540 lift.
It had a peanut port Edel Performer intake, Q-jet. Factory pistons that had the small dome, similar to a TRW 2399.

The rectangular motor had a Crane grind in it and I'll have to dig out the specs/dyno sheets.

When I ported the peanuts, I used an oval gasket to "port match" the intake runners.
But I did not grind any material away from the floor of the port.
So effectively I made a "D" shaped port, with a flat bottom.
You have to be careful grinding the top of the port. You can only bellmouth it, you cannot go into the port to oval size completely...

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Sep/2004999033582595186347.jpg

http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Sep/2004994566425441368440.jpg

The Lingenfelter peanut port heads in that old 502 article that had the stock teal colored totally custom, '57 Chevy called "CheZoom" on it were about 200 cc's stock and John opened them up with 2.25"/1.90" valves to about 230 cc's or so..

The -781 heads in the article started out at 235 or so and ended up at 260 cc's or so, with the same valves, vs rect. port heads untouched at 323 or so cc's!!

The new L-29, 7400 Vortec small port, "large oval" port type heads are like 230 or so cc's but have 100 cc chambers. They replaced the peanut port heads!!

pdq67

Originally posted by jakeshoe:
I will try to dig out the dyno sheets...I look forward to seeing those. :cool:

I would like to post some pics for you to take a look at the porting and chamber work that was done, but I can't figure out how to do it yet. In my humble opinion it looks pretty darn good job. I would be happy to email pics to anyone that would like to see them. By the way, I have a set of bone stock 781's that came with my 454 block that would be "plan B" if the peanut ports aren't any good.

Originally posted by mark2002:
I would like to post some pics for you to take a look at the porting and chamber work that was done, but I can't figure out how to do it yet. In my humble opinion it looks pretty darn good job. I would be happy to email pics to anyone that would like to see them. By the way, I have a set of bone stock 781's that came with my 454 block that would be "plan B" if the peanut ports aren't any good. You can e-mail them to me and I'll see if I can post them. Click the e-mail link.

"Grumpyoldvett" did a post on these heads awhile ago and some good info was posted, if you do a search, you should find it.

I would take all the parts off of the p-ports (Which seem like good parts), and put them over on the 781's. You could have the throats cut for the larger valves and a valve job done on the 781's for about $200. This would be a much better set of heads than the p-ports. YOu would then have a set of heads that with a touch more bowl work would support upwards of 650 hp in a 454 or even up to a 502. This will never be done with a set of p-ports without thousands of $$$ in porting and machining work. Start with the right heads or be sorry later.

Its true that the p-ports would provide good low lift flow and fine performance for a low lift, short duration street car, but if you get more geared towards the track you will be giving up a ton with these heads. In stock to stock comparisons the p-ports flow up to 30 less cfm at lifts above .500 and even 10-15 cfm less on the exhaust side. And above 4000 or so rpm's the small ports just aren't going to deliver no matter what size valve you stick in there.

I don't know why you would spend a minute of your time modifing a set of peanuts. Unless you are completely bored with life, or you need to get away from the wife for a few days...... By the time you install larger valves, have the seats cut, new guides etc... you could buy a brand new pair of aftermarket iron heads, in whatever configuration you want.

my malibu went 12.50 with 502 and -360 peanut heads.malibu weighs about 3300 lbs so somekind of horsepower was made.engine pulled real hard from idle to about 4500 rpm`s and finished with 5300 rpm and 108 mph.stock valves,minor cleaning made on intake runners.useable heads on right combo.imho.

I am currently running 12.9's with a set of peanut heads in my full street trim 68. I am also ready to get rid of them and make more power. Should I spend $1000-$1200 modifying 781's ??????

Originally posted by dart468:
my malibu went 12.50 with 502 and -360 peanut heads.malibu weighs about 3300 lbs You're loosing at minimum one full second with those heads. Driveability would be unchanged. I ask again, why would you use them??? The reason BBC's are ( were ) so dominant, was due to their head design. Why would you intentionally choke the motor? Is 500 lbft from idle not enough torque already???????

that engine was built with minimum cost and sold after those runs to a -80 trans am and was rebuilt with roller cam and -188 heads.my current combo is a 540 bbc with 8-71 blower and pro topline thunder 360 cc heads.

RMChevelle, I emailed you some pics of the heads.
Thanks for offering to post them !

Based on all the posts, I seem to be leaning towards selling the peanut ports and putting the money into my stock 781's which will open more doors for me if I want to get crazy on this 454 build.

A little history on the car......The 69 started life new as my Granfather's car, and has been handed down from my Father to me. 6 cylinder powerglide coupe. It needs quarters which Dad has had replacements for a while now. I just bought a pair of NOS fenders, and the rest of the body is good. Interior is mint, except for carpet. I put buckets in to replace the split bench. It now has a th400 with a shift kit, and the original 3.08 10 bolt rear. Last will be the motor, and then on to body and paint.

I would say it depends on what your going to use the car for and how high your going to wind the motor.We run a set of peanut port heads on my uncles 461, 10.5 to 1,performer rpm quad intake,quad carb,cam around 236@50 500 lift, 4:10 gears,turbo 350 trans,in a 70 nova best track time so far 12.14@114,shift at 5500rpm.Heads still have stock valves.Not bad for a street car all the torque down low,which is great for a daily driver!

Or consider buying a set of Merlin ovals and just do a mild bowl and port clean up and leave them basically alone.. (They come, (ready bare for or), with 2.19"/1.88" valves complete)..

Bet you can find a used set that would do you fine, imho.

I bought new ones for my 496 and that is all I did to them b/c I was afraid of getting hosed locally trying to get somebody to machine them for all the bigger stuff.

pdq67

PS., and honestly, looking back on it, I wished I woulda waited and bought a set of aluminum Canfield, 310's just for weight savings alone.. But they weren't around, (or I didn't know they were), when I got my new Merlins..

Originally posted by JRS70LS5:
I would say it depends on what your going to use the car for and how high your going to wind the motor.We run a set of peanut port heads on my uncles 461, 10.5 to 1,performer rpm quad intake,quad carb,cam around 236@50 500 lift, 4:10 gears,turbo 350 trans,in a 70 nova best track time so far 12.14@114,shift at 5500rpm.Heads still have stock valves.Not bad for a street car all the torque down low,which is great for a daily driver! graemlins/thumbsup.gif graemlins/hurray.gif graemlins/beers.gif graemlins/waving.gif

Yep, just found the old thread that I mentioned earlier. It was JRS70LS5 who posted the low 12 E.T.'s with peanut ports I was talking about: http://www.chevelles.com/cgi-bin/forum/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/4/20515.html?

BTW, I agree that if you're anticipating wanting a lot more power down the road then go with the large oval ports but I disagree that peanut port heads are junk!

Here are Mark's pics. The heads in question!

http://www.geocities.com/rmmalibu81/CylinderHeads/MarkGsheads1.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/rmmalibu81/CylinderHeads/MarkGsheads2.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/rmmalibu81/CylinderHeads/MarkGsheads3.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/rmmalibu81/CylinderHeads/MarkGsheads4.jpg

did you get flow #'s

any ideas what these would be worth? I also have a port matched performer RPM Edelbrock manifold to go with them. I'm not sure if I can use the manifold with other heads because of the port matching.

How far down the runner did he open these things up? The entrance of the port is now basically the size of a standard oval port. I would also check the wall thickness of the runner, cause there can't be much material left.

the runners taper in as they get closer to the valves. They aren't that large all the way in. It feels like the walls still have some good thickness to them between my thumb and forefinger.

Well after all the posts and opinions, I have sold the peanut port heads that were ported out with 2.19/1.88s in them for $565. I can sink that money into the 781's that came with the 454 block.

Thanks again for all the info and opinion.

Good move. The "large" ovals won't hold you back at all. And you got a real good buck for the peanuts.