My co-worker has some 3927186 double hump SBC heads that have the stock valves and hardened exhaust seats. Think I should get them? I would port the crap out of them if I got them to maybe 190-200cc's. I can prolly get em for $150 since he blew up his motor and cracked one of the guides. These would just be for my daily driver 385 stroker Nova that only needs to run mid 12's or so.

sounds like a good deal if they don't have any hidden problems.i ran the 462 doublehumps on my 406 sbc stroker with nothing but a little exhaust porting and the small valves and i had a great daily driver with plenty of street torque!

I don't think you can hog them out that far without hitting something (water, oil push rods, head bolts, etc.). I also doubt it would do much good. They're about 1665cc as they come, and with a good professional port job, they end up somewhere in the 172-175 range most of the time, depending on what valves you put in them and how much guide you leave and stuff like that. "Porting the crap" out of them isn't very effective anyway, no more so on those heads than on any other; the way to performance is to make them flow smoothly with the best possible streamlining and free of turbulence, and therefore as much as possible with the smallest possible runner size, not just enlarge stuff. I wouldn't advise ruining a good set of heads that way.

Stock Vortecs will perform better than the double humps,probably cost 600.00 or so though by the time you buy a vortec intake.

I had a set of 186's that were "cleaned up" with 2.02-1-6 valves. They flowed 228-178 at .550. The big problem was I had close to a grand in them b4 I was done..it adds up quick. As cheap as aftermarket or (in not a vortec fan) vortecs are, it just dosent make any sence to invest in the old fuellies

If you use the 186's, be careful if you go with bigger valve springs. Water isn't very far from the original spring seats. I advise dropping a .030 shim on the original seat before cutting, and not going to a spring larger than 1.450 in diameter.

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Jon N.

"Those who grant sympathy to guilt grant none to innocence" Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 1957

I advise dropping a .030 shim on the original seat before cutting ;) Exactly right. Drop the 1.25" .030" shim on the seat, and cut ONLY TO THAT DEPTH!!! They have a bad habit of being thin around there, where there's a sort of a hump beside the spring seat.

Scott, I really think you should just grab a used set of aftermarket heads. Heck, grab mine when I finally go AFR smile.gif

Im ordering a Magnum 286 Comp Cam for now that uses the stock diameter springs. I think I should be able to do enough porting to hit mid 12's with that cam, I might need 1.6 rockers to bump it up to .527" lift though. How hard is it to put screw in studs in? I work in a fab shop and I would think I can use our slide hammer to pull em out and then just tap them myself and put the studs in. Thanks, Scott

its not real easy to install guide plates and screw in studs..the bosses have to be milled .300(+-)

With .527 lift you will need the guide plates, and will need to drill the push rod holes larger or the push rods will probably bind at full lift.

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Jon N.

"Those who grant sympathy to guilt grant none to innocence" Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, 1957

I just have to step in here and say with 385 inches you do not need to port the heck out of a set of fuelers or 527 lift to get to the 12's in that car.

Please list your current heads, the true compression ratio and the rest of the engine pieces.You know, everything that passes gas...ACCEPT THE DRIVER :eek: tongue.gif

Please include the vehicle weight,trans,stall,rear gear, and Slicks used.

IMHO 12's in that car should not be a problem.
I suspect there is something mismatched or it simply needs to have a few parts changed and retuned.

Come on now where's that list?... smile.gif

1972 Chevy Nova
3,150 w/ me in it
9” Furd w/ 3.50 4 spyder posi and 31 spline axles
B&M TH-350
11” converter that flashes to 2,800
265/50 rear tires which is 8”+ of traction @ 25psi
Electric fan, Holley red pump, no power steering, or power brakes
My own ladder type bar design

Nodular iron 383 crank
Cast badger flat tops
5.565” 400 rods and bolts (polished beams, fully balanced)
286 Magnum single pattern Comp cam (Hyd. Flat tappet)
Advertised duration 286*
.050” duration 236*
Lift with 1.52 rockers .497”
Lift with 1.6 rockers .523”(.527" was wrong not that it matters lol)
LSA 110*
10:1 static / 8:0 dynamic (hopefully I can back the timing off and run regular)
My bottom end sucks so I don’t like going much over 6,000 although I might do like 6,300 at the track
Performer RPM(1/2” divided wood spacer to keep the gas cool)
3310 Holley with milled air horn
Velocity stack
1 5/8” headers into 2 ½” exhaust with an x-pipe and Hooker aero flows
I would like to leave the stock 1.94”/1.5” valves in the heads since its already got seats, port them out, & install the screw in studs. The thing is no slicks or drag radials allowed, I drive this car 30+ miles 5 days a week + weekends so I need to be able to run 12’s in 100% street trim. Doing so on regular unleaded would be even cooler since gas is insanely expensive right now hehe. So I think I need a bit more power than usual to make up for the lack of 60’. Think I can do it? Will it be a must to install 2.02’s/1.6” valves? That’s where its start’s getting expensive and I mine as well save up and buy new heads.

What is the casting number on your current heads?

Badger pistons...YIKES!

Did you check how much deck height you had with the pistons installed?

I reciently bought a 350 that someone rebuilt with Badger pistons.
They are over .055 down in the hole killing any chance I had at having a decient compression with my 67cc heads, and totally killing any hopes at having a good running engine because the quench volume is way WAY BIG :(

My only choice is piston replacement.

I don't really see anything big time wrong with your parts selection.I do think it would probably run better with a slightly smaller cam like the 280.I think the 286 will place your torque range up a bit too high for the gear and stall speed.
The power blocker is probably in the head casting and the tune,not to mention the no slicks and lack of stall speed.

Oh, and you don't need to go over 6200 with either of those cams.6000 would probably be better.

That 9inch is eating power.
I would find a Corperate 10bolt with the 8.5 inch ring gear,they can handle big blocks with slicks and good converters,way WAY more than you need,especialy with no slicks and that low stall converter..
Darn near as strong as a 12 bolt,eat less power, and lighter too.

If you currently have a set of 441 or 993 open chamber heads with stock 194/150 valves...

All I can say is that spending 150.00 for a set of 186 Feulers would be money well spent IMHO.
Even if you have to spend a little more to get good springs installed.

993 and 441 heads flow fairly well.That is not the problem.The combustion chamber is.It kills torque.The combustion chamber in the Feuler head is superior and will help you knock off some ET.

It's the same reason that people are purchaseing Vortec heads,catch my drift ;)

thrasher, you mean corporate (BOP) 10bolt right?

Corperate 10 bolt is what they call them.
But I don't know if the BOP deal applies because they came stock in Chev's too tongue.gif
They have a 8.5 ring gear,the earlier models have an 8.2 ring gear.

Iv'e heard some 71 Novas came with them.
They were the stock rear for 73 an on Novas and Camaro's because GM stopped producing the other weaker 10 bolt's.

The link below tells you how to spot them.
http://www.maliburacing.com/rearend_guide.html

'72 is when the 8.5" was standard on Nova's but it only had 2.73's and was peg legged. It wasnt much more money to install a narrowed 9" and the cool thing is that I can change gears in like 1.5 hours:) No messing with back lash and all that stuff. My 8.5" is in the scrap pile. Thats nice that the combustion chamber is good on the double humps, what exactly is different about it? I know its 64cc vs. 76, is that all? Oh yeah, my quench is way screwy! I had the block decked to 9.005" and the piston is still .025" in the hole tongue.gif I can always run the #1409 Fel Pro gasket though graemlins/beers.gif

The Feuler head has a more efficient combustion chamber,gaining a more thorough and complete burning of the fuel that is in the chamber.This gives increased volumetric efficiency and added torque.

Like I said,this is why there are lots of people jumping on the Vortec bandwagon.But then it's a different intake, rockers, and valve covers too.

It's good that you checked your quench.Doesn't sound out of line like mine is.The engine with Badger pistons that I have is on the stand right now.Shoved in the corner I might add :(

You said you have 10:1 compression though.Consider what 67cc heads are going to do to your compression...

Premium is how much now :eek: