Gents, I'm about ready to choose heads for my big block project. They will be going on a 69 Chevelle agressive street machine trying to hit 450hp range. I bought a set of heads 14092360s that according to Mortec are late 80s oval port truck heads. They have been prorted and polished with 2.19 1.88 valves and new springs. I got them for $500. Basically, they are ready to bolt on.
My other choice is a set of early 70s oval port heads 336781s that are still bone stock and came with the block I bought.

What are your opinions on opening up the 781's and selling the others., or using the later 360 truck heads that have been modified already. Are these the peanut port heads I hear about?

I have a guy interested in the 360s, and I don't know if I should part with them or not.

Thanks

I can't comment on the 360's as I'm not familiar with them. Truck peanut port heads had ports that were almost round, not a elongated oval like the true big ovals were.

The 781's are an excellent head...run them myself on my lil 414 rat making somewhere between 525 and 550 hp. They don't need any serious porting to support 600 hp...2.19/1.88 valves, bowl blend, 3 angle valve job, gently round/smooth the short turn radius, and maybe match the intake runner opening to the manifold.

the only thing that is nice about the truck heads is that all the work has been done and I can bolt them right on. If I can sell them I would put the money into my 781s.

sell the truck heads and invest in the 781's, they are proven performers, and yes the truck heads would be peanut ports unless someone hogged them out already, but then it's hard telling how they'll perform.

Imho, the -360's worked over should be good to about 5500rpm..

pdq67

compare the intake port against the 781 and see if the 360s are smaller... if they are sell them..

Go with the 781's.......they are an excellent head with some very mild work as 10SecBu has proved. I'd use them with the small valves before I'd use the 360's with the bigger valves..........

Just for comparison, John Lingenfelter did a motor with the 781's in the early 90's........was a low compression 502 short block with a mechanical roller, single plane and dominator. His shop reworked the heads with bigger valves and some port work.

End result was 664 hp at 6400 rpms........pretty good for a low compression motor running on pump gas and done 10 years ago.

Out of the press...the 781 and 049 Large ovals rock. With a 0.550" lift cam and large 2.19/1.88 valves 600HP is not hard to achieve!

Those peanut port truck heads suck IMHO.

~Ty

I have had good results using the 781 heads with stock valves in my Chevelle. They were very cost effective for my application.

Thanks guys. I think I'll go with the 781's, and some Keith Black domed pistons.

The peanut ports were the "236" heads, but look at yours and see. As stated above, the peanut ports are round as opposed to elongated. I am machining my "781" heads in prep for my 454 (bigger valves) and really like what I have read in this post. Wow 600+ HP. :D

-John