I'm getting ready to put together a big block with oval port heads and am wondering if I should go with the 2.19/1.88 valves. I'm just wanting to put together a street cruiser so I'm not sure if the bigger valves will do more harm than good. Any thoughts?

You'll likely see more of a gain from some mild chamber and bowl porting, and a good valve job. Going to bigger valves is not really going to do much. Save the money you will spend on valves and do some head work, you will be much happier.

Originally posted by 1Quik7D:
I'm getting ready to put together a big block with oval port heads and am wondering if I should go with the 2.19/1.88 valves. I'm just wanting to put together a street cruiser so I'm not sure if the bigger valves will do more harm than good. Any thoughts? I have closed chamber castings,# 215's with the 2.06/1.72 valves and the UD 280/288 cam..its really a street driver,but has run a 13.13 with 2.73 gears in total street trim at the track.

Yes, it is more cost effective to just do a good bowl job and dingle-berry clean up on the small valved heads up to the point where you actually WANT the extra power that going to the bigger valves and again doing the same thing to the bowls and ports that you did first!!

But what generally happens is that dreaded, "more power, Scotty" bug bites and then the big valves go in and a bigger cam to feed everything, etc,, etc... down the parts change path in the search for more power!!! pdq67

go with the bigger valve, and clean it up ;)

My 2 cents is to keep the smaller valves... the higher velocity is better for low to mid torque. You might consider just cleaning them up a bit and you would be surprised at what they might do. For example, I did a home cleanup and gasket match job on my closed chamber 390 heads that have the stock smaller valves. I then flowed them against my 781 heads with stock ports, but larger valves and the flows were almost identical!! Check it out here: http://www.chevelles.com/forum/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=014582

Hope that helps,
Bill C.