What are the best stock heads to work over for performance on cammed up 440?

[1Bad70Charger]

On a tight budget so exploring all options on what is the best bang for the bock stock iron head for a 1970 440 engine that needs to be no more than 10:5 to 1 compression.  This would be put on a stock bottom end 440 that is cammed up with a nice aggressive flat tappet cam that would not exceed .510 lift as I understand that is the max lift you are stock with for stock heads on a 440 without changing many valvetrain components.

What are the best port and polished stocks heads to slap on my 440 and where is the best place to buy them from for  performance, reliabilty, and top notch workmanship at an affordable price?

Thanks in advance! 

[Ghoste]

Bang for buck stock head IMO would be the 906 based on performance and availability.  There are some that others like better (915 and 452 both have their fans and legitimate reasons) but that is the stock head I like.
Once you start to talk about porting though, it is damned tough to beat the Edelbrock Performer heads.  The money you spend refurbishing and porting your old cast iron ones will come to nearly the same amount as the new aluminum one that is already ported.  

[Cooter]

ZACTLY....

[b5blue]

I run 346 heads, I think condition is most important.....RB's don't like the valve sunken into the seat much. (dealing with low dough like I do)

[1Bad70Charger]

Bang for buck stock head IMO would be the 906 based on performance and availability.  There are some that others like better (915 and 452 both have their fans and legitimate reasons) but that is the stock head I like.
Once you start to talk about porting though, it is damned tough to beat the Edelbrock Performer heads.  The money you spend refurbishing and porting your old cast iron ones will come to nearly the same amount as the new aluminum one that is already ported.  

No I hear ya on that and Eddys are a no brainer and I will probalby just wait until some $ is freed up to go with the Eddys or the Mopar alum 452s.

That being said I have heard that you can buy professionally fullly prepped, ported, ready to bolt on 906 heads from some Mopar vendors for between $500 to $700, ready to bolt on. 

Do you guys know who those vendors are where you guy buy these 906 heads (as I just want to explore more affordable options for the street build up of my 440)?. 

[Ghoste]

I've never seen them that cheap.  I'm not saying they aren't out there but I can't help you.  I'm curious now though because 500 is a pretty good deal for a prepped, ported ready to go head.

[Troy]

Indy used to have show specials on their "Aerohead" 452 heads. List price is $599 (for 906 and 452) but they aren't ported and polished for that.

http://www.aeroheadracing.com/id6.html

Troy

[Ghoste]

Magnum471 had a set of those Aerohead specials so he would be able to tell you more about them from a firsthand pov.

[1Bad70Charger]

Indy used to have show specials on their "Aerohead" 452 heads. List price is $599 (for 906 and 452) but they aren't ported and polished for that.

http://www.aeroheadracing.com/id6.html

Troy

OK guys thanks, the aeroheadracing is what I had heard about  and appreciate your guys help.  Looks like I should just spend the $735 and get the Eddys when I can afford them!     Appreciate your guys input and info and a Merry Christmas to all! 

[greenpigs]

I got the Areohead 452 with larger valves and 200 cc intake runners. Just got it running and have 3 miles on it so I have no real advise other than have some bowl work done. The person doing the work should know what to do after you give them your info. I paid $599 for the pair as the larger valves were  "free" that month-some special.

[1Bad70Charger]

I got the 452 with larger valves and 200 cc intake runners. Just got it running and have 3 miles on it so I have no real advise other than have some bowl work done. The person doing the work should know what to do after you give them your info. I paid 599 as the larger valves were  "free" that month-some special.

Good luck with the new heads! 

[Troy]

Indy used to have show specials on their "Aerohead" 452 heads. List price is $599 (for 906 and 452) but they aren't ported and polished for that.

http://www.aeroheadracing.com/id6.html

Troy

OK guys thanks, the aeroheadracing is what I had heard about  and appreciate your guys help.  Looks like I should just spend the $735 and get the Eddys when I can afford them!     Appreciate your guys input and info and a Merry Christmas to all! 

Careful what you're comparing - the $599 is for the pair while the Edelbrocks are $735 each. Now, if you had to port the stock heads to maximum flow I don't think you'd save much money BUT for a mostly stock engine I'd save my money and go with the mostly stock heads. Edelbrock heads would be something you could grow into down the road but overkill at this time.

Troy

[Cooter]

You have to watch the term "ported" heads.....This can mean anything from gasket matched to full race Ported....

[Ghoste]

Given the mods you have already and the ones you plan to do in the future, I would likely spend my money on the Eddy's.  Unless you are planning to make your torque converter and cam swaps in the distant future buying stock or near stock heads now and then having to get performance heads later isn't going to be cost effective.  If you are really bucks down and it could be a looong time before aftermarket heads are a realistic choice then you might want to put the money into cheaper heads for now.  But to put a radical cam in there and leave stock heads is like throwing a partial dam across the river.

[1Bad70Charger]

Indy used to have show specials on their "Aerohead" 452 heads. List price is $599 (for 906 and 452) but they aren't ported and polished for that.

http://www.aeroheadracing.com/id6.html

Troy

OK guys thanks, the aeroheadracing is what I had heard about  and appreciate your guys help.  Looks like I should just spend the $735 and get the Eddys when I can afford them!    Appreciate your guys input and info and a Merry Christmas to all!  

Careful what you're comparing - the $599 is for the pair while the Edelbrocks are $735 each. Now, if you had to port the stock heads to maximum flow I don't think you'd save much money BUT for a mostly stock engine I'd save my money and go with the mostly stock heads. Edelbrock heads would be something you could grow into down the road but overkill at this time.

Troy

Thanks Troy. I wrote my post in a hurry with company coming over and do fully realize the the Eddy RPM Performer heads are around $700 each (total of $1,400).  I am leaning towards my goal for my Runner keeping the stock 440 shortblock in place and building  up my top end with the Eddy Heads, a nice aggressive street/strip flat tappet cam, without going to crazy Ron has suggested some good choices for me, to take full advantage of the great flowing Eddys, and also going with a Proform 750 Carb and getting 500+ ponies/Torque out the fresh 440 in my Mopar (with about 10:4 to 1 compression).  Matched with my 3.91 gears and dynamic 9.5 street/strip converter, the car should be pretty much an animal on the street, yet still be very streetable (for my high tolerance levels I drove a 740 HP, 555 Pat Musi powered 71 Camaro, 9 second drag car last summer, about 1000 miles all on the street and just hitting alot of cruise nights and tearing it up at my local industrial strip on the Sundays   ) and for my Mopar what I am looking to do, without breaking the bank referenced above, sounds like a good plan for my car to take place within the next year or so and knowing me probably alot sooner!    

Thanks for everyone's input here!  

[Troy]

I'd go with Ron's suggestions for sure (two of my engines are based on his recommendations) but I guess my idea of "affordable" is different than a lot of other people's. I think the heads will be a bit closer to $1,500 and the carb is what, $500? Maybe I misunderstood the question.

Troy

[1Bad70Charger]

I'd go with Ron's suggestions for sure (two of my engines are based on his recommendations) but I guess my idea of "affordable" is different than a lot of other people's. I think the heads will be a bit closer to $1,500 and the carb is what, $500? Maybe I misunderstood the question.

Troy

No Troy, no misunderstanding of my original  question at all which was about what are the best stock iron heads out there and who offers them ported and polished, fully assembled ready to slap on a 440 motor.  After gathering the info from you kind folks in my thread I realized $599 only gets me some good recondition 906 heads or iron 452s, that are assemble with bigger valves, but no porting done to them, etc.

After determining that  realized that for someone like me who is going to want to get MAX performance out of my 440 engine that I just need to spend the $1,400 for fully assemlbed Eddy Heads ready to slap on, that will make NICE power with a good cam that Ron is so kind to spec/suggest for me, along with a proform 750 carb, new Eddy Dominator intake manifold, etc.

This post educated me about how much it would really cost to have a fully professionlly worked over 906 or 452 iron head, and when I saw how expensive that would be the Eddys or Mopar Alum 452s are the way for me to go when I can the $ up!   

Thanks everyone for your input here! 

[greenpigs]

I thought about the eldebrocks but I have a low cr 8.2 if that motor. Those heads would have been all wrong for what I have now. Mismatched parts are something I try to avoid.

[1Bad70Charger]

I thought about the eldebrocks but I have a low cr 8.2 if that motor. Those heads would have been all wrong for what I have now. Mismatched parts are something I try to avoid.

I agree 100% about mismatchng parts that are not thought out to work great with one another and this is why I will be following Ron's (Firefighter's) suggestions for me to the tee!  

[SeattleCharger]