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416 or 601 heads? Which is the better one? (for my 307)

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by oldrelics, Jan 2, 2011.

  1. oldrelics
    Joined: Apr 7, 2008
    Posts: 1,727

    oldrelics
    Member
    from Calgary

    416 or 601 heads? Which is the better one? (for my 307).

    I've read lots of posts but some say 416's and some say 601's.
    Anybody KNOW the real truth?


    And I don't want to know why I need a 350.
     
  2. Vandy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2009
    Posts: 368

    Vandy
    Member
    from L.A. Ca

    The best head for the 307 is a PowerPac. The 307 has low compression pistons and no one makes a higher compression version. I always use the power pac to get the vintage look and boost power. The 416 is a 305 head and will do the same thing but it will make it look like a 305 - 350 and I don't think you really want that ? do you. You can bore it to 4 inch and make it a 327 I have done many this way.
     
  3. oldrelics
    Joined: Apr 7, 2008
    Posts: 1,727

    oldrelics
    Member
    from Calgary


    The power pac heads have smaller valves and also flow less than the 305's(416 or 601) ....why would that be better?
     
  4. Vandy
    Joined: Nov 15, 2009
    Posts: 368

    Vandy
    Member
    from L.A. Ca

    I and most other machine shops have installed the larger 305 HO intake valves into the power Pacs. it's a nice upgrade, the exhaust valve is the same size. Early non HO 305's and all heavy duty 350's have the same intake as the Power Pac and nether suffer from low power. Do you have flow results to post showing a dramatic difference in flow and HP ? Use the late 305 heads and it will never look like an early motor, it will look just like a 305. I have built many 327's and 307's and the power Pac's are what my customers want and they run great. I know they are capable of 300 HP stock, If you need more, than run the 305's. I will say that my Hot Rod SBC book says you can install the Camel hump 194's (461)and deck the block to 0 deck and make even more. In that context maybe the 305's will slow you down.
     

  5. Deuces
    Joined: Nov 3, 2009
    Posts: 23,757

    Deuces

    I'm not sure what the casting #'s are for the mid '70's 305 4-bbl heads, but those and your favorite hydraulic grind camshaft is all you really need to wake up a 307.. Top it off with a performer intake and a Holley R-1850 600 cfm carb dressed up with the performance fuel bowls and a metering block (instead of a metering plate) on the secondary side..
     
  6. if that's you choice of heads go with the 416s and a holley 600cfm just finished some dyno testing of a 305
     
  7. Doink
    Joined: Sep 13, 2018
    Posts: 1

    Doink

    I just have to comment about the old post about power pack heads on a 307. I'm not all that impressed by my experience with power packs. It could be that poor gasket matching is restricting air flow on the intake or exhaust. I have an El Camino with stock cam and 1.6 rocker with 520 powerpacks, 600 carb and wieand high rise single plane intake, MSD multiple spark distributor and it seems to do fine. My Dad has a Camaro with a 283 bored 40 over with a 350 horse 327 cam and it is a dog. It seems to lack power at mid range RPM. It seems to have low end power, stall out, and then sort of come back alive. I think it needs different heads. I think pocket ported 601s and 1.6 rockers would do it wonders. It has 4:10 gears with a 6 speed so it does see higher RPMs.

    I would not go with powerpacks with 1.72"/1.50" unless you want low end torque at the expense of raw horsepower. It seems to me that the 601 and 416 are basically the same head except the 601 has 53cc combustion chambers and the 416 has 58 cc combustion chambers. They look like they would flow the same amount of air and I'm pretty sure both are 160cc intake runners. Both are 1.84/1.50 valves. You could probably pocket port them to 165cc. Funny thing is that I actually measured a 601 with the valve in the head using water and a syringe and found it measured more like 165cc, but if you figure the valve takes up about 6-8 cc then it would be about 170cc. I did the same thing to a 461 and 461-X and a 896 powerpack and figured that the valve takes up about 7cc of space. 1cc = 1 milliliter of water.
    I had a 69 Camaro with a 307 that was supposed to be 9:1 compression with the original 68cc heads. I put a 461 (162cc intake runner) on one side and 461-x (170cc intake runner) on the other. They both have 64cc chambers. It had head gaskets that were 0.038" compressed thickness. I think it was somewhere around 9:1 to maybe 9.35:1 compression. It had a 228/228 duration cam at 0.50" and .480"/.480" lift cam with a 625 cfm carb and 4:10 gears and would bet it had about 350hp and it seemed to have a lot of torque for a small engine until I blew it up somewhere between 8000 or 9000 RPM.
     

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