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283 heads

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by DEVIL DAN, May 23, 2009.

  1. DEVIL DAN
    Joined: Apr 14, 2008
    Posts: 45

    DEVIL DAN
    Member

    Hi guys, need some advise on what heads to run on my small block 283, its running 0.60 flat top i believe std crank 1800 - 5500 cam also running offy intake with 3 2g rochester , will a set of vortec heads do the trick, going into 51 pontiac cruiser.
    Cheers
     
  2. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    5.7 Vortec heads have 64cc chambers, you'll lose a little compression with those. The 5.0 Vortecs have 58cc chambers but don't flow anything like the 5.7's. Plus your intake won't work with Vortec heads, different bolt configuration and much taller ports on the heads.
     
  3. spiderdeville
    Joined: Jun 30, 2007
    Posts: 1,134

    spiderdeville
    Member
    from BOGOTA,NJ

  4. Herdez
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 357

    Herdez
    Member

    Get some late '80's "D" port L98 corvette heads theyre around 58cc
     
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  5. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    With a small CID engine like a 283 (.060 makes it a 292), I'd be looking for a pair of casting #601 305 heads. You can probably get them for next to nothing, if not free. 53cc chambers, some even came with 1.84 intake valves, the usual port/spring work, and you're set. That's unless you have a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, if that's the case, one of the aftermarket head companies makes a SBC head with 49cc chambers. Dart or World Products, I forget which. Any head with more than 60cc chambers, and you're going to lose compression. Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
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  6. Bob W
    Joined: Sep 14, 2008
    Posts: 687

    Bob W
    Member
    from Here

    Yes , I drive a 283 with a 350 hp 327 cam, 461 heads with dual WCFB Carbs. It works well. The 461s were originaly a 283 head with the 194 intakes. :)
     
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  7. DEVIL DAN
    Joined: Apr 14, 2008
    Posts: 45

    DEVIL DAN
    Member

    461 Heads sound good hard to find here, have found 520 heads i think there of 327 with 60cc chamber $200 note might be the way to start.
     
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  8. Bob W
    Joined: Sep 14, 2008
    Posts: 687

    Bob W
    Member
    from Here

    The 520s were the best flowing head used on the 283 engine (1.72 intakes) when they were used on the 250hp 327 they were fitted with 1.94 valves. The 461s will have better ports but for the price the 327 engine 520s would work good on a street car. :)
     
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  9. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    Not saying they didn't build any but I tore down several '63 and '64 250 HP 327's with 520 heads as a kid and never found a single one with 1.94 valves, they all had 1.72 intakes. In '65 the 250 HP was switched to the 461 heads with 1.94's.

    It's all about matching the flow to the engine, mixture velocity is the key and bigger is not always better. Somewhere I have a scan of an old article from Car Craft back in around '84 where they did a comparison between 461's and a set of well prepped 520's on a .030" over 283 in a '66 Chevelle with a 4 speed and 3.31 gears. It was a real eye opener, I can e-mail it if you'd like. They didn't do anything radical to the 520's just a little mild port work and a 3 angle valve job on the 1.72 intake valves but they kicked the 461's butt. They maintained a higher mixture velocity on the little 287 than the 461's and it responded accordingly with better gas mileage and lower ET's. If you wanted to get a little more top end the 1.84 valves from a 305 fit nicely without having to modify the combustion chamber.

    Believe it........ or not. ;)
     
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  10. Duntov
    Joined: Apr 15, 2009
    Posts: 60

    Duntov
    Member

    You can make most SB Chevy heads run well for what you want to use them for and considering the engine size. A SB Chevy will run with the big dogs. All it takes is a lot of long green rectangular money instead of a lot of cubic inches.

    In 1968, I installed a beautiful pair of slightly used "692" Power-Pack heads and some early style staggerd bolt Corvette valve covers on my '59 Impala 2-door H/T, 4-speed w/4.56:1 Positraction. I installed a over-the-counter 1965 327/375HP FI factory short block using a factory 409/409 oil pump and the 1965 30/30 FI camshaft. In 1965, those "692" heads were sent to California and were ported and flow tested by Joe Mondello for $700. Mondello milled them to 58 CC chambers for 11.5:1 CR with the Corvette FI pistons. The heads were converted from the original 1.72/1.50 valves to 1.94/1.60 valves. The 2.02" intakes would not fit the combustion chambers. They were first used on a C/FD in 1965-1967 with a short wheelbase chassis by Vance Hunt / Ed Mabry before I purchased them in the summer of 1967.

    They were excellent heads and helped my 3800 lb. '59 Iplala to a AHRA National Record at 13.10 ET in F1-E/HR at Odessa Raceway Park at Penwell,. TX. I traded the Impala for a 1967 Firebird 400 convertible with 4,500 miles on the clock. The new owner of the Impala blew the clutch and trashed the SB Chevy motor then installed a 396/375 HP engine, a real asshole.
     
    Last edited: May 25, 2009
    GlassThamesDoug likes this.
  11. Duntov knows of what he speaks, evidently those early heads had a bit of extra metal allowing some fine port work to be done. I remember the Jr. Fueler my friends ran in '66-'67 had the 2bbl marking on the end of the heads, is that what those are/were?

    Back to your question, I'd definitely get those power packs, but just do a bowl clean-up and remove any rough stuff in the ports that you can reach. Don't gasket match but do square up the intakes, and smooth the exhaust as much as you can. Also smooth over any sharp edges in the combustion chamber to prevent hot spots. For valve seals I like to run those cheap umbrellas that came on smallblocks in the 80's and discard those oil shields, this saves valve train weight, but do use the square cut O-rings below the keepers. I also like aluminum retainers although many will argue the sanity of this, they've worked for me on the street for ages with no failures, but I run old style performance cams, and you most likely know the newer grinds have higher lifts and more agressive acceleration ramps that require higher valve spring rates and might be the death of anything short of steel or titanium retainers.
     
  12. i have 520 heads on both of my 283's....plus an extra set for the next. $200 sounds like a lot of money , they can be had for a lot less here in the USA. are they that hard to come by down there?
     
  13. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    I remember having a 283 in a 64 impala and putting 300 hp 327 1.94 heads on it with an old Edelbrock or offy three deuce manifold. It would not idle on 8. I squirted gas around hunting for the vacuum leak. Turns out the old intake was evidently for a 265 or 2bbl 283 heads cause the corners of the intake runners didn't cover the corners of the intake ports on the heads!!! And I always thought all the old early stuff would interchange!!! :D Lippy
     
  14. Crease
    Joined: May 7, 2002
    Posts: 2,878

    Crease
    Member

    Why would you go to all the trouble of running a 283 with a tri power and then run Vortec heads?
     
  15. Crease
    Joined: May 7, 2002
    Posts: 2,878

    Crease
    Member

    Yep, I was always told the same thing "they're all interchange". Your right, they arent. That's why Edelbrock made a C355 and a C357 intake. Kinda suprised me too!
     
  16. DEVIL DAN
    Joined: Apr 14, 2008
    Posts: 45

    DEVIL DAN
    Member

    cheers rudebaker, that article would be great if you have it there my email address is [email protected] any info is good info
     
  17. DEVIL DAN
    Joined: Apr 14, 2008
    Posts: 45

    DEVIL DAN
    Member

     
  18. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

  19. Bob W
    Joined: Sep 14, 2008
    Posts: 687

    Bob W
    Member
    from Here

    I believe you. Yes lower ETs too.

    1965 Chevelle, 220hp 283 +.030 (287), 520 heads, CD cam 300 dur and .399 valve lift, 4speed.

    [​IMG]
     
  20. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    Sweet! '65 Malibu wagons are some of my all time favorite drag cars, especially the ones with the "optional" helium filled front tires. ;):cool:

     
  21. fab32
    Joined: May 14, 2002
    Posts: 13,985

    fab32
    Member Emeritus

    This has been a lively discussion and there is one thing I'd like to know. How did you bore a 283 out over 1/2" (0.60 is what you stated)? I've done several 0.125 over to make a 301/302 but only on thick walled 283's.

    Frank
     
  22. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    The guy left out a lousy zero. We ALL know what he meant.
     
  23. B.A.KING
    Joined: Apr 6, 2005
    Posts: 4,039

    B.A.KING
    Member

    pulled this back up.you guy mentioned the "520 head" and have convinced me to try and find a set.just wondering what casting mark is on the front of these? camel? triangle? or the old 2 barrel rectangle? also what years were these? thanks for the time
     
  24. My book says that the 520 head is a power pack, which is a rectangle with a small pyramid atop.
     
  25. Rudebaker
    Joined: Sep 14, 2007
    Posts: 1,598

    Rudebaker
    Member
    from Illinois

    A triangle or tall skinny pyramid on top of a large rectangle. Came on '62-'64 327/250 HP and '64-'66 283/220 HP 4 bBbl. engines for sure and possibly some of the later '63-'67 195 HP 2 Bbl. 283's.

    520's aren't the only Power Pak castings but are probably the best flowing of the bunch. Any of the heads with the "triangle", "pyramid" or "spike" will give similar performance on a street engine.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2009
  26. I've been watching this and other threads trying to make up my mind for my 283" project but am fuzzy about the term POWER PACK HEADS. So far that term has been applied to #3731539, 283" (also called a 57' "Fuelie" or 57' 4bbl head), #3748770 (58') 283", #3795896 (63'-65') 283", #3837064 (56'-62')265"/283" and now in this thread "520s". The CAMEL HUMPERS (per MORTEC) are : #3890462 (62-67') 302"/327"/350",no acc. holes,64cc. , #3782461= (64'-66') 327" only,no acc. holes,160/62cc. , #3782461X (60'-63'),no acc. holes,172/64cc. for use on 283" or 327". - NOTE THE "X" suffix to that one indicating that it is the only humper that will work on a 283" (per factory).
    Someone also said "A 2bbl head with an Edlebrock 500 would yeild the best overall
    fuel mileage with suprisingly good low end torque due to high flow rate". Is this the "520" head you all are speaking of ? (the #3884520). Thanks to All.
     
  27. Herdez
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 357

    Herdez
    Member

    I'm no expert but this is what i ran into. I just built up my 283 40 over fuelie pistons and i checked out two sets 896 520's and 461x's. One set (520) is box stock and the others ported 896-vortech 1.94 valves. Power Packs are both identical in the ports and pockets, lots of meat. The real trouble with converting to 1.94's is the careful grinding it will take to open up the bowls under the vlave. The chambers will also need unshrouding so I dont think there is any advantage unless you also do all the work for a better flow. If you have a set of camel humps, then just bolt those on and go. I spent at least 2days grinding on my heads than compared them to 461x's and figured i shouldve just bolted on the 461 x's with a mill job and good bowl cleanup.

    Oh! and by the way in the process one head got screwed up when we were trying to open them up(hit water) in the bowl. Spent a few days looking for another matching head. Its a big step up from little valve to big ass valve -learning curve there :( However it can be done if you take it to someone who knows what theyre doing and it will cost you money.

    The heads you see on my motor are the stock 520's with a good wire brush cleaning to remove rough casting flash in the bowls/ports and 305 vortech valves are used. I have fully ported 2 1/4 rams and 30/30 solid to go along with it.
     
  28. Crease
    Joined: May 7, 2002
    Posts: 2,878

    Crease
    Member

  29. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,552

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    Any of the "pyramid" heads are commonly referred to as "power pack" heads. Beginning in 1956, the 4 bbl. engines got the cylinder head with the small "pyramid" or "point" on top of the rectanglular casting protrusion on the end of the head. This practice continued (with half a dozen different casting numbers) through 1962. Beginning in 1963, every passenger car 283 got what was formerly the "power pack" head, 2 and 4 barrel engines both. The 461, 462, and 291 casting numbered heads are commonly referred to as "camel hump", "double hump", or "fuelie" heads, and have either 1.94/1.50 or 2.02/1.60 intake and exhaust valve sizes. The "fuelie" moniker came from the fact that the first engine to get them was the 315hp 283 F.I. Corvette mill in 1960. A few of the early '60 fuelie heads were cast of aluminum, but porosity problems nixed that idea early on; I've seen two sets of aluminum fuelies in my life. The 520s are part of the "power pack" family.
     
  30. B.A.KING
    Joined: Apr 6, 2005
    Posts: 4,039

    B.A.KING
    Member

    these heads will need hardend exhaust seats ,correct?
    the old folks that lived next to my mom had a one owner 66 impala 2 brl motor.but had camel humps head on it. i knew this car from the day it was bought new. when they passed away in 1976, it had less than 40,000 miles on it
     

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