WWYD - aluminum or iron heads

Which heads?

  • Get the iron heads, save some money

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Get the eddies, more future potential

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Get your head examined, leave well enough alone

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
b-body-bob

b-body-bob

Well-known member
What would you do?

I've been wife-approved to get the gTx running like it should. I've got two options for the heads. I'm trying to decide what to do, and appreciate your help.

First is to have a set of 452s built to suit me, which is gonna cost me about $975 for a set with big valves, cut to 84-82cc chambers, bowls cleaned up, and intake gasket matched. My engine has ARP head bolts on it, they've only been torqued once, and since they're not "torque-to-fail" I'm going to reuse them. I will run a $20 pair of shim gaskets.

Second is to buy a set of eddies. I've got a place that'll price match them down to the flatlander.com price, which including shipping is $1225. With the Eddies, I have to buy an expensive set of head gaskets, and a set of head bolts.

So, once I add it all up, there's abot $360 difference, with the iron heads being cheaper.

On the performance difference side - the iron heads will give me a needed boost in compression (shim gasket + small chamber) over the eddies (84cc chambers + .040 head gasket). The alu heads also reduce effective compression because they handle the heat differently. Or so I've been told. But the eddies flow like a mother and the alu helps prevents detonation..

It seems obvious to me, save $360 (actually invest it in ignition) and have higher compression. But I value your input, so let me know what you think!

BTW, new combo will be the heads, holley street dominator intake, 850 double pumper, and comp XE274 or XE284 cam.


Feel free to vote silently or vote and elaborate your reasoning. :)
 
I would go for the Eddy's if it was me.
I went down this road last fall after one of my 906's cracked.
Do you go with old heavy iron or throw on some new (half the weight)alum ones?Hmmm!
Myself i bought Bulldogs, when i get the motor back together and in the car i'll let ya know how i like them.Kinda nice putting them on when they weigh half of the iron ones and with out pullin your back out of joint leaning over.
 
He He....you allready know the answer Bob.....get the e-heads and don't look back. The xe285hl would be my choice for a cam or something from Engle in the 240@.050 range depending on your static compression and final drive ratio. The gtx is a 4spd isn't it ?

Ron
 
Yep 4-speed.

just got off the phone with a guy that convinced me to grab the eddies while I can get the price match, but hold off on the cam and installation until this winter. Then I can tear it down at my leisure and figure out what the compression really is.
 
Yup. I likes aluminium, cause it makes mah beer taste yummy. [smilie=a:
At that price, go for it! Wish I could scrounge a few more pennies, I would buy em too! good luck. ;)
 
They'll be here monday if they ship today. Tuesday if not. Side benefit of living here, next day shipping from both Jegs and Summit.

Picked up an MSD 6AL too, I've been having problems with the car running rich. Started out of the blue so I'm kind of thinking it's an orange box going bad on me. Went with MSD instead of FBO because it has a rev limiter.
[smilie=e:
 
what is your exahust? buddy put new Eddies on and found that the 2 new pair of hooker headers he bought to go on the two cars with new Eddies wont fit!!!!! will not clear the power stearing box and possible some other problems in his Charger (70) pretty much destroied one set before he admitted to himself it wont work!!! and he is very capable when it comes to modifying and fit issues... the angle coming off the eddie heads is different from stock... he ended up with TTI's and said they practicle fell on they are so well engineered...
 
No power steering on the car, headers are Hedmans.

Since the Eddies fit the TTIs and the TTIs are engineered to fit stock, I'd say the difference is in the headers, not in the head. Whichever it is, I'll deal with it this winter. :)
 
b-body-bob said:
They'll be here monday if they ship today. Tuesday if not. Side benefit of living here, next day shipping from both Jegs and Summit.

Picked up an MSD 6AL too, I've been having problems with the car running rich. Started out of the blue so I'm kind of thinking it's an orange box going bad on me. Went with MSD instead of FBO because it has a rev limiter.
[smilie=e:[/quote]

Excellent score....on both counts !! As for headers, the TTI's fit great. The hooker 17/8 "Comps" and 2in "Supercomps" will work with some massaging. We had both of those on mine when it was dynoed. The 17/8 in Supercomps are a definate "no-go" with the e-heads or any angled plug head for that matter.

Fwiw, the 17/8 x 3 in tubes made the best torque #'s and the same hp as the 2 x 31/2 in header. The 2in robbed ~ 20ftlbs across the board.

Ron
Click to expand...
 
Tex-par said:
the angle coming off the eddie heads is different from stock...
Click to expand...

Um sorry, but no. I used the exact same headers and exhaust with the Edelbrocks that I had on the stock iron heads. The left header comes real close to the P/S box and with the eddies the fit was the same.

Good choice Bob, the Eddys are a real bargin when you add up all the advantages to using them. [smilie=c:
 
Do the alum heads and just keep stacking alum on top of it. Its a disease!! Kinda like hooters.

DSCF3068.JPG
 
must be a 383 intake judging from the adapter plate, and it is a disease with the only cure being a good clearcoat after the mothers. [smilie=e:
 
you wil like the eddy's! i also got them and also the XE284 cam, you wil like that cam also, idles nice (lumpy) at 900RPM and got a forking shitload of torque from 2500 RPM, i swinged my engine up too 7000 RPM (wrong limite chip..)and it didn't missed at al, it's a screamer!!

you can use your headbolts, only needs hardened washers under it
 
If you have the money then I would go with the Eddy's. We have bone stock Eddy's on my sons Dart that work good and I am doing 906's for my 63. I am doing an all out port job and installing the 2.14 and 1.81 valves in my 906's. I am doing the work myself and will still have close to $500. in parts when you include valves , retainers , keepers , springs and rockers. And I will have about 40 hrs in my heads before I am done. I tell ya this old man is getting to old for all that work and for you its worth the extra to go with the Eddy's ! Ron
 
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