HELP WITH BBC HEADS.. I AM JUST LOST NOW

Old 07-04-2011, 12:12 AM
  #1  
edspring1
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Default HELP WITH BBC HEADS.. I AM JUST LOST NOW

Hey guys I am confusing myself...LOL Myself and son built and installed a 540 in his 83 Camaro. After the custom 1700.00 headers didn't allow for ground clearance we ended up having another set made. 2" primairys and 3" slip on merge collectors. This is a street car but we take it to the track about 3 times a month with 3.5"slip on collectors. Anyway I am wondering about the heads. I used the 088 heads on it with 2.300 intakes and it seems to run extremely well on the street. But at the track it seems to lack luster above 5800 RPM. I have already changed jets, timing, collectors, checked install height and seat pressures of the valve springs. I even took the intake off and gasket matched it. It picked up 4 MPH. So I am assumeing the heads need a lil something to work properly. The thing is I can not put aftermarket heads on it now because they all seem to have a .400-.700 raised exhaust ports. I don't have that kind of header/frame/floor clearance. Plus they don't seem to offer anything with the OEM style exhaust port configuration {rect}. After working on this motor and making 100% sure the fuel, air, valve timing total timing, gearing, trans, everything you can imagine are correct and it runs extremely well at lower RPM I am thinking it can't breath at the higher RPM's. I have checked everything more than 1-2 times. It does NOT miss, backfire, hesitate, or flatten out above 5,800 it just doesn't pull the way it should. Any of you guys have any advice? What would be a better head for it keeping in the OEM configuration that I already have ? 1700 bucks for another set of headers, to fit a new set of heads is just out of my resources. Am I correct in thinking that I should just take the heads off and have them ported leaving the exhaust as close to OEM as possible ? I am thinking it is a flow issue and you don't have to make the ports bigger to have it flow better. Is there someone out there making a head that flows better than the 088 but has the NON raised exhaust ports ? In advance I want to thank anyone for thier opinon and or advise !
Ed
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Old 07-04-2011, 04:33 AM
  #2  
contagious
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Default 540

What are the cam specs?Need more details on the motor,trans and rear gear.
converter,ect.......
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Old 07-04-2011, 07:04 AM
  #3  
ultimatewarrior1
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Default Re: HELP WITH BBC HEADS.. I AM JUST LOST NOW

Originally Posted by edspring1
Hey guys I am confusing myself...LOL Myself and son built and installed a 540 in his 83 Camaro. After the custom 1700.00 headers didn't allow for ground clearance we ended up having another set made. 2" primairys and 3" slip on merge collectors. This is a street car but we take it to the track about 3 times a month with 3.5"slip on collectors. Anyway I am wondering about the heads. I used the 088 heads on it with 2.300 intakes and it seems to run extremely well on the street. But at the track it seems to lack luster above 5800 RPM. I have already changed jets, timing, collectors, checked install height and seat pressures of the valve springs. I even took the intake off and gasket matched it. It picked up 4 MPH. So I am assumeing the heads need a lil something to work properly. The thing is I can not put aftermarket heads on it now because they all seem to have a .400-.700 raised exhaust ports. I don't have that kind of header/frame/floor clearance. Plus they don't seem to offer anything with the OEM style exhaust port configuration {rect}. After working on this motor and making 100% sure the fuel, air, valve timing total timing, gearing, trans, everything you can imagine are correct and it runs extremely well at lower RPM I am thinking it can't breath at the higher RPM's. I have checked everything more than 1-2 times. It does NOT miss, backfire, hesitate, or flatten out above 5,800 it just doesn't pull the way it should. Any of you guys have any advice? What would be a better head for it keeping in the OEM configuration that I already have ? 1700 bucks for another set of headers, to fit a new set of heads is just out of my resources. Am I correct in thinking that I should just take the heads off and have them ported leaving the exhaust as close to OEM as possible ? I am thinking it is a flow issue and you don't have to make the ports bigger to have it flow better. Is there someone out there making a head that flows better than the 088 but has the NON raised exhaust ports ? In advance I want to thank anyone for thier opinon and or advise !
Ed
port matching the intake gave you a clue to what needs to be done.having the heads fully ported will wake it up and cheaper than $1700
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Old 07-04-2011, 07:38 AM
  #4  
bixblk
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Default 5800 rpm issue

I know this maybe sound stupid, are you sure you have enough carb to hood clearance. It maybe starving for air. We had a deal in a 66 chevelle with a dominator carb and intake install, it ran fine with the hood off. We took it to the track and it fell on its face.We removed the hood and it ran fine. We ended putting a cowl hood on the car and some fine tuning with jets and timing but it clearly had a problem with the old stock hood. Not trying to be an Az.. but is the clearance OK for air intake ?
JMO
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Old 07-04-2011, 08:41 PM
  #5  
nova77
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Default

sounds like you are running out of cam
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