ejm

bbc 496 have dart 308 steel heads and have a chance to get a set or procomp 320 alum heads are the procomps a decent brand for a crucial part of the engine just wondering and i know you guys will help me out thanks

markdunlap

They appear to be a Chinese copy of the New Zealand Pro Topline heads now marketed by RHS. The flow sheet they show is identical to the one on the RHS site.

The quality of the material used would be a concern to me. They have to cut somewhere to get that low ball price.

I have heard that you should not use valve springs that are high pressure.

I have heard that the parts that they use in their assemblies are not high quality.

I do not think they can be considered to be in the same ball park with Dart, Brodix, AFR, RHS.

For a street engine I think they are OK.

Just what I think.

ejm

so my 496 with 13;1 and a solid roller with .714 lift prob would not be worth it? apparently one of them need a valve, a valve seat and a valve guide. but for 500 bucks does a guy go wrong?

markdunlap

If you stuff is together and does not need a rebuild, I would probably leave it together.

Before your need the rebuild, save you extra cash up for a set of dart Pro 1 325 heads or RHS 320. Your engine could benefit from the larger intake port/valve and the weight loss wouldn't hurt either. I got a set of new bare 325 Pro 1's recently for $1300 bare. Maybe you will find a deal.

I know the heads you were talking about. They had damage and need repair and maybe will again after you fix what's wrong currently. Maybe those parts are not up to quality of the use they were put thru. I am kinda funny about buying other peoples problems. I wonder if they are jinxed or what.

I have a friend that is a Pro Comp dealer. He said he only sells bare heads, not assemblies. I bought a set of BBC Pro Comp polished cast valve covers from him. They looked good but were 1/4" short length wise and leaked even with a steel core gasket. If they can't build a valve cover right, what about Chinese built heads?

zipper06

Yikes, i too am a procomp dealer, and i will not sell a set of assembled heads, i also will not sell a set of procomp heads for racing (only street use) The Dart 308 steel heads you have (as cast) will out flow any procomp fully ported head. The big problem is the top side of procomp heads as Mark said are cast very thin around the rocker studs and will pull them thru with spring pressure over 200 lbs. Save your money and get a good set of Dart heads, although i would suggest the 345's for a 496" motor rather than the 325's. I've sold doz's of sets of heads without issues for the street, i've been a dealer for 8 yrs. when procomp was first starting out, i don't advertise and don't have a website, just word of mouth.

JMO

Zip.

ejm

thank you guys for the input i guess i just need to spend a little money in some extensive porting or just bigger heads i just don't think my motor is at full potential. its in a twd pulling truck and would like a little more top end he torque is there but seems like it would crack open faster if heads flowed a little better but thanks again

engineparts

I've sold Procomp for quite a few years and hundreds of sets of their cylinder heads as well and you know the old saying, you get what you pay for. Ya, the Procomp heads are attractively priced and work excellent on a lower compression engine with say a hydraulic roller or flat tappet cam out of the box. With some extensive port work and a GOOD set of valves and springs, titanium retainers and girdles we have used them on a few 496 509 540's with solid rollers in the 700-740 lift range without issues, but only used them due to customer's budgets. They wouldn't be my go to head for those applications....but anyway, if you can budget for the Dart's they definitely by far are superior and will make more power...just my 17 cents...

hotrod1994

i have a buddy that runs runs pro comp 320 heads in hid 496 and has had no problems with them at all he has a custom ground .720 lift solid roller