need help:building a big duke/big chief motor

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Old 05-07-2008, 10:31 AM
  #21  
hammertime
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Originally Posted by TheRabbit
Originally Posted by Pwmax
unless you don;t care if your middle of the pack, some guys don;t have to be top dog, then you will need the spread ports.

Frank
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I don't plan to race for a tie. I race to win!!!! and I don't play well with others if you know what i mean!! lol. The bottom line i'm trying to figure out is, spread port is the way to go to make more torque and hp, but with my limit of 1 carb would the RFD edelbrock be equal to a 14 or 18* head? The add from RFD doesn't say they heads make 1200hp. to many things to consider, but flow #'s say it could support up to 1200hp.
Of course it would be cheaper because everything i have is for conventional heads. ie pistons, intake, rockers etc. but i'm starting a new motor and seriously thinking about steping up to spread port heads.
Now where do i start? Dart, Brodix, Sonny's, RFD, Dynoflo, SVR?? all good places, but it cost too much not to get it right the first time.
Thanks again for your help!!
Rabbit

Take the name Dynflow out of that " all good places" a locals dragster I drive here and there had a 585 dart big chief motor and also had a 565 brodix big duke motor. His 565 with dukes walks all over the 585 with the chiefs they are a close motor. IMO you need to go atleast 18 degree to make the power you want without spending a ton to do so. I currently run a bmf conv head on my 582 it'd make over 1000 on any dyno but if I had a 18 head it'd make 1100 easy.
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Old 05-07-2008, 02:24 PM
  #22  
TheRabbit
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On a litlle 522ci its at 1050hp at 7400rpm.
That's pretty stong for a 522!!! I had a 548, WP heads done by RFD that made 858 @ 7400. I need to step up to the 1050+ range to be more competitive. And it's hard to do with 23* heads. I'm interested in big duke or big chief heads/ parts / 632 parts if anybody has some please let me know!!

Some great info from you guys and i appreciate it!! please keep the info up on the debate about brodix vs dart. :idea: You dyno guys are worth a million $ to us!!! i just need to start shopping on racing junk soon and find some good deals!! :wink:

Thanks
Rabbit
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Old 05-09-2008, 05:22 AM
  #23  
wltrb
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Originally Posted by Pwmax

Nothing against curtis, but I would have to see it to believe it, that those heads would make 1200 hp. They look nice, and I am sure they will make a heck of a lot of power, but 1200hp isn;t exactly easy,

Frank
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just look at texas pro stock, .. 1200 hp +, .. the trick isn't just the head
it takes a very well ported intake too.

But everyone here seems to be right, .. to make the same power
and compete in a class where everyone else is using big chief stuff
you need to at least use the same stuff they are.
dosn't RFD make some killer 11* head?
w
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Old 05-11-2008, 03:11 PM
  #24  
cboggs
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Originally Posted by hammertime
A local shop put the Eldebrocks on the flow bench and put a set of the bb3 oval ports on same bench flow #'s showed higher on the brodix heads.
I am still waiting for him to try these eldebrocks on his motor to see what they do compaired to the others with the brodix heads.
David,

You might check what version of the RFD / Victor head that was, ..
we / I build 4 different versions at this point, ..

It's likely it was a 2.35" valve version as the 2.4" version has been confirmed by several engine shops to flow as well as the -3 at high lift and out flow it in mid lift. But we know peak flow numbers aren't everything.

Comparable engine builds by several builders show the RFD to make slightly more power and better average power.
These are on typical bracket builds, .. not builds with 200+ dyno pulls
and fully ported intakes max effort stuff. I build a different head for that.

I have a new version for 598 - 632" that is going to surprise everyone, ..

back to the original post, .. I think if you're running in a class where everyone
is using a big chief style spread port head, .. you have to do the same.
Even though I build conventional heads that can make 1200 on
high end builds, .. the big chief will still make more power
when the same effort and money is spent.

now reduce the "effort" of the build to something the average guy can do,
and it'll be easier to make 1200+ with the big chief.

Curtis
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Old 05-12-2008, 07:23 AM
  #25  
LuckyDawgRacing
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Default Conventional style heads

Hammertime, have you been happy with the bmf heads and are they giving you the power you expected? Would you buy them knowing what you know now? I'm running 2x's non-ported and wanting to step up although I need a budget price :?:
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Old 05-12-2008, 09:14 AM
  #26  
edvancedengines
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My suggestion is to see about getting the heads you have worked for your application by RFD or a really good Cylinder Head Shop. Won't hurt to call and to check. They really do have some decent potential after someone who knows the head and what it needs gets through working it.

www.raceflowdevelopment.com

Ed
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Old 05-12-2008, 11:03 AM
  #27  
hammertime
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Default Re: Conventional style heads

Originally Posted by LuckyDawgRacing
Hammertime, have you been happy with the bmf heads and are they giving you the power you expected? Would you buy them knowing what you know now? I'm running 2x's non-ported and wanting to step up although I need a budget price :?:
If I were to build another 582 I'd have BB3 Oval Ports instead of the BMF's. They are a good head but just dont measure up to the Brodix head. They may come close with some more work this winter.
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Old 05-12-2008, 03:58 PM
  #28  
TheRabbit
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Originally Posted by cboggs

back to the original post, .. I think if you're running in a class where everyone
is using a big chief style spread port head, .. you have to do the same.
Even though I build conventional heads that can make 1200 on
high end builds, .. the big chief will still make more power
when the same effort and money is spent.

now reduce the "effort" of the build to something the average guy can do,
and it'll be easier to make 1200+ with the big chief.

Curtis
with that being said (and i agree) what do you think is the better head. Big Duke or Big Chief?!? I don't know anybody that runs brodix and maybe that's for a reason :?: Both are used by some of the top name engine builders and Sonny's has a good package deal on Brodix.
And i've also heard of guys running a Pontiac head on a BBC???
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Old 05-12-2008, 06:10 PM
  #29  
obsessedtruck
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with that being said (and i agree) what do you think is the better head. Big Duke or Big Chief?!? I don't know anybody that runs brodix and maybe that's for a reason :?: Both are used by some of the top name engine builders and Sonny's has a good package deal on Brodix.
And i've also heard of guys running a Pontiac head on a BBC???[/quote]



As they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder), Same way with heads. some guys can just butcher the crap of it and say it's the best. My opinion and I won't hesatate. Go to Curtis!!!,. He did my 18* Big dukes and they kick the snought of the sonnys 14* stuff my boss had. I have a cast intake, wet sump, 1 carb, and my boss had sonnys 14*darts, sheetmetal, dry sumpand a bigger cam. I make the same power on 15ci less and at the same rpm. Don't get me wrong there are others besides Curtis BUT he has many testamonials on here and its ALL positive.
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Old 05-12-2008, 09:54 PM
  #30  
cboggs
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Originally Posted by TheRabbit

with that being said (and i agree) what do you think is the better head. Big Duke or Big Chief?!? I don't know anybody that runs brodix and maybe that's for a reason :?: Both are used by some of the top name engine builders and Sonny's has a good package deal on Brodix.
And i've also heard of guys running a Pontiac head on a BBC???
David,

what bmf's do you have?, .. I can make the 385's flow about 460 with
an intake valve change and a little work, .
just did a set for Chris Uratchko that made a solid 1100 hp n/a single 4

what size engine do you have?

Rabbit,

the choice of heads has to do with several things, ..
if it's 18* I'd either use the Brodix 1803 casting or the new and VERY nice big victor as a base for porting, ..
if it's an all out effort then my 11* big chief can't be beat.

So their really isn't a "better head" per say, .. it has to do with
choosing a raw casting to build on based on the desired end result.

Roumors regarding one casting being better then the other, . truth is
most are good, and every one has it's own little issues.
Darts big chief castings are very good, but require a bunch of machine work
to be "race worthy", .. but that's why I own cnc machines, .. I use their 14* and 11* castings.
The Brodix castings are nice but some don't have the power potential, ..
but the 1803 is a nice part.

Edelbrock now has their own "big chief" 18* they call the Big Victor.
It's part of their "pro port" series of castings designed for
professional cnc shops. It's a VERY nice casting, strong, ..
everything in the right place and they are hipped.
The rocker layout is also what I would consider one of the best
for spread port style heads.

Within those castings we have several CnC port programs depending
on the application, I only custom cut parts.

whoever you end up choosing as your cylinder head guy, .. it's likely they
will have their own favorite.

hope this helps, ..

Curtis
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