Let's talk about 340 heads.

[Rob C]

Thanks for that last bit of information. Would you want to say what camshaft manufacture you would use. I listed lsm and bullet because I have used them in the past for cummins camshafts and had great luck with both companies.

@Ohiowoodchuck

Would you want to say what camshaft manufacture you would use. I listed lsm and bullet because I have used them in the past for cummins camshafts and had great luck with both companies.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that really most any cam company can cut a good cam, IF they know what you want to do and with what equipment your going to use. You would have to be very specific about everything. Unlike the beginning of this thread, where I felt like I was about to pull teeth for information.

Know your;

Cars weight
Transmission model (gears inside)
Rear end gears, tire size
Final engine displacement
Heads to be used along with valve sizes and the ports flow values
Header tube size and length
Intake manifold, bonus when ported with cfm values on the ports

Of the major manufacturers, Comp Cams, Crane cams, Lunati, Racer Brown & Howard’s cams, these guys can get you what you want. Smaller places like Bullet, Oregon cams can also do the same. All of these places are really super good. And they will all cut you a cam that will do what is asked for and they will all be different in the specs! I have had great workings with a bunch of these guys.
(I have not used them all.)

When you call one of them, or, all of them, be prepared to have a lot of know information on hand so they can get to work right away for you.

 

[Ohiowoodchuck]

I noticed the link you posted in the next to last post about the hot rod 360 engine build. I noticed they used the edelbrock heads for this build. I done just some slight research on the heads last night and I was left with mixed reviews. Don't get me wrong, I know your suppose to go over everything and know exactly what you have before you put it on the motor, but these seemed crude none the less. I seem some complaints about the combustion chamber being larger cc's then was specified or ordered. Hell they didn't even install steel valve pockets on them. Are the bare w2's this crude out of the box. It was also interesting to read about how much they unshrouded the valves on the heads. I had that trouble years ago on a cummins pulling head. Even though it was ported and polished and flowed, it just never felt like we was getting the air in the cylinders like we should. We tried making it better with the acceleration rate on the cam and the ramp angle to open the valve and it helped but never was right. Once and old time engine builder told me to deck the whole head about .040 and then keep the valves at about .020 man did it make a world of difference. We had to shim our injector up to keep the right angle still and put a deeper fly cut on the piston but that really brought the motor to life. Everything I read at the time said it was just a minimal effect on a gas engine, maybe good for a couple hp or a 1/10th but to me it felt like we added 50hp to the motor. I couldn't believe how much better the motor acted after going from single valve springs to doubles. I swapped out a set of single pac springs with a set of comp cams doubles with the exact same pressures and it felt like the camshaft was finally able to move the valves like it should. If I remember correctly that chance alone was good for a couple of feet on the track. What is your thoughts on this.

 

[Rob C]

I feel that the Victor is a better head than the W2 OOTB or ported. Without porting the Victor, I believe the HP level achieved is still possible but under different conditions starting with increasing all the supporting parts according up 3 levels. Like a max effort build with sub par heads. Things like;

Another 20* in camshaft duration, min.! And the like down the line. You know what I mean... LOL!

The W2 is only available are and yes, as a race part, it will need a lot of work to make it a superior type of head.

This kind of work (at least IMO) should be considered normal modifications to be done “For best results” vs usage OOTB.

When people purchase race parts & complain about them that they can’t be used OOTB or with minor prep work, I point and laugh and say there ether cry babies or rookies if not both.

You can out trust in any company.
You can’t build a race car engine quickly
You can’t build a race car engine for $3K with parts out of the box and running buy days end.

The engine masters build showed what these guys did in normal engine building Technics, along with good use of there head on making the best possible modifications to the cylinder head for there goal in there defined Parameters considering the cubic inch displacement and target goal.

They also displayed an awesome out of the box thinking with the most obvious part, A W2 intake on the head.

I would not have ever thought to do that. It is mostly due to my lack of welding skills, experience in full “House on fire” builds and limited space.

LOL, a garage is have loaded with 2 cars and parts, a shop with the cool engine build stuff I do not have.

 

[Ohiowoodchuck]

Good points there. I had mixed feelings after the reviews I saw about the heads but then again I was thinking maybe they expect to bolt them in and not doing nothing. Imo I like to know exactly to the .001 my dimensions and I try to double check everything that I do or install. I'd hate to eat the cost of a engine. Hell one time i caught a camshaft that had the specs flipped on the lobes. Talk about scratching your head when i had it on the v blocks. It wasnt from either of the cam manufacturers that have been mentioned though.

 

[Rob C]

I was just getting busy taking some W2 pictures for you. These are mine awaiting there turn. Sorry! Phone quality.
Rust appears 100x’s worse with the phone. It is in reality very light.

 

[Rob C]

And some more, exhaust:

 

[Rob C]

And more, intake

 

[Rob C]

Last batch, valve seats

 

[Rob C]

As you can see, there is some good basic work to be done before use.

One thing most people do is change the valve guides from 3/8’s to 11/32’s.

The basic port shape is there. Mild porting around the valve stem guide and work to the bowls can use some clean up to mild work for basic usage. For a light race to street machine, this would probably be pretty good.

Full porting required for a max effort 300+ cfm is a considerable amount of work with iron. You can see the core shift pretty easy. I really do not know the in’s and outs of porting. From what I read I could talk a ton of **** but in reality, you really need an experienced head ported and one with W2 experiences to get this head at its maximum potential.

It is a good head. Just heavy.

I would not use this head in a search for 700hp.
Unless it is a old tyme Pro Stock build in a 2200lbs. car ignoring every RPM under 5500/6000 when I let off the trans brake.
But, even more so on a tiny 340 cube engine looking for 700hp.

My future plan is for a street driven ride, small-ish stroker. Under a 4.0 arm. 4.1 bore deal. The other with my M1/W2 tunnel ram. Big stroker, turning low-ish RPM.

 

[Rob C]

Wrong loves on a cam?
Nooooooooooo

Try working with the older “A” engine. You say it is a 318 and you get a LA cam. You call them back and the arguing starts.

Tell them you have a 301 or 277 “A” engine, they say there is no such thing, only 273. 318. 340 & 360’s.

Then the re-schooling starts... again.

 

[Ohiowoodchuck]

Damn phone. Cam grinder put the exhaust duration and lift on the intake lobe and the intake lift and duration on the exhaust lobes. He must of had his paper up side down when he ground it. Lol thanks for the pictures. I can tell that it is a great design and I agree with you on this one. They are a great solid platform for a starting point. That's the first time I've ever seen up close pictures of the w2's.

 

[Ohiowoodchuck]

I'm no head porter either. Yes I did my own cummins ones and got decent gains going by the flow bench i took them two. But hell ray Charles could tell what needed to go in there. I know a couple older mopar men left that might know someone who has experience with them. I'll take your advice on it, if I cant find nobody local I will go the edelbrock route. Theres no sense in spending money and having someone screw it up.

 

[Ohiowoodchuck]

How would the chararistics be between w2 heads and w9 . Noni dont want to buy w9's but if they work up the same I know a couple good sprint engine builders around who have worked on w9's.

 

[Rob C]

The W9’s are reported@ 300cfm OOTB and can be ported out (IIRC) for another 80-85 cfm.

Ryan J is said to be out sick right now but here is his web Site and then his W9 page.

Do your “Do Diligence and homework on these or any heads” as far as hardware goes. Rockers, valves, are concerned ....

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Shady Dell Speed Shop