Quote:
Originally Posted by Super73
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I would bet that with just the head swap you would pick up both RPM and power. ...........
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Not to diminish any other comments and discussion Super is talking about here. but I am going to harp on this ONE topic just a bit.
One of my pet-peeves is the 305 heads on a 350. It's good for compression and low speed power,, like for a fuel injected a rock crawler idling along at 400-500rpm,, or a street motor that seldom sees the high side of 3000rpm, but I've never seen any combination at the track with any 'tricked out' 305 head on a 350 that impressed many..... well,,,, unless there was a big-ass turbo forcing air through those small ports and valves.
This is totally evident with your 4900rpm peak. That's about right for torque, but even a poorly built small block will EASILY make good horsepower to 6000-6500. True that there usually all done around 6500 without building a real animal, but power to the mid 6000 range is the NORM. Even the Edelbrock, old Holley systemax packages, and most every other mail-order package will have a HP peak well into the 6000 range. 400ish HP,,6000rpm, it's all as easy as picking up the phone and offering up your first born (or a credit card) these days.
Think of it this way....... Plain and simple. There is only one way to make power,,
burn fuel. You can't just dump raw fuel in the chamber, you have to have the right amount of oxygen for it to burn. Be it chemical (N20), forced induction to stuff more air in the chamber, or normally aspirated! You HAVE to have the proper amount of air with that fuel. If your doing it N/A.. you have to move more air to make more power. The really good thing here is the internal combustion motor is nothing but a BIG-ass air pump. That's really all it does is move air (with fuel) in, use it's energy to push on pistons, then expel the waste air out the exhaust port. How simple can it be... put MORE air in,, push harder on the pistons! Expel more waste gases. So,,, only thing you need to do is look at where is the inhibiting factor in YOUR combination?????
So have I made my case for taking them 305 heads, bolting a chain through the rocker studs, and making 'proper' use of them beside your fishing boat????
A combination can be a 'fluke' of parts and pieces that happen to fall together in one car and is a stellar performer, or a scienced out project that never realizes the potential we thought it 'should have been'. But one thing for sure, the place to start building a motor combination is to pick a head that will support the power level your seeking. If your thinking about power adders at all, I'd leave that to the great advice of those around here more knowledgeable about it. But if it's a N/A combination. START by picking a head that will support your goals.
Just be aware,, a head that fits your budget, may not fit your goals. IMO it's the most important piece of the package and is worth waiting, and saving for.
(OK, rant off)