65 c10 Newbie Engine combo advice

[Marv D]

Heat is power

So in 'theory' you can make more power with a iron head than a aluminum head being the aluminum will no tretain heat as well as the iron.

In reality.... almost no one (save the GM Bowtie) puts much development into a iron head. (99% of the Dart and Motown iron heads are clones of old Bowtie heads, or the early Brownfield ports, or a spec head to meet some class rule)

So reasons FOR aluminum....
1.
Aluminum heads are REPAIRABLE. Have a catostrophic failure with a iron head and it's frequently a door stop. I've repaired a number of aluminum heads that experienced MASSIVE engine failure slamming pistons and pieces into the head and you wouldn't know anything ever happened after the welding, milling, and freshening.
2.
An aluminum piece is MUCH easier to modify, and if you screw up, or have a porous area, you simply weld a bit back and grind some more.
3.
Because only a few classes dictate an iron head, and those class rules dictate a particular spec.... most of the aftermarket offers only a variants of a spec head,, anything with any real 'over the top' potential is almost always aluminum.
4.
As you found out with the procomps... aluminum is more popular than iron and sells easier.


Oh, and just one note on the reparable thing. As much as I am a HUGE advocate of AFR heads. The material AFR uses is a sore spot with most shops that weld / repair aluminum heads. It is one of the HARDEST aluminum heads to weld and get a good cohesive mix of the metals. 'Aluminum' comes in as a multitude of alloys. Whatever it is AFR uses,, is not real popular with the shops welding and repairing them,, but it can be repaired, just make SURE you have a competant welder do the work.