SBC Heads

[jradford]

Trying to figure out what I have in my old chevy truck. 1972 C20 Special Camper Custom Deluxe with a th400. The previous owner has been incommunicato despite several attempts to ask questions. I have figured out it is a 1970 350 with 041 heads. I think they are 350/300 hp heads. General opinion on these old heads? It has an edelbrock intake with a holly carb, hei and in the process of putting hedman elite coated headers and having an exhaust system built along with fixing the other common issues ie rear brakes. The old ram horns are cracked so on their last legs and have an exhaust leak anyway. Don't really want to tear the engine apart as it runs like a top at present. Any experience with these heads?

[Mike C]

The 041 is similar to the 186 casting. Closed chamber. Can be found with 1.94/1.5 or 2.02/1.6 with screw in studs and guideplates. Most likely yours are 1.94 with press in studs.

They are a good head, but it costs so much money to R&R a set of vintage heads, you would be miles ahead to spend $ on some aftermarket heads if more performance is your goal.

[jradford]

Probably just leave them alone for now. Really just wanting a dependable driver. Truck has 73,000miles and since this engine is not original I would think less miles. If I hit the lottery may just buy a 383 stroker torque motor since these things are so heavy. I have another truck with plenty of power for anything else. A 2007 LT Classic LBZ with 69,000 miles that gets 19 mi. gal and will pull anything I have. It is a shop kept truck that looks like the day it was driven off the showroom floor. Every time I get it out someone wants to buy it as the classic lbz's are another highly desirable truck.

[Coley]

As Mike said...those are good heads. Some of the best early series heads that are out there.
What makes them unique and desireable for the trucks is that they are the higher compression heads (64cc vs. 76cc chamber).....but they also have all the accessory/tapped holes in the ends to mount all of the truck accessory brackets...which most of the early high compression/camel hump heads do not have...except the 186 heads I think.
What this means is they are great drop-in replacements for the stock truck heads and will mount and run everything in stock form....except you'll be getting more power out of the engine.

So if they are in good shape...leave them alone.
If you decide to sell them....you'll be surprised at the interest in them.

My two bits
Coley

[jradford]

Thanks for the input guys. I am just another old fart that hasn't built any hotrods in 40 years. Retired and just having fun with a truck built about when I graduated from high school. Take care.

[special-K]

I have those heads on my '72 and they were a nice bump in power to the stock lower compression heads. Mine are 1.94s.

[tutone]

I have a set with 2.02s loosely bolted on a 327 under the bench for some future project, and its a great head. I put a set just like mine on a 68 impala 327 engine and ran in a 69 Camaro with a nice little Crane cam and edelbrock setup with a Muncie, and it made you feel like you were being pulled by a rope. Very peppy, and it is still running strong after 10 years as I sold it locally to a guy who is not scared to get in it from time to time. I like the bigger valves if running an oversize cam and headers, but yours should make all the power you need within reason. They are keepers in my opinion.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by Mike C

The 041 is similar to the 186 casting. Closed chamber. Can be found with 1.94/1.5 or 2.02/1.6 with screw in studs and guideplates. Most likely yours are 1.94 with press in studs.

They are a good head, but it costs so much money to R&R a set of vintage heads, you would be miles ahead to spend $ on some aftermarket heads if more performance is your goal.

You will be miles ahead to get Votecs or aftermarket and not spend money on original heads. To do them right you will need at least a half set of guides and likely a full set. You will have to add hardened seats. Then add in some valves and a set of springs and you will have new money in a set of so-so flowing heads.

And whoever said that they would be surprised at interest in them, that is not the case around here. I dragged a set of original 041X heads around to swap meets for a few years and finally sold the pair for $75. They might be worth more to a guy restoring a Corvette or Camaro that needed that number and date, but not much else from what I have experienced.

[jradford]

I would be money ahead to just buy after market heads and reuse my intake and carb. There is nothing wrong with the heads as I said. Just asking for opinions on them. If I get to that point I may just buy a blueprinted crate engine and be done with it. It sits in my shop most of the time anyway so may never wear the engine out. About the only thing I am doing to the engine is a set of headers and a custom exhausts since I couldn't find a prebuilt for a C20 with leaf springs. As I said the truck has 73,000 miles and this is not the original engine so sure it has less miles than that.

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by jradford

... As I said the truck has 73,000 miles and this is not the original engine so sure it has less miles than that.

Not necessarily. Engine could have come out of something wrecked with even more miles on it. Why did a 73K mile truck need an engine swap I wonder?

[jradford]

Don't know but the engine runs well burns no oil and has decent power. Could have been a low budget build up for a little more hp. Really don't have any history on it. Kind of a moot point as it is just a daily driver.