For the price, it doesn't look much better than the original Z head.
7 more hp, and 5 lbs more torque ... on their test engine.

Well Gary, they look ok but I really like Edelbrock heads for price, quality and performance, pun intended!

Rudi wrote:

Well Gary, they look ok but I really like Edelbrock heads for price, quality and performance, pun intended!

Exactly.  AND, at $1,500/set   You're only $150 away from a set of AFRs.  If you've got the money I'd buy the AFRs.  There were numerous dyno tests back in the day that showed that AFRs were worth 75HP over stock heads with everything else on/in the engine STOCK.  That puts an otherwise stock 5.0 at the 300HP mark.  Cam, intake, exhaust, typical bolt ons and you're at 350 or even a little more. 
 

Gary, you are on the right track and are where I was when I built my 331.
The Edelbrock heads and Performer intake off of my 289 went on an 86 block that had the cylinders bored, line bored and squared mains and then decked. I used Scat cast steel   rotating assembly, I beam rods and SRP forged pistons. The carb is a Holley 670 street Avenger, cam is by Comp.
My rear gears in the 8 inch are 3.25 and it has an AOD transmission. The car does all of what you mentioned as desirable and does it well.
If you do the 3.50 gears and 5 speed manual and do a similar build I doubt that the ear to ear grin will ever leave your face,

Last edited by Rudi (5/18/2020 1:56 PM)

TKOPerformance wrote:

Hmn, if you already have a set of Edelbrocks why not just use the ones you have?  Tying to reduce downtime by swapping a complete engine for a complete engine?  If so, I get it. 

 
Mine was a winter project with no intention of being without a car  for the short driving window that we have in Canuckistan. I drove the car till they started to salt the roads.
I think Gary gets winter up in the mountains as well.

Last edited by Rudi (5/18/2020 3:41 PM)

Nos681 wrote:

Build your stroker and swap heads over.
I’d keep the Edelbrock RPM’s
Doubt that it would take more than a week down time.
You’ll have plenty of time to spruce something up under the hood.
Ya know I’m right!🤣

 
Long ago, someone  here said, it will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you first thought.
I usually double that thought caus I know better!

The only reason I spec new heads is that my Edelbrock 6025's are 20 years old at this point. I paid about $900 for the pair and then had them rebuilt in 2012 with all new valves, valve guides, studs, pushrod plates and a 3 angle valve job which included surfacing the heads. On top of that I needed new pushrods and some sexy stainless roller rockers. This set me back about the same amount as the original heads. $851.40 They are still working flawlessly as I type but they do have 70K total miles on them. 
So I think about better flowing heads. People rave about the AFR's, but too much flow is not good for a spirited low end. Please correct if wrong.
I'll probably never need anything over 5 grand. My little 289 sounds like it's coming apart at 5K and she out of steam anyway due to the cam. Would be nice to still be making serious HP in the 5K region.
The cam and performer 289 intake are the main reason the 289 runs out of steam at 5K. 
So, I want to start with a clean slate. I have a 1986 5.0L HO out of my trusty old GT Vert. The engine has ~196,000 miles and ran perfect when pulled.
Budget is not a problem. I want to light up the tires from a rolling start at 8500' MSL.



 

RV6 wrote:

The only reason I spec new heads is that my Edelbrock 6025's are 20 years old at this point. I paid about $900 for the pair and then had them rebuilt in 2012 with all new valves, valve guides, studs, pushrod plates and a 3 angle valve job which included surfacing the heads. On top of that I needed new pushrods and some sexy stainless roller rockers. This set me back about the same amount as the original heads. $851.40 They are still working flawlessly as I type but they do have 70K total miles on them. 
So I think about better flowing heads. People rave about the AFR's, but too much flow is not good for a spirited low end. Please correct if wrong.
I'll probably never need anything over 5 grand. My little 289 sounds like it's coming apart at 5K and she out of steam anyway due to the cam. Would be nice to still be making serious HP in the 5K region.
The cam and performer 289 intake are the main reason the 289 runs out of steam at 5K. 
So, I want to start with a clean slate. I have a 1986 5.0L HO out of my trusty old GT Vert. The engine has ~196,000 miles and ran perfect when pulled.
Budget is not a problem. I want to light up the tires from a rolling start at 8500' MSL.



 

AFRs outflow the competition everywhere.  They are great for top end, great for low end, it just depends on what you want more of, and you select the heads based on intake port volume accordingly.  I have 185 Renegades on my 331.  Should make 425-450HP at 6,000RPM with a very flat torque curve.  They have smaller offerings as well though, not that the 185s are all that big by performance standards.  They were the best fit for the package I wanted though. 
 

For "spirited" around-town driving...... that's usually done with small(er) butt efficient ports and valves that are not too BIG.
Think of a garden hose with 20 # water pressure. You get a really good stream outta that puppy. Now take the same 20# pressure and use a 3" fire hose. Same volume of water ...butt  just kinda 'runs-out'! 
(DON............don't even say it! )
It seems the "trick" is get plenty of  air/fuel flowing from the carb-thru the intake-FILLING the cylinder-and repeating as quick as possible.
Same theory why you don't stick an 1100 cfm Dominator carb on a 5.0 engine and expect  great around town driving.
Max compression (approx.11:1 or so with Alum. heads) is a power maker.
331 stroker (or 347) seems to be 'the-magic' number as far as bore X stroke does.    (327-350-351-340) for example.
Spring for the 'thin(ner) MM size piston rings vs the old std. thickness rings. (Way less friction)
Like I said before..........'don't-be-skeerd' of running a camshaft with some healthy duration number....especially if your using a manual tranny. 230-ish to 240-ish @050 intake and exhaust duration  is not excessive. In fact ...at low speed/around town traffic it could be very helpful to 'bleed-off' some compression to avoid spark knock/rattle. LSA of 110* will give the bottom end torque to "light'em-up-from-a-roll'in-start" you mentioned earlier.  LSA of 110* or a little less will be 'all-done' by 6 grand. (so will your shorts too ) Advancing the cam timing 4/6 degrees will move the torque curve even lower if you want to. Just need to be aware of piston-to-valve clearance when advancing the cam timing. And run as much lift as your valve train can handle without destroying itself.
Performer RPM is still pretty much the go-to intake for street engines. I've read that SBF engines perform good with a single plane intake compared to 'Shivel-laz'(which still seems to be the 'measuring-stick' most guys go by). MoPars lik'em too I've read!
4-tube headers (cause I like how they sound!! ) and 2.5" pipes to open-style mufflers and TAILPIPES to help/cure drone.
Your biggest issue...........
you ain't got enough room for  fat tarz you will NEED..unless you do some narror'in and all on the back ax!!
Post plenty of 'engine porn' when building for your budz on MS FYI Ford!
6sal6

https://youtu.be/6QUfXzh4_9o

This looked pretty interesting when you go to buy rangs
6s6

Last edited by 6sally6 (5/18/2020 9:25 PM)