What are some good oval port heads to get from the salvage yard for street application.
I have a 68 camaro TH400 and the engine is a 427. The heads I have been looking for are #336781,3992241,399382. Does anyone know of any other heads that would be good in the oval port type?

Cowboy, I've got a 396 in my 69', and I've been impressed with the heads that are on it, I've heard they flow really well, especially if you have a mild port done to them. I posted a question a few months ago, basically wondering about the heads, and all the responses were good, and I think they are pretty easy to find. The castings are 3964290 oval port/closed chamber.......Good luck! Pics of my 69 SS/396 http://www.geocities.com/kz1000ltd/index.html

[This message has been edited by kz1000ltd (edited 03-07-2000).]

[This message has been edited by kz1000ltd (edited 03-07-2000).]

Cowboy> I just happen to have a pair of those #290 heads for sale. They are off of a '70 LS5 454/390hp. Corvette. They have the largest (as cast) intake runners of all the factory oval port heads. They are mentioned in several of the big-block engine building books. e-mail me if interested.
Rick
'68 SS 427
'66 Yenko

I also have some, but they are not opened. 1 set are the closed, and other are the semi opened.
Both sets I am wanting to get rid of. They have been magnafluxed and have no cracks, just havent had the time to go blast them.

Email me at bowtie@ubtanet.com if interested.

I'm going to have to keep all of mine for awhile. They are in the back of my pickup along with 180 pounds of lead, for ballast in the snow. http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif
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Rick

Whats the chamber and intake port cc on the 290's?

I know it's been posted at sometime, but I'm kinda lazy tonight. pdq67

I used the search function and came up with this :
http://www.camaros.net/forum/Forum9/HTML/000285.html

All of my books that tell this info. are at the shop. I have the intake port size in cc's there. They are like I said though, the "Largest as Cast" from GM, (oval port iron), ever installed on their production MKIV engines.
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Rick

The 781 and 049 castings are considered to be the best GM iron open chamber oval port castings.

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Malibumotorsports (http://www.Malibumotorsports.cjb.net)
79 Malibu, 414 ci BBC, 3550 lbs.
10.75 @ 123.8 mph, 1.50 60'

Slow> You are correct!! I have a real nice pair of 049's that came off a TwinTurbo boat. All Manley SS 2.19 & 1.88 Valves. They are great factory GM Open-Chambered heads.

The #290's are Closed Chambers, and are great for making good compression on a 396 or 427.
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Rick

In what ways are the 781 and 049 castings better than the 290's in question? Port size, valve size? What's the differences?

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John D. Smith
69 SS/396 CLONE!
The Texas Tornado lives!
http://www.geocities.com/kz1000ltd/

They are just unshrouded around the valves b/c the combustion chamber is laid back, making it "open". This allows the open chambered heads to breath better then the closed chambered heads.

They tend to make more power even with the 1 point or more drop in CR. when compared to the closed heads.

One other point, and a good one to consider is that closed chambered heads can tolerate higher CR's then open chambered heads, so they will produce more power then the open heads up to the point that they run out of breath! You can run closed chambered heads and minimum quench along with flat tops or low domed pistons and get by with some stout CR. numbers on low octane gas as well as be able to run less timing!

GM ditched them in the early '70's b/c they are "dirty" air pollution-wise due to them having more quench, which cools the fuel/air mixture. This creates more unburned hydrocarbons that help form smog!
pdq67

Is there anybody running the -290 oval port closed chambered heads w/ 2.19"/1.88" valves?? How do they run? And did you have to ream the combustion chamber to unshroud the valves? pdq67

I have 781's that have been worked on my 427 and am very happy with them. I thought it would run out of breath upstairs, but it pulls very hard to 7500+. http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif
I would recommend them,cowboy. I believe they came on trucks, station wagons, etc.

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My 69 (http://www.camarogenerations.com/memberfiles/sheets.html)

[This message has been edited by Ratmotr (edited 12-07-2001).]

sorry, have to close this. Your email address is not working and you have 'email notification' turned on. the server is not happy trying to send to:
Recipient address: scotch@asuwlink.uwyo.edu
Original address: scotch@uwyo.edu
Reason: Remote SMTP server has rejected address
Diagnostic code: smtp;550 <scotch@asuwlink.uwyo.edu>... User unknown

It's causing some minor grief whenever a reply is posted.
Please check into this and repost as necessary.