Got a 454 in my camaro with high perf stock gm heads. are alum heads worth the extra cost and how much hp will they add. my car is pretty strong now but i could use a little more.

Just going to aluminum heads with everything being equal ( chamnber , valves ports etc.) you will see a power lose.
Why ?
Because the alumiunm bleed off heat and heat is power.

Now almost all the power is made in the heads. If you go to a head that adds a little CR, better flowing ports, bigger valves etc you will see an increase. Most of the new head design have all these features so you will see an improvemnt as long as you dont go over board in port size.

Another point is alumiunm heads will make the engine run cooler, gets 70 lbs of ugly weight off the front and can be repaired or modified easyer.

Oh ya they look cool ! Go for it.

A long time ago I was going to have a set of heads done by Lee Sheperd. I was going to buy the trick solid ones that Chev. had started selling. His comment was if you are not running a blower or nitro don't they will pull so much heat out of the motor you will never make it run right. There are some really better aftermarket alum. heads sure you will loose some power to the water jacket but the flow increases more than make up for it. 70lbs the front off the front of your car is a good thing.

Yeah, I imagine if the aluminum heads have the same configuration as the stock iron ones, you won't see any advantage. However, as a general rule, aftermarket aluminum heads are built better and flow better, so effectively, the cheapest aluminum heads should be better that stock iron under any given circumstance.. Still, if you are about to do this, save up for an extra 2 weeks and really get the top o' the line stuff. Ever pick up a set of iron heads in one arm? Not light at all! Try the same stunt with aluminum heads and you will feel like superman; they are light!! (careful, aluminum is soft, and easily damaged!!)

You may lose a bit from the heat, or lack there of, but will gain it back with a better flowing head and much less weight.

Plus, if you hurt an aluminum head, it is much easier to have it "welded". Just don't warp it running it hot.

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Mark

1992 Firebird 355/Six Speed (Soon to be LT1)
1991 RS 350 / 700-R4
1987 Toyota Pickup 383 / 500 + HP 10.963 @ 119.95 Slicks / 11.997 @ 114.23 Radials
"Speed KILLS, so drive a FORD and live forever!"
http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/~racer383/

Member of the "unwanted" 3rd Gen group.

i dont know im kinda weary of running aluminum heads due to if you overheat your screwed and out about 1500+ bucks. the aftermarket cast iron heads flow just as well and they wont warp. yes they may crack but only as easy as a stock head would. they hold heat which means more power. just my .02

Iron heads hold more heat. That is a fact but that same heat also can lead to detonation. So just because iron holds more heat doesn't mean it is always a good thing. As far as warping aluminum heads. Why would you overheat your car anyways? Anyone that has spent over $1100 on heads should have a temp gauge in sight. If you don't then you have no business with a performance car (my opinion). With the weight loss and the gained flow over a production head, it is hard to go wrong with an aluminum head. Just do your research first so you get a head that is going to make the most of what you have (you may want to leave a little room to grow, in case you decide to step up your combo that way you won't be limited). You can also increase your compression (or may be able to run more timing) with the aluminum heads, which should make up for any losses due to heat. They are also much cheaper and easier to repair should you damage them. Make sure you use anti seize on the spark plugs to prevent galling. You will also need a different type of head gasket that will not mar the head surface around the cylinders (they have a different type of metal ring). You will also want to use an intake gasket designed for aluminum heads for the same reason.

Royce

Here is some info: http://www.chevelles.com/forum/Forum4/HTML/004689.html there is alot more in the Performance forum at chevelles.com . For the price I can't see spending the money on the Aluminums at this point for myself. Of course that is MY opinion. Good Luck with your choice.

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Jeff
69 SSRS 396(roller 427 http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif )
My Chevs (http://www.tcg158.homestead.com)

[This message has been edited by ace841 (edited 05-02-2001).]