7.3 heads...what works?

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

Aside from valve springs, types of valves/valve seats, ect.... what are people finding to be a good use of money?
2 angle valve job?
Is mild port/polish helping out much or are there restrictions elsewhere?

I just had a customer purchase 2 reman heads from ford, he had 2 cracked ones on the truck. Its got a 74mm charger and 400/200 sticks.... just trying to do some little things to help burn the fuel.
Currently they are cleaning up any casting flaws and rough spots in the heads and griding the valves down a little bit to flow some more...mostly an experiment as i dont have hands on data showing whether its worth it or not, but what the heck might as well try!

What have you found to be most cost efficient?

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[golfer]

...before you do anything...I'd make sure the Ford heads do not have valve seats pressed in...they like to fall out on trucks that make lots of EGTs...

as far as head porting...

there is plenty of restriction in the heads... where the bowl transitions to the underside of the valve("seat") area would be the best ROI time wise...

 

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

...before you do anything...I'd make sure the Ford heads do not have valve seats pressed in...they like to fall out on trucks that make lots of EGTs...

as far as head porting...

there is plenty of restriction in the heads... where the bowl transitions to the underside of the valve("seat") area would be the best ROI time wise...

Yea the machinist is trying to clean them up the best he can, he is very reasonable price wise.

So i should check the head for pressed in seats opposed to what kind of seats? They are sitting at the machine shop so I would have to call

 

[kyle43335]

Yea the machinist is trying to clean them up the best he can, he is very reasonable price wise.

So i should check the head for pressed in seats opposed to what kind of seats? They are sitting at the machine shop so I would have to call

as opossed to intergrated seats in the casting. meaning they were cut in the head.

 

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

as opossed to intergrated seats in the casting. meaning they were cut in the head.

Makes sense, so when they reman the heads they are just pressing a seat in there rather than filling it with material and then machining it back down to factory spec, makes sense.

I will check into it. If they are pressed it, what does a guy do? Have hardened seats installed?

 

[golfer]

as opossed to intergrated seats in the casting. meaning they were cut in the head.

close...the factory heads really don't have a "seat" insert...the seat is simply part of the casting...that is typically induction hardened prior to machining the seat area where the valve actually seals to the head.

Derek..if they do have seats...which is very very very likely..then you/your customer can either risk it (dropping a seat in the future)...or try to find a set of (original) heads that have no cracks at the seat area...

we bought about 20 core engines over the last 2 months just to find enough good heads to be machined for customers engines...

we won't have hardened seats installed on an engine that is going to make more than @ 400hp...ie..mild injs and a chip.

On hot street trucks, and higher performance engines..the thermal delta on the head surface between the intake & exhaust valve can be greater than 1000deg..which allows for lots of 'movement' that would allow a head with a seat 'insert' to fall out. "cold" air/boost rushing in through the intake valve..and hot exhaust gas flowing out the exh valve..**** simply moves around...which causes the cracks in the first place...

 

[kyle43335]

close...the factory heads really don't have a "seat" insert...the seat is simply part of the casting...that is typically induction hardened prior to machining the seat area where the valve actually seals to the head.

Derek..if they do have seats...which is very very very likely..then you/your customer can either risk it (dropping a seat in the future)...or try to find a set of (original) heads that have no cracks at the seat area...

we bought about 20 core engines over the last 2 months just to find enough good heads to be machined for customers engines...

we won't have hardened seats installed on an engine that is going to make more than @ 400hp...ie..mild injs and a chip.

On hot street trucks, and higher performance engines..the thermal delta on the head surface between the intake & exhaust valve can be greater than 1000deg..which allows for lots of 'movement' that would allow a head with a seat 'insert' to fall out. "cold" air/boost rushing in through the intake valve..and hot exhaust gas flowing out the exh valve..**** simply moves around...which causes the cracks in the first place...

Yes cut into the head,then the heat induction process takes place. That was what i was trying to get out.
unfortunetly this process is done incorrectly. Instead of the heat induction harding being the second to last stage of completion, its done as the last stage before final assembly. Thus warping the head in the process.

The correct way of doing it would be to induction harden the seats,finalize the deck,(milling the surface for the gasket)and assemble the heads.

 

[Derek@Vision Diesel]

Well we have to use the new heads, he just put $1200 into them. Wish i had known this before hand.

I will see what options i have tomorrow, more than likely these heads will be polished up with a valve job and dropped in