School me on W2 heads.
So we/I get lost with the difference between W2,W5 & W9 heads, what parts are required, early and late heads, 59* & 48* and what interchange's.
Rob(Rumblefish360) I know you've played with these heads and a lot of other member on FABO, someone can help out
I would like to know this as well. Are they all iron, did they make aluminum w2 or were w5 and w9 heads the aluminum ones? Long valve, short valve, pedastels or none. Valve sizes, I've looked for a descriptive writeup of these just like the op and haven't found a good one. I'm not a small block guy but from what I've seen and read the w2 make awesome power even compared to today's heads. RRR or yellow rose, rumblefish, krazy and cracked,I know u guys can spit some info on these.
Whew! You ask a tall order but I will try my best to comply without opening up my catologs.
I'm sure to be corrected and/or have some info added since I don't think I can get it all in one shot here, but, LOL, know it all I am not! So here we go.
The "W2" is a cast iron head only from MoPar except Batten and (IIRC) another maker whom I can not remember at this moment. They were available in a variety of ways.
59* & 48*
Standard and long valve
Various head chambers from 72cc down to a low (IIRC) 47cc, maybe less.
(Put those 47cc babies in a stock smother engine and wake it up real good!)
Pedestals cast (econo) in and non pedestal (race)
Econo doesn't mean less performance in any way shape or form. It is named an "Econo" head because it did not require the (then) expensive rocker stands and race valve gear. The Econo head could use factory rockers with mod's to the shaft and a set of 8 off set rockers.
The heads cam bare or assembled.
2.02/1.60 valves were standard.
Early versions came with dual exhaust bolt patterns.
Not all W2 heads have dual exhaust patterns drilled and tapped.
Later years have strength adding ribs on the exhaust side.
As cast, and stated by the MP books, intake flows at around the 260 cfm range.
Ported can see 300 cfm easy
I have been told in some very ported heads, 330 cfm has been achieved.
Mopar puts these heads in the 13 - 10 second power range. I have seen 9second runs with the W2 head.
Current rocker gear for both styles of W2 heads are available but not by all manufacturers.
1.5 or 1.6 rockers are readily available.
I takes for these heads (used to) range from cast iron or aluminum 4bbl. dual plane, aluminum single plane 4bbl., street and/or strip. And dualquads from a few manufacturers.
Exhaust can be tricky. Adapter flanges were needed early on until some header manufacturers came out with W2 specific headers. (Hedman, TTI) And it would be my advice to use a big tube header and let that head exhale!
All other Mopar "W" series heads are aluminum.
The W5 head is the last in the W series head that can be used on a mild street engine. It still uses the OE style shaft to mount the rocker arms. While they can not truly shake the bad wrap they so truly deserve due to the company who cast them, there not all bad. But can be a gamble. The can be very well ported out and capable of pushing a race A body into the 9's no problem.
Currently, (and IMO) the new Edelbrock Victor head has as cast bettered the extremely well ported W5 making the W5 near worthless. Also, the standard EdelbrO I can come very close to its performance through a well done CNC program. So, IF you want to gamble on a set of W5's, they should be cheap to start with.
I have zero experience with the W7-8-9 head.
Member "Smokindust" is starting his W8 headed engine now IIRC.
(I have to call him up anyways, I'll make a mention of the thread to him for a comment about them.)
