Aluminum cylinder heads

[Dan the man]

Are there any aluminium heads made in the USA? I like what I've read about promaxx heads but they are made in China. I can't justify putting a lot of money into rebuilding stock heads and then the aftermarket ones can be expensive. Is it possible to get a set for around $1,400. I don't need the best, but I don't want junk either. Am I limited to Chinese cylinder heads? If so which ones would be the best bang for the buck?

 

[318willrun]

You must be building two cars?? One moment you just want a 4bbl 318, no races, just a nice cruiser. Now you want USA aluminum heads? LOL
Ok, for your race car, you have edelbrock and trick flow on the lower end of the spectrum ... made in usa.

 

[Dan the man]

You must be building two cars?? One moment you just want a 4bbl 318, no races, just a nice cruiser. Now you want USA aluminum heads? LOL
Ok, for your race car, you have edelbrock and trick flow on the lower end of the spectrum ... made in usa.

No sir, it's only the one.

 

[dano]

Edelbrock says Made in the USA but "Made in the USA" isn't a guarantee all the components used are. A lot of castings come from China or overseas. Heads like ProComp and Speed Master are good casting quality, its the components and assembly quality that come into question. I have a set of Speed Master heads on my 340 and the castings were as good as the Ford Trickflow, Ford Motorsports, and Edelbrock heads I've used in the past. Buy them bare and have a quality shop put quality hardware in them and you'll have no worries.

 

[Dan the man]

You must be building two cars?? One moment you just want a 4bbl 318, no races, just a nice cruiser. Now you want USA aluminum heads? LOL
Ok, for your race car, you have edelbrock and trick flow on the lower end of the spectrum ... made in usa.

I just wanted to be able to explore my options for when I freshen up the 318. Magnum heads require a expensive magnum only intake and the 302 heads are usually cracked, so I'm trying to find out what I can / should do, I'll probably wind up rebuilding the factory heads.

 

[Dan the man]

Edelbrock says Made in the USA but "Made in the USA" isn't a guarantee all the components used are. A lot of castings come from China or overseas. Heads like ProComp and Speed Master are good casting quality, its the components and assembly quality that come into question. I have a set of Speed Master heads on my 340 and the castings were as good as the Ford Trickflow, Ford Motorsports, and Edelbrock heads I've used in the past. Buy them bare and have a quality shop put quality hardware in them and you'll have no worries.

What about promaxx?

 

[j par]

And I and others have speedmasters more or less out of the box with a light amount of checking and they're fine...
For a street 318 I wouldn't be thinking of anything else...

 

[j par]

And now you have less than 4 months to get them on Black Friday sale if they're doing it again and they have for the last 3 years... 700 bucks for a fully loaded set to the door...

 

[dano]

I just wanted to be able to explore my options for when I freshen up the 318. Magnum heads require a expensive magnum only intake and the 302 heads are usually cracked, so I'm trying to find out what I can / should do, I'll probably wind up rebuilding the factory heads.

There is a RPM AirGap Knock off that works with LA and Magnum bolt pattern. Last I saw they were around $200. Most have had good success with it, some have had core shift but people have had that with Edelbrock stuff too.

 

[j par]

There is a RPM AirGap Knock off that works with LA and Magnum bolt pattern. Last I saw they were around $200. Most have had good success with it, some have had core shift but people have had that with Edelbrock stuff too.

226 normal but 140 on Black Friday and most just wait a few months and sell them for $200 lol...

 

[dano]

What about promaxx?

Ask them but I bet they are ProComp or Speed Master cores they build from or maybe they get Edelbrock castings.

 

[DFX 340 Duster]

FYI Edelbrock still has its aluminum casting facility in San Jacinto, CA.

 

[gzig5]

FYI Edelbrock still has its aluminum casting facility in San Jacinto, CA.

The location of the foundry is meaningless IMO. The process used and quality controls are what makes the difference. We get hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cast and machined parts from China every year and many of them blow away the crap we get from local US machining sources. If you work with the right company, set the expectations correctly and hold them to it, China can make good stuff but the cost savings may not be as great as some may want. USA can also deliver junk, quality isn't guaranteed by a flag.

 

[74Scooter]

I went through the same process before deciding on the Promaxx heads. I wanted a good set of pre-assembled. I was seriously considering the Trickflow heads but they were out of stock everywhere.

As to the rest, Eddy, Speedmaster/Procomp the actual build quality seemed like a crapshoot. Some really liked em and had no issues just slapping them on... others thought they were anchor iron and/or needed a lot of work to make right. Saving a few bucks out of the gate only to pay a good machinist on the backside to makem right was very unappealing to me. IIRC the Promaxx slugs come from overseas.. all the machining and hand assembly is done stateside. I purchased from Promaxx directly. Decided to go with the smaller 63cc chamber a few days later. One email later I had an updated invoice in my inbox.. real nice people to talk to on the phone as well so they get extra points for good customer service.

GL!

 

[DFX 340 Duster]

The location of the foundry is meaningless IMO. The process used and quality controls are what makes the difference. We get hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cast and machined parts from China every year and many of them blow away the crap we get from local US machining sources. If you work with the right company, set the expectations correctly and hold them to it, China can make good stuff but the cost savings may not be as great as some may want. USA can also deliver junk, quality isn't guaranteed by a flag.

I was just answering the OP's initial question. That's all.
I have no experience with aftermarket aluminum heads so I don't comment on the production quality of the various manufacturers.

 

[Professor Fate]

Are there any aluminium heads made in the USA? I like what I've read about promaxx heads but they are made in China. I can't justify putting a lot of money into rebuilding stock heads and then the aftermarket ones can be expensive. Is it possible to get a set for around $1,400. I don't need the best, but I don't want junk either. Am I limited to Chinese cylinder heads? If so which ones would be the best bang for the buck?

I just wanted to be able to explore my options for when I freshen up the 318. Magnum heads require a expensive magnum only intake and the 302 heads are usually cracked, so I'm trying to find out what I can / should do, I'll probably wind up rebuilding the factory heads.

Let's see; freshening a 318, no racing/nice cruiser- and you think you need new aluminum heads? You'll likely never be running a cam that can make use of your shiny new heads, and need to swap out the supplied valve gear anyhow. 302s are a good option, but you need the right pistons to take advantage of the quench. And to say they're all cracked- is this from personal experience, or just heresay? I've yet to have a cracked 302 (not saying it can't happen, ANY head can crack. Even aluminum)- 308s (and Magnums) are a different story. I think people confuse the two.
Look at your cam, look at your realistic normal RPM operating range. Odds are that you'll be perfectly happy with your 318 heads, maybe with a set of 1.88 intakes thrown in them when you have them freshened. Good for another 50 years.

 

[cudamark]

Are there any aluminium heads made in the USA? I like what I've read about promaxx heads but they are made in China. I can't justify putting a lot of money into rebuilding stock heads and then the aftermarket ones can be expensive. Is it possible to get a set for around $1,400. I don't need the best, but I don't want junk either. Am I limited to Chinese cylinder heads? If so which ones would be the best bang for the buck?

I know what you mean having to buy something, anything, from China. If I can avoid it, I buy nothing from China. With what's going on over there lately, I just can't justify giving them money to buy bullets that most likely will be pointed at us. Seems suicidal to me....

 

[gzig5]

I was just answering the OP's initial question. That's all.
I have no experience with aftermarket aluminum heads so I don't comment on the production quality of the various manufacturers.

Sure, no worries. It was more a general comment. I love buying USA, but I've been in manufacturing for 35 years all over the world and know that the assumptions some people have regarding point of origin are wrong. Carry on.

 

[ocdart]

Unfortunately, the ProMaxx aluminum heads are LA only.
No help for us with Magnums.

 

[318willrun]

What about promaxx?

Dan, I just had great results from working with my 318 heads on our '77 van. Everything is documented, and I spent a little less than 500. You might want to go and visit that series.

 

[318willrun]

Unfortunately, the ProMaxx aluminum heads are LA only.
No help for us with Magnums.

LA heads can be run on a magnum. Some earlier magnums have the oil passage for the rockers already present, just need to change the cam bearing. Others, you could jig and drill that passage, or have a machine shop do it.

 

[318willrun]

I just wanted to be able to explore my options for when I freshen up the 318. Magnum heads require a expensive magnum only intake and the 302 heads are usually cracked, so I'm trying to find out what I can / should do, I'll probably wind up rebuilding the factory heads.

Magnum heads can be drilled to take LA intake

 

[ocdart]

LA heads can be run on a magnum. Some earlier magnums have the oil passage for the rockers already present, just need to change the cam bearing. Others, you could jig and drill that passage, or have a machine shop do it.

Can LA heads be drilled/threaded for a Magnum intake? I've already got my intake manifold.

 

[318willrun]

Can LA heads be drilled/threaded for a Magnum intake? I've already got my intake manifold.

I've not known anyone to go magnum intake on LA. LA intakes are so common and available 2nd hand or New that I believe folks just get a LA intake for the LA heads. Much better selection for the LA intakes too.

 

[rumblefish360]

Magnum heads require a expensive magnum only intake and the 302 heads are usually cracked,

This Jegs Magnum intake manifold @ $252.99 is expensive? Perhaps your in the wrong hobby.
JEGS 513072: Cool Gap Intake Manifold for 1967-2003 Small Block Chrysler/Mopar 318, 340 & 360, Dual Plane [Satin] - JEGS High Performance

How many 302 heads have you magnafluxed?

What about promaxx?

ProMaxx uses the Chink castings. There shipped to ProMaxx where they finish machine them. I have a set of there CNC Maxx series. There well done.

You mentioned a set of aluminum heads for $1200 or less. The chink castings Jpar mentions are not what there advertised at. There 170cc or less. Somewhere around the stock 360 head size. I don’t know there flow rates off hand. MoParofficial did a thread on them where he basically ripped them apart and completely **** on there product. In the end, I think it was better to drop your pants down, take a huge hairy crap on top of your block and call it better than the chink casting.


It amazes me how often your here picking apart the poop trying to find a spec of Diamond dust to do things cheaply and get make power on a car that is as you said only for cruising but will make some power.

You cry “I don’t have money” in so many words but the route you take is obscene only made more unbelievable by your excuses and how & what you say to justify.

For a guy trying to build a cruiser with power you have been shown a dozen routes over and over again. You should have this plan supremely well planned and laid out down on every detail by now.