72DMag
Well-Known Member
Hi guys, how can one tell the difference between the old New Zealand foundry performance Engine Quest cylinder heads versus the new non performance EQ heads?
How can you tell if EQ Heads are from New Zealand Foundry
- Thread starter 72DMag
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pishta
I know I'm right....
New Zealand has a foundry? They are about as green as AOC's underwear. Sorry, no help here, but did learn where the 'old ones' came from!
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
Here is a picture of the markings from a good Engine Quest 318A head cast in New Zealand. I have not seen the newer version so I don’t know the markings on those.
This was asked in another thread somewhere and I forgot load this photo in that one.
This was asked in another thread somewhere and I forgot load this photo in that one.
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
Maybe this was a contributing factor to losing the good heads. I wish I bought more when they were still available, but at least we still have aluminum heads available.
72DMag
Well-Known Member
@Bobzilla Thanks!! A friend of a friend has a new set in the box he's looking to sell. He says they are the old style but no clue how to check. They are the A version with magnum intake bolt pattern was hoping they are the B version. I already have r/t heads and I doubt these will outperform those but I am thinking about snatching these up cause they are no longer made. If I can prove they are the real old good performing EQ heads.
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
I think @RAMM is looking for a set of these heads, so if you choose to go another way, maybe you could pass along the info to him if your friend is selling.
Feel free to pm me if you want to compare the external appearance further with mine, but if he bought these back in 2018 or before, they should be the good version. Somewhere after that they changed, maybe in 2019.
Feel free to pm me if you want to compare the external appearance further with mine, but if he bought these back in 2018 or before, they should be the good version. Somewhere after that they changed, maybe in 2019.
72DMag
Well-Known Member
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
I don't think the new version has the large machine flat surface on them where the part number is stamped in my picture on the good old style. But, I do not personally have the new one to compare it.
If his are from 2017, they should be the good ones.
Edited to fix the year from 2107 to 2017.
If his are from 2017, they should be the good ones.
Edited to fix the year from 2107 to 2017.
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So there were actually two versions of the original EQ318 performance heads. Looks like the later version flowed a little better.
This article is from M.A. April 2014. Not sure when the factory was moved. I am getting ready to install these exact heads from tye article now.
This article is from M.A. April 2014. Not sure when the factory was moved. I am getting ready to install these exact heads from tye article now.
72DMag
Well-Known Member
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
That was comparing head flow years apart with likely different atmospheric conditions and probably different flow benches, and they only reported 4% difference. That’s like 9 cfm under those different test conditions for a magazine article. It basically tells us any of the old castings are probably equally good.
The currently available EQ head, as of the end of 2020, and all other cast iron copies are the ones to avoid when trying to build higher power, so just leave those for lower power or stock builds, like trucks.
The currently available EQ head, as of the end of 2020, and all other cast iron copies are the ones to avoid when trying to build higher power, so just leave those for lower power or stock builds, like trucks.
Tsully
Well-Known Member
If they are still in the factory box and unopened it will have New Zealand printed on the box. I remember mine had it on there when I bought them a while back.
@Bobzilla is correct, the old style has a flat surface with the Part 318A or 318B stamped in the end.
If I can dig up a photo of mine when I got them I will post it later.
@Bobzilla is correct, the old style has a flat surface with the Part 318A or 318B stamped in the end.
If I can dig up a photo of mine when I got them I will post it later.
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
I would not assume the correct version of the casting is in the box, but yes, the boxes from mine also had New Zealand printed on them.
Wow. You are going to have to generate a lot of HP to negate the weight disadvantage from those 200 pound heads. 
Tsully
Well-Known Member
Wow. You are going to have to generate a lot of HP to negate the weight disadvantage from those 200 pound heads.
I really hope all those who are reading...Understand what you're making reference too!!
Every foundry has a logo that they cast into their part... Find out what their logo is and look for it on the casting...
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
The EQ head does have a little foundry mark on top of an intake port inside the valve cover rail. Not very clear in the picture I have and I forgot to take a new picture.
Hey Bob. What springs are you running on those? Any cutting of spring seat required? I have Comp single springs on mine but when they were installed they reused the EQ retainers. Spring is nice and tight on the head but not digging the retainer diameter and I can move the spring side to side at the retainer. Took some spring measurements today and looking for proper retainers.
Bobzilla
Well-Known Member
My heads were purchased as bare castings around the end of 2017, I think it was. In March of 2020 I took them to a trusted machine shop and supplied them with SI stainless valves and a Hughes Engines 1199 spring kit, with matching retainers and locks. This was a single spring plus a damper, so I don't think extra spring seat machining was required, at least not that I remember. Hughes website lists the spring OD as 1.44" but it would be a few days before I get back to them to measure that for verification.
Hughes Engines
Edit to add: Make sure your shop set the stem to guide clearance. If they did not charge you for it, it's probably too tight. These were sold as rebuilder heads, and even the assembled version straight from EQ MUST have the guide clearance corrected. They were all too tight. My shop said the guides were quite tight but easily corrected.
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Ive had 3 sets (well I have had 2 and talked my son into the 3rd) My 1st set back in about 09-10-ish was GREAT. I bought that set bare and filled them with the best parts from 3 sets of original cracked Mopar heads. set #2 went on my son's Ramcharger, after 6k miles that thing ended up an oil eater, so he took it apart again and made it into a 408. this set was "fully assembled, (supposedly) ready to run". both of these were LA intake pattern. as a switch to the 408 he sent these heads into the machine shop before his bottom end parts and said that the machine shop found "issues" with them.
Set #3 I bought for my Durango to replace a cracked set of OE, again supposedly "ready to run out of the box" and teh only set I bought of the 3 sets with the Magnum intake pattern. This set DEFINITELY had problems, contributed to coating me a complete fresh rebuilt bottom end. Valve clearance was too tight, exh valve on #4 stuck and got kissed and bent by a piston. Machine shop said that he has had heads that sat outside for 30 years on teh ground that came apart easier. He had to pound out most of the intakes because they were so tight.... and had a set that he ordered for a customer that ate themselves because they were so tight on guide clearance. while on dyno breaking in a cam.
Mine ran ~2-2/2-3 hours max, including a 6 mile maiden voyage from which I had to be towed home.... I was beyond PISSED at EQ. That set of heads was bought around Oct-Nov 2016. I picked them up "will call" at EQ's Chicago location, came home took them out of the box and bolted them on. I had gotten the last head from one pallet and the 1st from another. GOOD RIDDANCE EQ
Set #3 I bought for my Durango to replace a cracked set of OE, again supposedly "ready to run out of the box" and teh only set I bought of the 3 sets with the Magnum intake pattern. This set DEFINITELY had problems, contributed to coating me a complete fresh rebuilt bottom end. Valve clearance was too tight, exh valve on #4 stuck and got kissed and bent by a piston. Machine shop said that he has had heads that sat outside for 30 years on teh ground that came apart easier. He had to pound out most of the intakes because they were so tight.... and had a set that he ordered for a customer that ate themselves because they were so tight on guide clearance. while on dyno breaking in a cam.
Mine ran ~2-2/2-3 hours max, including a 6 mile maiden voyage from which I had to be towed home.... I was beyond PISSED at EQ. That set of heads was bought around Oct-Nov 2016. I picked them up "will call" at EQ's Chicago location, came home took them out of the box and bolted them on. I had gotten the last head from one pallet and the 1st from another. GOOD RIDDANCE EQ
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