w-2 heads info

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GuitarGuy

GuitarGuy

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hello all guitarguy here (Ray) new member today and need help,info on a set of w-2 heads I have. the cast #s are 3870810E. I looked online last night and what I read was just confusing. on one hand the info said they were just economy heads on the other they said all kinds of special parts need to be used with them can anyone set me straight?
 
post some pictures of them....casting numbers are confusing
 
Looks like the pedetals for the rockers are there......Econo head is correct....

Standard Valve length or Long Valve is the next question..........
 
There were NUMEROUS variations of W2 heads built over the years. Pics of exhaust ports, and like rustyratrod said, pics of the combustion chambers. They do look like econo heads, and yes they supporting parts are expensive
 
fried my cheap camera uploading those pics will have to get another and post them later
 
A shot from the chamber side might help.
 
No matter which variation they are they require an intake manifold specific to the W2 heads, offset intake rocker arms, possibly offset rocker shafts and if you check out the D shaped exhaust ports you'll see that to get decent exhaust flow you will also need special headers. They have potential to flow some pretty good volumes if ported correctly. The draw back is they are iron heads in the age of aluminum and probably have open chambers in the 70+ cc range. The $1000 is probably quite an exageration as the price in 1978 was $199 per head. They are good heads if you are interested in buying all of the necessary related parts and with porting can flow over 300. The econo means they have stock style rocker stands and the race version has milled rocker stands which require offset shafts and seperate rocker pedistals.
 
I cant get the new pics to upload for some reason. I have a 340 dated 1970 but supposedly came out of a 72 demon. these heads came with the block along with a 340 crank and mopar aluminum high rise manifold part # p4532155. this engine will be built in the future so trying to gather all info I can. I have a built 360 with j heads that will go in the car first.
 
so would these heads be a good choice for the 340 if I am going to drive it mostly on weekeds?
 
I want the car to not be all show no go. don't want anything really radicle but to sound good with some muscle to back it up. will be driving the car in town mostly on weekends.
 
sounds like you don't need W2s for what you want. You will probally spend 1500-2000 to have those heads ready to run.
 
thank you all for the info. I am certain I will have many more questions in the future. my focus is the body and interior right now but want to start early on engine plans and am basically engine stupid, so im reading and gathering all the info I can get
 
thanks replicar that's what I needed to know. I already have a 340 block and crank and my original thought was to spend around 3000. to 3500. on engine to start. what would be the resale value on these heads.
 
A grand in great shape. Yours look a bit rusty. A lot depends on the shape there in and work needed. I'm interested
 
GuitarGuy said:
thanks replicar that's what I needed to know. I already have a 340 block and crank and my original thought was to spend around 3000. to 3500. on engine to start. what would be the resale value on these heads.
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Properly prepared, you will have about HALF that in those heads. FWIW.

And I asked about the chamber style because I have a friend who might want them.
 
Use the heads. Are you crazy? Don't let these guys talk you into wasting time with some other junk. That W-2 is better than 99.9% of current conventional SBC heads, by far.

So if you need valves, springs, rockers, shafts, intake and exhaust, you might as well go W-2. You will have a FEW more dollars in the W-2 stuff but by far, worth it.

If you already have all the aforementioned parts, sell them and look for used W-2 stuff. You can find it.

Use a 2.02 intake with a good valve job, Strip Dominator intake, a custom solid cam from either Racer Brown or Cam Motion and use a 3.73-3.90 gear and kick azz.

The world is NOT flat, use your W-2 stuff.
 
The reality is, a W2 small block is probally not what you want if your looking for a mild crusier, AND......depending on which head casting you have, you might need W2 specific headers, your going to need valves/locks/retainers/springs, then you need rocker arms. Add a good amount for cleaning, machine work and assembly. They are awesome heads, but not needed for a mild motor. Much more aproperate plan would be a set of EQs, sell the W2s and don't look back. All out drag race motor would be a different story.
 
GuitarGuy said:
hello all guitarguy here (Ray) new member today and need help,info on a set of w-2 heads I have. the cast #s are 3870810E. I looked online last night and what I read was just confusing. on one hand the info said they were just economy heads on the other they said all kinds of special parts need to be used with them can anyone set me straight?
Click to expand...

The wording "Economy" is sometimes a term that is confused with what we normally apply the wording to like, "I have a economy car for its mileage, not its power."

In this particular use, it designed reuse the "Inexpensive" stock parts and not race expensive parts. The "Econo" head re used the stock 340 T/A rockers. Years back, you just purchased the T/A off set rockers and the shaft it rides on IF you were lucky enough to own that 1 year only 340.

While they do not make the Econo head anymore, the MoPar lots are littered with them.
The current W2 heads use rocker stands or more actually aluminum stands to hold the shafts which the rockers mount on.

A W2 head comes in long and standard valve lengths, in general. After that basic description, they divide again into Econo and race W2 heads and come in standard and long valve versions.
So now we are up to 4 basic W2 designs. Then add a 48* version for the race blocks.

A trip through the years of how many W2 head versions that have been reasee, your head will probably spin and get dizzy.

Summit racing was the W2 head for sale and if you go there and take a look, just make sure your looking at the W2 head for the stock 59* lifter angle.
Commonly this W2 head is called the 59* - W2 head.

You can weigh the worth of your heads to a degree vs. the brand new W2 - 59* head.

If you want to use them, also take into consideration the cost of all the parts needed to make them work and the machine shop to do the work unless you can do the work.
For a cruiser, just prep the head and do not port it.
As cast, there a powerful head. Ported W2 heads can make 600+ HP

If your interested in selling them, let me know. Give me a PM and we'll talk.
 
replicaracer43 said:
The reality is, a W2 small block is probally not what you want if your looking for a mild crusier, AND......depending on which head casting you have, you might need W2 specific headers, your going to need valves/locks/retainers/springs, then you need rocker arms. Add a good amount for cleaning, machine work and assembly. They are awesome heads, but not needed for a mild motor. Much more aproperate plan would be a set of EQs, sell the W2s and don't look back. All out drag race motor would be a different story.
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To the OP...this is stuff you should ignore, as I said earlier. A stock, unported W-2 will support 450 HP at 6000 RPM on a milquetoast 340, without a sweat.

Don't fall for the old line that W-2 stuff is race only. One would think that the motorsports world would have evolved passed this.

I will say it again. The heads you have are fine for what you want. Especially if you don't have a bunch of parts already. Valves, springs and all that crap all cost the same. The ONLY issue is rocker arm cost. Check the web. W-2 stuff comes up all the time for a fair price.

Don't get suckered out of using these heads.........please don't.
 
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