Ever been bench racing with some buddies and come up with a build plan? Does it usually sound like, “I’m gonna build a (insert engine here) and I’m gonna run this intake, these heads, and it’s going to make reality times three horsepower!” Yeah…I’m guilty, and a lot of you might be too. It’s like fishing in a way…who can come up with the most believable story wins. When it comes to heads, the usual trump play is to break out a well-known, high-performing CNC-port head from a reputable company as the item of choice…but the proper response to that is to point out how expensive said heads will be. A quick cursory Google search pins CNC-ported heads for a small-block Chevrolet at about $1,500, depending on type, CFM flow, material, and of course source. You know what else $1500 will buy you? Another project car. You could go to the Vortec head, which can be found in junkyards or for sale by rebuilders for much less than that, but you will be down on power. Is it truly worth it to buy the expensive heads, or will that decision fail the cost-benefit analysis? Freiburger and Dulcich are back in the dyno booth, beating on the BluePrint Engines 383 Chevy to give you the answers you want!
It’s worth watching the entire video just to hear Freakburger say “hand job”.
He even thought it was funny that he said hand job.
I agree with the ruling, but I disagree on how they got there. As for useable hp and torque, the aluminum LOST power under 3100 rpm…. in short, where these heads live every single day; they’ve got less power. I say it’s an utter waste of money for the aluminum head – and I suspect that if you went to a better design from trick flow or similar; the aluminum vortec head would shine even less.
Where did it loose power it made more untill 3000 where it over layed with the vortecs then made more again
The problem with the CNC heads is it could made more power with a bigger cam since it flows more than the vortec heads.
You spend that kind of money on those better flowing heads, everything gets bigger too!
It didn’t loose any power. It made the same power as the iron heads at 3100prm.
Did Dave just admit to cheating on the “stock” head challenge between the mopar and chevy 383 challenge?
Ok, not cheating exactly, but oversized valves… likely changed the outcome of that challenge.
…and to be the armchair quarterback, I wonder how the Blueprint 195’s would have done on this 383? They are only about $900 per PAIR.