428 Cobra Jet - Heads Cracked - Shelby or EDL >?

[PANAVIA]

-- I am bummed. ---Saturday , Ray was checking out my vintage 1969 Cobra Jet / PI heads from my intact vintage 428 PI engine that was the central show piece for my CSX undercar build.

Well -- both heads *failed* magnaflux - cracks are present in 4 places (2 per head)

So a question comes to mind is : Aluminum, Edlelbrock vs. Shelby.

I wanted to hear technical details, experiences good and bad on the FE heads available.

--Steve

PS: anyone have a boat they need to anchor -- I have 2 candidates.

[undy]

Depending on how much cam and compression you're intending to run the Eboks will outflow and outperform your PIs, hands down. The Ebok also takes top honors in the bang-for-the-buck catagory. Keith's CNC'd stage IIs Eboks will handle a 600+ hp motor, should you decide to go that way. There's not much in the way of aftermarket cast iron. I'm not a big fan of Shelby heads so I can't help much there, other than they're $$$.

[RICK LAKE]

PANAVIA Steve I have run shelby heads for 10 years with a port and bowl cleanup. The failures have been with rocker shafts. They have ripped the helicoils out of the aluminum heads. I am not running big camshafts or high pressure springs. I removed all the helicoils and replaced them with timecerts. No failures with leaks with CS heads. I have a set of EDELbrocks with a ton of work done to them. They are waiting on my new short block to get done.
KCR and Barry R both sell heads with stage 1,2,3, setups. 1 or 2 would be all you want. The other thing is match the manifold to the heads for better distribution on the air,fuel mixture to each cylinder. Joe Craine does this and the work looks like art after he matches the flows on all the ports. IMO this is worth the extra $300.00-400.00 and he know what to check and fill or repair if needed.
Aluminum saves weight, Iron is more correct for the car. Try e-bay, there was a 428 motor for sale out on Indiania or Ill. The motor was complete. That the heads and you have a spare short block. Rick L.

[601HP]

I ran the Shelby heads for a number of years. I've had a rocker stud pull out on two separate occasions. One of the heads always weeped a tiny bit of coolant from one of the screw-in plugs. Now those heads are in the corner of my shed. One day I'll take them to a scrap dealer and cash them in.

Keith Craft built a set of Stage II Edelbrock heads for me and shipped them to the engine builder I've used for years, Leggett Engine Research. Mr. Leggett liked the combustion chamber of the CNC'd Edelbrock's quite a bit more than my Shelby heads.

I also changed over from Shelby roller rockers to a set of Erson rockers. I just fired the engine with this new set-up about 8 weeks ago. Life is good again.

David

[RodKnock]

Would you consider Blue Thunder heads?

[ERA Chas]

Shelby medium risers, running for 8 years. CNC ports and chambers, flow 320 / 230 @ .600.
Zero problems - substantial power increase over my modified iron med-risers.
Perfect for my combination. 22 pounds each assembled w/ Ti retainers.

[RodKnock]

Steve, looking at your cam specs in your other thread and remembering that you're going for a "street" car, the BT's would probably be a bad choice. I'm not sure why, but it seems most people choose the Edelbrocks and I'm willing to bet it's because of cost effectiveness for your horsepower dollar.

[767Jockey]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Would you consider Blue Thunder heads?

I agree with this as well. Depending on planned power output and budget, Keith or Barry R.'s E'brock heads or Blue Thunders are a much bigger bang for the buck than the Shelby heads. You always pay a huge premium for anything the old man puts his name on.

[RodKnock]

Steve, I poked around the FE Forum and found a few threads for some "light" reading:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182...ction+oppinion

http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182...Aluminum+Heads

http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182...um+head+users-

http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182...aluminum+heads

From what I can tell, the Shelby and Edelbrock head are both very good, but the Shelby head is far more expensive.

[PANAVIA]

Rod- 767 -chas- rick - david- thank you all for the brain food, I am gonna need a couple of gallons of coffee to sort this out -.

Digging the network54 postings !

[priobe]

Go with the Edlebrock and have them ported and polished by a good machinist with a flow bench.

2.190 INTAKE 1.75 EXHAUST
.200 150.4 .200 114.3
.300 206.5 .300 151.5
.400 256.6 .400 179.2
.500 292 .500 195
.600 306 .600 208
.700 312 .700 220

[RodKnock]

Just in case you miss it, the BT heads have raised exhaust ports. So since high rpms and headers aren't part of your "street" build, the BT heads will probably be too much.

Also, you should look into it, but I think the Shelby heads may require a specific rocker arm/assembly system. I'm not sure Ersons or T&D's will work, but check it out before you believe me. I'm no expert.

I wish other head manufacturers like Dart, World, Brodix, etc. would come to market with an FE head. Maybe soon.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Just in case you miss it, the BT heads have raised exhaust ports. So since high rpms and headers aren't part of your "street" build, the BT heads will probably be too much.

Also, you should look into it, but I think the Shelby heads may require a specific rocker arm/assembly system. I'm not sure Ersons or T&D's will work, but check it out before you believe me. I'm no expert.

I wish other head manufacturers like Dart, World, Brodix, etc. would come to market with an FE head. Maybe soon.

Not so for the Shelbys. They take anything from original (MR) valve train on up. Ersons may require some mods- I'm not sure. Barry, Keith and Mike LeFevers who helped design them would know. Mike is often overlooked here but is a superb FE builder and member of the 200 MPH Club.
My Harland Sharps bolted right up with FPP billet stands, spacers and hardened shafts.