Heads, Iron or Alum?

[Rpollard]

1969 408 Windsor Strocker Should I go Alum or Iron heads?

[Jim Downard]

Roy,
I've got a 393W stroker and I'm running the Roush 200 iron heads. They've been pocket ported and the motor runs very strong. I'm a bit of an old schooler where I believe that I like the durability and stroutness of iron over aluminum. I guess I've always felt that aluminum is more fragile. Heck, I don't know, the aluminum heads look nicer though.

To each his own.

Jim

[Ron61]

Rou,

I run a 416 stroker with the Trick Flow twisted wedge aluminum heads. All ported and polished. Main thing I noticed over the iron heads on my big block is loss of weight and heat dissipation is much better letting me run Calif. pump gas in a 11:1 compression engine as long as I don't really get on it hard. The big block with the iron heads is also 11:1, and I have to run it a lot easier to keep from hearing that dreadful pinging of the valves. Retarding timing helps, but in 116 degree, humid weather, it is still a problem. But for just driving I really have no bad problems with either of them on pump gas.

Ron

[Big-Foot]

Roy - The aluminum head will dissapate heat quicker than will the iron head. It will also let you get away with a little more compression on today's pump gas - although Ron Widener here has found out, you really can't get away with a lot. With aluminum heads we typically will set the maximum pump gas compression at 10.5:1 for a "Sunday Competition" engine, and then 10:1 on cars that will rarely see the track.
Your engine would really like a set of AFR185 heads. The ports are not so huge that you loose the all important velocity for docile street driving.

[powerpagers]

Hey;
I looked into that ? long and hard. Weight advantage or custom and cool control. I got a 347 stroker for my 65 and finally narrowed it down to Roush 200.
Good Luck