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Author
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Topic: Iron vs aluminum
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Eagle347
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Member # 6205
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posted
 
 
First of all the colts are pissing me off!! I hate the stealers.
I have been hearing latley that instead of paying the money for aluminum heads, people have been putting money into their stock heads. There is an NMRA guy from here (mike bell) and he uses stock heads. He says he does not have to worry about warping them, and they dont expand like aluminum. What do you guys think about all this?
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1995 Mustang GTS 1 of 1002 deep forest green GTS's made. Bone stock.
1990 Coupe 347 NX E85 Nitrous kit
Posts: 712 | From: Dayton, OH | Registered: Nov 2005
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FasterDamnit
Bad Attitude
Member # 442
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posted
If the heads have the same flow characteristics, they will make the same power. And the Al. heads will weigh half as much. Al. heads are repairable if cracked or damaged (to a point), iron heads are very hard to repair.
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'92 LX T5
Looked stock, went 11's 11.90 at 115mph.
'65 Mustang 347
www.fordmuscle.com
Livin' in the Carolina Pines
Posts: 2971 | From: NorCal | Registered: Sep 2001
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Dag302
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Member # 4682
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posted
I always wondered that. On one of my Cobras I have the stock gt40 heads. Gromm Racing Heads in San Jose did a crap load of work to them right before I bought the car. I have always thought why didnt they just buy new heads.
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04 Expedition 4X4
93 Cobra #822
96 Cobra
Posts: 2842 | From: Sacramento | Registered: Jul 2004
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Fostang
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Member # 3752
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posted
I prefer aluminum heads for the above mentioned facts plus the very same thing that makes iron heads produce more HP*, that aluminum heads help resist detonation because they dissapate heat faster.
*only if the heads are equal.
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67' Fastback TT 408
67' Camaro Lsx
64' Corvette Fuelie
57' Chevy Bel Air Lsx
68’ Pony Convertible
66’ Pony Coupe
Posts: 3011 | From: Stockton/Danville | Registered: Nov 2003
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SmokinLX
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Member # 1684
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posted
quote:
Originally posted by Fostang:
I prefer aluminum heads for the above mentioned facts plus the very same thing that makes iron heads produce more HP*, that aluminum heads help resist detonation because they dissapate heat faster.
*only if the heads are equal.
Is'nt it true You can run more compression with aluminum head's? Or a little More boost? Makes a difference with this shitty 91 octane We feed our car's in california.
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Dont claim power if ya cant mile per hour. 10 second AOD
Posts: 4388 | From: East Bay | Registered: Aug 2002
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92stangLX
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Member # 3252
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posted
I think that paying a bunch of money to have the stock E7 heads is a waste. The GT40, GT40P, or World Products (?) iron heads might be another story.
Posts: 5302 | From: San Francisco | Registered: Sep 2003
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svt306snake
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Member # 1967
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posted
compression is an very big factor in picking iron or al heads i have both and they are different to each application
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F*** TPS MOTORSPORTS F *** TPS MOTORSPORTS THEY SUCK ASS
TEAM TRUE FORGED X 2 SPONSORED
CAPITAL MUSTANG C.C.
Posts: 5841 | From: SACRAMENTO "916" YA KNOW | Registered: Oct 2002
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Apexmotorsports
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Member # 5307
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posted
The reason why some people port stock heads is the racing series they are in restricts them to do so. Iron heads are good if they have port work done to them. Thumper Performance in Florida swears that his ported stock heads can get you to about 300RWHP with the right combination. Mike from Thumper is a real cool guy and he can be reached at http://www.thumperoforangepark.com/ If you call him tell him Mike Mak from Apex Motorsports/ Drive Magazine refered you.
FWIW, for our $6500 project car I will be porting a set of stock heads to see what kind of performance I can get out of it, It's going to be very interesting to see the results because I have NEVER ported a set of heads before BUT will be getting some help/ tips from some of the best porters in the country.
Posts: 957 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Fostang
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Member # 3752
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posted
Thumper is definatly a cool dude. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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67' Fastback TT 408
67' Camaro Lsx
64' Corvette Fuelie
57' Chevy Bel Air Lsx
68’ Pony Convertible
66’ Pony Coupe
Posts: 3011 | From: Stockton/Danville | Registered: Nov 2003
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JoeT
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Member # 298
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posted
I always thought it was the other way around, apples:apples 2 heads that flow the same the iron will make more power through greater thermal efficiency (less heat lost to the environment).
OTOH, AL heads allow you to increase compression a hair, which possibly mitigates or even is more important then the lesser adiabatic efficiency.
One concern is if the block is iron and the heads alum, certain head gasket issues are more likely to occur than if the heads were iron with an iron block due to differing thermal expansion rates.
Also, I'm not a metallurgist and as far as welding goes I'm barely competent enough to get two bolts to stick to each other ![[Confused]](confused.gif) , however, iron has got to be easier to repair than AL due to how much easier the metal is to weld on, and just how notoriously difficult it is to work with aluminum as far as structurally.
Now as far as the casting process goes, since alum is so much more malleable than iron, I'm sure the costs to manufacture a certain shape especially if cutting is involved are lower with alum, and we all probably know just how much easier it would be to mill/etc. an aluminum part vs. an iron one.
still apples: apples I'd rather have an iron head that flows the same vs. an alum. head for some of the reasons I stated.
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1984 Ford Tempo AOD--- RIP
Posts: 6785 | From: San Jose | Registered: Jun 2001
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FasterDamnit
Bad Attitude
Member # 442
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posted
Joe,
Cast iron repair is much harder than Al. Best process is probably Gas Fusion Welding.
Posts: 2971 | From: NorCal | Registered: Sep 2001
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JoeT
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Member # 298
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posted
really? I thought most repairs would be a semi-trivial (like for a crack) weld-a-slag and grind on it. but wtf do I know, heh anything outside of JB weld I don't know anything about ![[Whoo Whooooo!]](graemlins/woowoo.gif)
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1984 Ford Tempo AOD--- RIP
Posts: 6785 | From: San Jose | Registered: Jun 2001
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FasterDamnit
Bad Attitude
Member # 442
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posted
quote:
Originally posted by JoeT:
really? I thought most repairs would be a semi-trivial (like for a crack) weld-a-slag and grind on it. but wtf do I know, heh anything outside of JB weld I don't know anything about
![[worship]](graemlins/worship.gif) JB Weld
Yeah, I tossed a nicely ported 289 head when I was quoted up to $300 to fix a crack in the deck. Wish I had known that before all the grinding...
Posts: 2971 | From: NorCal | Registered: Sep 2001
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