How do identify heads?
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Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
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How do identify heads?
I bought an 84 F-250 2 wd with a 351W 2bbl and 4 speed tranny. Got most everything back up to par, and now it's about time the try to make the engine what it should have been. The truck runs good, but seems sluggish and doesn't make the power I think it should. No smoke or noise from the engine. 130 miles. I'd like to "loose" the 2bbl, and go with a 4bbl and new intake, headers, and also get rid of the smog pump and plumbing.
I'm considering replacing the heads to improve performance. How do I identify the different castings of 4 bbl heads? Which ones would be the most desirable, and does anyone know what the valve sizes would be on the different heads? Are the exhaust bolt patterns on the different heads the same, allowing me to add the headers and search for a good buy on better heads? Would a different cam or pistons be necessary to take advantage of the hi performance heads?
Plans are to use the truck to pull a goose neck trailer and haul my Massey Ferguson 135, roughly 6400 lbs for both trailer and tractor.
Any advise appreciated.
I'm considering replacing the heads to improve performance. How do I identify the different castings of 4 bbl heads? Which ones would be the most desirable, and does anyone know what the valve sizes would be on the different heads? Are the exhaust bolt patterns on the different heads the same, allowing me to add the headers and search for a good buy on better heads? Would a different cam or pistons be necessary to take advantage of the hi performance heads?
Plans are to use the truck to pull a goose neck trailer and haul my Massey Ferguson 135, roughly 6400 lbs for both trailer and tractor.
Any advise appreciated.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2001
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follow this link and read each post and follow links in post and you should have a better understanding. later
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...hreadid=165097
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...hreadid=165097
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Oct 2003
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Great thread....Opens up a world of questions....but I'll read it a couple of more times.....I do have one quick question however. How do I tell what head I have on the truck short of pulling the head?
Postmaster
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Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Quesnel, BC, Canada
you should never need to remove the cylinder head to obtain the casting/model #, wich you will find under the valve cover. The #s will give you all you need to know, some early 80s windsor engins just had 302 heads with big (69cc) combustion chambers from the factory, there is also a truck head that is identical to the head just mentioned, less the casting numbers. That being said any small block head would be an improvement if you have a pair of these heads on your mill right now. 289 heads with 52 cc chambers would even give you performance...again if you have the crappy truck heads. A good idea for you would be to find a decent pair of windsor heads, get them ported and milled to accept BBC (1.91" & 1.6") valves. This mod would cost you about $500 and give you about 50-60 hp in a wider rpm range, also improving throttle response. For another $250 throw on a pair of headers, and another $250 for a cam and intake and youll be at $1000 and a good 100 hp increase.
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