Hey, I was just wondering, which year(s) 302's had the best heads, as far as cc, and flow?, I'm talking a motor that is common, and not a hi-po, or anthing. So I know what part numbers to look for in the junkyards and such!

 

Basically, they are all the same, until you get to the Cobra and Explorer versions, as far as flow. 60's heads usually had smaller combustion chambers, depending on the application, usually 54cc's.

You don't want chambers any larger than the lower 60's cc's, if you use flatop pistons.

The modern E7TE is probably the best overall "regular" head, once the smog bumps are taken out. It usually has 61cc-64cc chambers, hardened valve seats, and it will flow within a few cfms of a 289 head.

In stock trim the even Hi-PO 289 is nothing special. It needs to be ported by a talented hand, just like most of the SBF heads. In stock trim, the air flow of the SBF inline heads, is the number one performance hold back.

Obviously, the Boss 302 is a special case.

 

alright, so the 60's heads are more desirable than the 70's?, and are the 60's heads more desirable than the 80's?.....BTW, I can make a bad flowing head flow alot better w/ my diegrinder, so as long as they have a good cumbustion chamber, and ok ports. and what year DID they change? I have seen some old heads in a junkyard, that had a heart shaped cumbustion chamber, are those the 60's heads you are refering to?

 

I don't know for sure when the 60's heads went to larger combustion chambers, someone else will need to chime in. I know that by 85 they had the E5AE heads. These are virtually identical to the E7TE, except casting number. The E6S swirl combustion chamber head came out in 86, so when the eqivilant to the E5 head came for trucks and HO's in 87, they introduced an 87 casting number.

The flow, by way of comparison:

Head Intake flow @ .500 lift Exaust flow @ .500 lift

289 C5AE 168cfm 120cfm
289 Hi-PO 169.5cfm 121cfm
E7TE 165cfm 115cfm
Ported/big V E7 215cfm 175cfm

There's not much flow difference between any normal stock SBF heads in unported condition, and the 80's-90's heads are virtually the same as the 60's heads.

The big chamber 69 351W 4V head has the same exaust flow, and is only about 10cfm higher on the intake side flow. It still has inferior flow compared to the stock Cobra head.

The results of proper porting and the installation of big valves, improves the regular SBF head flow, to the eqivilant of out of box GT40Y aluminim heads (probably cheaper BTW), and superior to the unported Cobra head. This is still well below the better aftermarket heads now available.

The E6S heads are the stock heads with a noticable heart shape, but the valves are heavily shrouded, and the ports are even smaller than normal.

 

There are so many variations in Ford small block heads that it's impossible to cover all in this format. Chambers ranged from sub 54 cc to 70 cc. There were two valve sizes for Windsor style heads -- 1.78/1.45 or 1.84/1.54. Some early 289 and the 221/260 heads had even smaller valves, ditto for the early 80's 255 heads.

 

well I'm an FE guy, BUT, if I find some small blocks, which years had the better heads....for the more common one anyways?.....I'm a good port artist!..lol....so don't look into it too much, as long as they have decent ports, and good combustion chambers....and I know there are better one's than the E7's........I'm not a newbie on fords, or performance, for that matter....just so you know anyways. but any comments, or tips would be great!, thanks guys!

 

The 65-67 289 heads had the small chambers and 1.78/1.45 valves. The 69-74 351W heads had the larger 1.84/1.54 valves and 60 cc chambers. The E7's are the best bet, the most common now, and take about an hour's worth of die grinder work to make them better. The 1988-1996 GT40 iron heads are less common, but are also good choices.

 

Cool, that's the response I was lookin' for!, Thanks alot!

 

So an E5 and an E7 head are exactly the same?....cuz I have an E5 head I cut up to see how thick everything was so I have a reference for later porting. If they are the same, that would be nice, I could port E7's too!

BTW those small heart shaped chamber heads I found were 60's vintage....probly 289, or 260. They definetely need some TLC w/ a diegrinder, and a milling machine to be able to run them. Probly new guides and valve seats, and valves

i'm definetely gonna grab those old heads then....there's 2 pairs of em, all about the same condition.....I could probly run 1 pair, and cut the others up for reference