Best Cast Iron Heads

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I'd honestly get a recommendation from Rick. He is more up to date on internal engine component brands. I run a forged Eagle crank. Eagle doesn't make any of their own products, I don't know who currently makes them, and it might be overkill for your needs.

Kurt
 
From what I know the Eagle, Scat , RPM, K1 are all Chinese made Scat does their finishing here and I think Eagle does on their 4340 stuff. Scats billet high end cranks are made here. Callies (except Comp star line which is made in china then machined here), Lunati and a few others are still made state side.

For a good cast crank the Scat 9000 is tops in my book.

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That's slowly changing. Even now, you're able to find more and more stuff made in the U.S. than you could just couple of years ago. It's starting to shift again. As the standard of living increases in China, it becomes more expensive to make things there. Pretty soon, the offset will tilt and won't be nearly as cost effective to ship raw materials over and have finished products shipped back.

I completely agree with this, but I know that total labor/overhead per employee, even in the nicer Americanized manufacturing facilities over there is still %10 what it is here. Things are getting better over there for sure, but it is still cheaper to build over there by a huge margin.
 
Scat 9000 crank
Scat 4340 I beam
Probe, Mahle piston, higher end Diamond

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Obviously the biggest factor in this will be trying to mach up pistons that will fit my P's at my current 54cc for proper quench. I'm hoping for a range of 9.5:1 - 10:1 I'm gonna have my fingers crossed :pop:
I could have the bowls worked to relieve the cc's some if it's gonna be WAY to tight. Do you have a computer program to toss CC's/quench/gasket numbers around??
 
If it is a scat part number, it's the same no matter who you get it from. There are plenty of reputable dealers on eBay. Also, if you got a whole kit for $1200 with flywheel and balancer, I hate to tell you, you got a box full of Chinese crap. My crankshaft alone was almost $800.
Kurt
SCAT cast steel crankshaft, Probe 4032 Forged Pistons, Probe 5140 Forged Steel Rods, moly rings, Clevite 77 bearings, Probe billet steel flywheel and ProRace dampener.
For starters, CHP is not known for producing garbage parts. They have one of the better reps in the business. The machinist at the shop that bored my block bored to fit my pistons and said they were some of the nicest he's ever seen. All measured within thousands of one and other and fractions of a gram. The rotating assembly installed perfectly...well within spec and required no clearanceing what so ever.
I bought the kit in the fall when CHP was having a sale. It included free balance of all components, which knocked $200 off the price. The kit was normally $1,000 without the cost of the flywheel and balancer. Furthermore, the flywheel that sold with the kit wasn't in stock at the time of shipping, so the upgraded my flywheel to one of their forged units at no extra cost.
I'm not saying Rick or any other equally reputable vendor wouldn't be an equally good, or better source to purchase from, I'm saying that CHP did right by me and I would recommend them to anyone.
I'd be more concerned about getting "Chinese Crap" from most of the EBay vendors. You can be 100% certain that anything you buy on EBay is going to need to be sent out for balancing....negating any cost saving you might think you're getting.

Yeah, I couldn't go for that. Damn Chinese iron, who knows what is in it. Probably made of an old clothes drier they melted down with the lint still in it.

Kurt

Kurt, you'd be surprised how much "Chinese Crap" you buy everyday with a smile without ever even knowing it....and that includes parts found on your car. You make is sound as though "Made in America" actually means something anymore? :rlaugh:
 
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Kurt, you'd be surprised how much "Chinese Crap" you buy everyday with a smile without ever even knowing it....and that includes parts found on your car. You make is sounds as though "Made in America" actually means something anymore? :rlaugh:

Actually, it does. Particularly when talking about car parts, it tells me at least, that the thing is more often than not... Over built. :nice:
 
Of course.... :p

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I know dumb question :rolleyes:
No rush or mandatory time frame,
my DD runs great right now already.
I'm nervous with the 347 rod/ oil control issue :(
Feel free to post pics #'s of any combos, cause this recreation of a magazine combo will be done right down to ported iron heads/slightly smaller valves but only EFI.
Which no one will probably ever try to do again and create an iron head torque moster, I just already have the heads that are close, so here goes :rlaugh:
****I just felt all the Sighs from using iron heads :lol:
 
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I have to be honest. Running an iron head on a 347 is flushing money down the toilet. You are much better off with a 306. To get the price down on the 347, Rick is having to package it with a Chinese crankshaft. If you did a 306 you could spend the money on better pistons and turn down the stock crankshaft which will be much better quality. With streetable iron heads the extra displacement will not yield any extra power.

To Gearbanger. When the Chinese build a can opener or a cheese cutter that works, I will consider buying more sophisticated products from them. It looks like they are about 100 years off right now. There are a handful of incidental Chinese parts on my car now, because there were no either options. There is not one single Chinese part in the drive train. I even spent $26 on jelly using dowels over getting the Chinese ones for $2.99. CHP is a high volume engine factory and has there reputation as such. Most of the time you get lucky, but it's just luck.

Kurt
 
It's supposed to be a 331 :cool: , ...:O_o:347 is trying to edge itself in.
It's a street torque DD and everyone will want me to throw in a bigger cam soon too :rolleyes:
maybe a 347 with a 5.315 rod, I want it to be a "DURABLE street torque monster :cool: "<------- Primary Goal

I can always add other heads later :nice:
 
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I know dumb question :rolleyes:
No rush or mandatory time frame,
my DD runs great right now already.
I'm nervous with the 347 rod/ oil control issue :(
Feel free to post pics #'s of any combos, cause this recreation of a magazine combo will be done right down to ported iron heads/slightly smaller valves but only EFI.
Which no one will probably ever try to do again and create an iron head torque moster, I just already have the heads that are close, so here goes :rlaugh:
****I just felt all the Sighs from using iron heads :lol:


That is some solid thinking. Save up and buy the right parts where it counts the first time. The oil control issues with 347's were like 10 years ago due to the location of the piston pin and since have been relocated. There is no reason why a well built 331 or 347 won't last you as long as a 306. There is no reason to build a 347 with iron heads.

Do chinese cranks have issues and often need work? Yes. Are they cheaper than forged cranks? Yes. Can most people that drive a mild to moderate build get away with a cast crank, provided it is prepped properly? Yes

I won't elaborate on the horror stories you hear about the mass produced engines you see in the magazines, but you should do some research before you spend your money. I am a firm believer in finding someone local if possible to build your engine, somebody that you can talk to in person and who will be there after the sale. If that isn't possible, my first choice would be Ed Curtis at TFI. He will tell you the truth and has a stellar reputation. Also, check out Woody at fordstrokers.com. Top notch guy who does amazing work.
 
He's looking at a cast crank its going to be Chinese no matter what brand. There are no issues with a Scat 9000 series crank it will 600hp and that is a lot more then that stock block will take.....they are the best cast crank out IMO.

There is no need to put a $500 4340 forged crank in this motor.

The Probe, CHP and many other private labeled are made/supplied by RPM. I'm not a fan of their cranks but I do like some of the RPM rods, mainly the ultra light weight 4340.

Mike the pin still intersects the rings on 99% of the 347's out there along with some of the 331's. Unless you build a short rod 5.315" version. Assembled correctly with rail supports there are no oil burn issues....

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That's my point. If it's not going to make stroker power, don't bother building a stroker. Just build a 3.0" stroke engine. If you really want a low end torque monster, you can turn the can 4 degrees and get the same result for free; no need to spend any money on 3.4" crank. With iron heads, stock rods, stock crank, and cast pistons will be more than sufficient. It will make the same power, and have more engine life because it has a better rod length/stroke ratio. It also won't be sullied with Chinese parts. Sometimes it's best to take a step back and look at the goal before we start going down one tack thinking with our advice.

Scat advertises a 500hp limit on their cast cranks. I ave had friends shear them in half at way less than that because the supplier in China used an inferior metal in a production run. Not that it is any way relevant in my opinion.

Kurt
 
Actually, it does. Particularly when talking about car parts, it tells me at least, that the thing is more often than not... Over built. :nice:
ROTFL......as a person who's owned various "American Made" cars and trucks throughout the late-70's, 80's and 90's, you should know better than to make a statement like that. The :poo:ty build quality of the big-3 is what let the Japanese manufactures get a foothold on the market in the first place. ;)

Made in American hasn't meant squat to me since the 60's. To me...."Made in America" usually means overpriced labour and manufacturing cost, more than overbuilt quality. :D
 
ROTFL......as a person who's owned various "American Made" cars and trucks throughout the late-70's, 80's and 90's, you should know better than to make a statement like that. The ****ty build quality of the big-3 is what let the Japanese manufactures get a foothold on the market in the first place. ;)

Made in American hasn't meant squat to me since the 60's. To me...."Made in America" usually means overpriced labour and manufacturing cost, more than overbuilt quality. :D

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