EQ BBC head porting - zero to hero in 12 days

[David Vizard]

For my porting school the two heads I focus the students on are BBC and SBC Vortec. Why these two heads? Because they are challenging. A SBC Vortec head is one of the best stock casting torque generators. There are many folk out there porting these Vortec’s in the manner so often shown in YouTube porting videos. Here then is the news you won’t want to hear. You will have made more negative moves than positive! To make the most of these castings you have to know real porting skills. Even more challenging is the porting of BBC heads. Sure some of the castings are so bad even a guess at what shapes are needed works but that plan of action won’t get you very far if the heads are really good to start with.

In my last porting school I used the iron EQ BBC heads as they are really good right out of the box. To improve on these castings would challenge not only the class attendees but also my capability to pass on what it takes to make real gains on an already well-developed head design.

So how good are these EQ heads? Well let’s look at some numbers here. First the valve and port sizes then the peak flow numbers. In. 2.250 Ex. 1.88. In. port volume (good and bad) 320 cc. Ex. port vol 125. In. cfm 388 @ 0.600, Ex. 247 cfm @0.700.

The exhaust is about typical for a good cast head be it aluminum or iron. The intake though is another story. For a genuine 320 cc port it pretty much matches or even outflows most other heads out there CNC ported or not. For what it’s worth I think Chadd Speirs did the port development on these heads (good job!).
Well flow is one thing but do they make power? I can report here that given the right cam and intake combo they perform really well. I have also heard this from several of my engine builder friends so it’s not a fluke by any means.
Most of my students are either high experience engine builders who do this for their own race efforts or professionals looking to beat their competition in whatever field they specialize in. But for this EQ head class I had one guy who, though an experienced engine builder, had no previous porting skills. (I will leave him as anonymous unless he chooses otherwise). With 10 days of intense schooling the ports he generated went 417 with 330 cc intake (good port) and 298 cfm with 1 145 cc ex port – both at 0.800 lift. This was an excellent figure and, if they got no better, shows the EQ heads in a very good light.

A couple of days back I took a look at the heads and realized they were still equipped with 2.25 intakes rather than the preferred 2.3 and neither intake or exhaust seats had been ‘performance’ cut.
So I cut the seats to suit.
As expected, a super trick seat and a bigger valve pulled some extra flow. These EQ heads were now well into the race flow category with a street port volume and so exhibited good port velocity along with the high flow. I have not quite finished detailing them yet but as soon as I do, I will post the final flow figs.

To summarize I can, with almost certainty say that these heads will really deliver the goods.

I realize that as iron heads they carry a 50 lb. weight penalty. That said there are applications where the extra weight is not a real issue. For instance, a 4500 lb. plus truck is not at any real disadvantage with 50 lbs. extra front-end weight as the EQ heads potential will far outweigh the disadvantage. As a competition set of heads there is at least one area where the extra weight would be an advantage – Bonneville!
Engine(s) for a boat would also not be at a disadvantage as the power potential of these heads far outweighs the weight penalty and of course corrosion in salt water would be far less of a problem compared to aluminum.

I would like to dyno these heads but currently I don’t have a suitable BBC mule that would show them off to their best.

The kind of spec where their assets would shine would be a big inch motor. That is of at least 496 inches but preferably a 540 or so right up to 632. On a 632 truck or boat motor they would really be in their element.

Pics – port mold – head- flow curves etc - see below.

If anyone here is thinking of buying a big inch BBC where heads like this would be just what is needed I am prepared to give away the cost of the porting time (at least $2000) cutting these heads to the final spec . What do I expect? I am anticipating about 425-430 CFM with the final intake port volume about 340-345 cc. When I am done with the heads (could be another month yet) I am shipping them up to Terry Walters shop in Roanoke ready for use on an appropriate build. Anyone wanting a set of super trick iron heads where the porting is free might want to call Walters Engines on 540-774-8605.
Wait for final flow data soon.
DV

[Newold1]

This examination and results seems to point out quite well that a well designed as cast port with a good port core for casting can produce excellent results right out of the box with a good valve job. In my opinion there is no better iron BBC head in today's market and with porting upgrades and valve and valve job improvements they will flow in ranges that some aftermarket aluminum CNC'd heads flow at almost 3 or 4 times the cost. For medium compression performance engines especially as you mentioned marine corrosive salt applications they are definitely the best available in raw water cooled marine applications. As for the added weight issue there are always other ways on cars to remove a 100 lbs in many ways to overcome that penalty.

NIce work and info!

[rapidride2]

I have always heard positive things about these bbc heads. I can't wait to see the results of this build/dyno session. Staying tuned for this one...

[jcisworthy]

David,
I ported a few sets of these heads for a local shop who has a truck pulling customer. The last engine was at the 1000 hp mark NA. I will get the engine specs from the shop it you want them.

Excellent product and the runners CSA is very close for the valve sizes used right out of the box.

Material is hard and runners are big so it takes a significant amount of time to go through a set and make them better but they are pretty good right out of the box.

[WeingartnerRacing]

Chad did not design that head. Eq bought the cores from rhs. Rhs bought the cores from pro top line when they went out of business. This means some New Zealander most likely designed the ports.

I have some experience with the eq head but even more with the rhs and pro topline when they made them. They are a very good head but they had a thicker deck when rhs and pro top line made them.

Side note I used the cast iron rhs version of the head in 2010emc and an aluminum version in the 2014 and 2015 emc.

[GARY C]

As I understand Craig Pullman and Pro Race Engines developed the heads and then Started Pro Race Heads and then Merged with Topline Automotive, I think Engine Quest is the old Topline company, they still do all the stock replacement heads that Topline did and their old Pro Torker is the modern day IMCA/Wissota EQ Sport Mod Spec Head

[RevTheory]

Looks like that head is moving some air for a 2.25 valve.

[David Vizard]

* did not design that head. Eq bought the cores from rhs. Rhs bought the cores from pro top line when they went out of business. This means some New Zealander most likely designed the ports.

I have some experience with the eq head but even more with the rhs and pro topline when they made them. They are a very good head but they had a thicker deck when rhs and pro top line made them.

Side note I used the cast iron rhs version of the head in 2010emc and an aluminum version in the 2014 and 2015 emc.

Eric,
Now that rings a bell. When It was ProTtop-line in NZ there was a guy who designed heads by the name of Peter Hill as I remember. I spoke to him a couple of times and he seemed a switched on kind of guy. It occurs to me that I could call Eric at EQ and get a better picture of the history of these heads but unfortunately as of this moment he I in hospital and definitely not as well as we would all wish.

Eric, since you obviously have a ton more experience with these heads I would like your input as to how my student did after 12 days of porting experience.

Now if you could PM me with your figs -----------!

thanks
DV

[In-Tech]

Hi David, off topic but am sorry to hear you are in the hospital again. I've had my fair share of woes and have had 7 surgeries in the last couple of years, no fun. Hopefully this last one was the fix. I wish you a speedy recovery.

[Abbottracingheads]

The EQ head is definitely the old Pro Topline- RHS head. RHS quit making iron heads and EQ got the molds. The 320 casting is the head to start with in all builds. The 360 head is bigger, but the material is pulled from the wrong areas. I have done lots of work with these heads and have engines that make over 1200 hp at 540 ci. cast iron and aluminum. The RHS 320 heads are wau underrated in the 24 degree world. My old Texas Pro Stock 540 made 1207@8700 with an old set of the Pro Topline castings. My very first set of Pro Topline heads with 2.25 valves on a 468 make 857hp with what I would call a grind and shine. The 320 head can go from mild to wild.

[David Vizard]

The EQ head is definitely the old Pro Topline- RHS head. RHS quit making iron heads and EQ got the molds. The 320 casting is the head to start with in all builds. The 360 head is bigger, but the material is pulled from the wrong areas. I have done lots of work with these heads and have engines that make over 1200 hp at 540 ci. cast iron and aluminum. The RHS 320 heads are wau underrated in the 24 degree world. My old Texas Pro Stock 540 made 1207@8700 with an old set of the Pro Topline castings. My very first set of Pro Topline heads with 2.25 valves on a 468 make 857hp with what I would call a grind and shine. The 320 head can go from mild to wild.

Mr, abbottracingheads sir,

Between you and Eric my enthusiasm for these heads on a competition motor is climbing steadily. Thanks guys for the input.
DV

[GARY C]

The EQ head is definitely the old Pro Topline- RHS head. RHS quit making iron heads and EQ got the molds. The 320 casting is the head to start with in all builds. The 360 head is bigger, but the material is pulled from the wrong areas. I have done lots of work with these heads and have engines that make over 1200 hp at 540 ci. cast iron and aluminum. The RHS 320 heads are wau underrated in the 24 degree world. My old Texas Pro Stock 540 made 1207@8700 with an old set of the Pro Topline castings. My very first set of Pro Topline heads with 2.25 valves on a 468 make 857hp with what I would call a grind and shine. The 320 head can go from mild to wild.

EQ iron heads came on the market long before RHS quit the iron line (at least the Small Block heads), Shortly after my ProTopline contract was moved over to Comp/RHS the EQ Iron heads started appearing, my Comp rep had no idea who they were. This was probably 6 mnths after Comp bought out PT.

[Ericnova]

EQ iron heads came on the market long before RHS quit the iron line (at least the Small Block heads), Shortly after my ProTopline contract was moved over to Comp/RHS the EQ Iron heads started appearing, my Comp rep had no idea who they were. This was probably 6 mnths after Comp bought out PT.

IIRC as soon as RHS appeared on the market, EQ lost all the bigger SBC heads and only had the stock replacement line. The 235, 220, and 200 cc iron SBC heads disappeared as soon as shelf stock sold out. Too bad, they were a good value and excellent performer.

[tt 383]

Sorry, off topic but quick question about PT/RHS, What happened to those awesome 14 degree iron heads they had? Someone surely casting that I would hope...

[GARY C]

It seems like the iron head market is going away, not many classes dictate them now days may be killing sales.