Pro Topline 200cc sbc heads. Anyone had experience?

[maxracesoftware]

Anyone had experience with these heads?

200cc, 64cc, angle plug.

I know they are old technology but for less than half the price of new modern heads like AFR or Brodix are they worth investing in with the goal a low 11 sec street strip 383 sbc in 3350lbs car?

What is the potential?

your 200cc Heads should be capable of running 11 sec street strip 383 sbc in 3350lbs car
.... it would also be possible to Port your Heads to around 220 CC with better Flow Numbers later on

i may have Flow tested the ProTopLine 200 cc Heads , can't find Flow Sheet yet,
i do have Flow Sheets + these 2 brand new pairs of cast-iron 235cc ProAction_223400035A and 220cc ProAction_223200020A in my Shop

an Engine Builder/Machine Shop brought me 10 new pairs of the cast-iron 235cc ProAction_223400035A Heads
and said pick the best pair for yourself just for Bowl-Porting the 2nd best pair for him ,
all the rest he'll use them later on Dirt Track Engines .
 

ProAction 223400035A 235CC.jpg

ProAction 223200020A 220CC.jpg

 

[ProPower engines]

They were ahead of there time with those heads.
Back when they came out there was no iron heads that were in the same quality league. the TopLine/RHS heads are better then any non ported iron head ever made.
I have used 10-12 sets when they 1st came on the market and they would make the Dart head look like a GM 882 head by comparison.
the thing guys never took into consideration was with the larger port sizes the heads required an off set intake rocker.
The 200 CC heads not so much the 200 and 235 runner heads did need at least a .150 off set rocker on the intakes. I have seen some guys run them with std. rockers and have pushrod issues on hyd. roller engines cause the push rod would rub the head on the relieved area beside the port if they did not grind clearance on the 200 runner heads.
The 200 and 235 had to use off set rockers.

[1980RS]

I have a lot of old cast iron heads that will kick the crap out of the china heads that you like at the track. So far I have not seen one set of those cheap Dart knock offs perform well at all, the best set around here a guy was running low 12's with them. Most of those china heads come with worn out guides to begin with, lol.

The ebay head is a good budget design whether you like them, dislike me or not LOL

In the wrong hands even the best ported heads can finish last!

A set of mild ported Vortec heads will blow the china heads away and I have the track data to prove it. As for liking you or not, can't say, never met you

[BOOT]

A set of mild ported Vortec heads will blow the china heads away and I have the track data to prove it. As for liking you or not, can't say, never met you

I've beaten CNC ported AFR heads that had 62 more cubes, LT headers with just unported bad sank VJ Sportsman II's & manifolds. Comparing two cars by their heads isn't the best.

[GARY C]

A set of mild ported Vortec heads will blow the china heads away and I have the track data to prove it. As for liking you or not, can't say, never met you

I've beaten CNC ported AFR heads that had 62 more cubes, LT headers with just unported bad sank VJ Sportsman II's & manifolds. Comparing two cars by their heads isn't the best.

A good example of this would be my stock suspension 72 Nova, the only difference was a 377 vs a 306 short block both NA vs Nitrous.
I didn't take the time to dig up the 377 on a 300 shot but the 306 was a tenth quicker and 2 mph faster on the 300 shot.

[HQM383]

So I’m going to add to the equation here. Now I have feedback, and mostly positive on the Pro Topline heads and before I make an offer to the guy selling I will seek opinions if I will be taking a positive step from my existing heads. I said earlier these would be a project type head to see what I could get out of them even if the cost was similar to new off the shelf modern heads but not if their potential is equal or less than what I have.

So, what I have now and had for 20+ years and served me well is a pair of Trickflow twisted wedge G1. A refresher on these heads, the intake is 13* and exhaust 23*. Intake is moved more toward the center of the bore for unshrouding and spark plug moved closer to bore center too. Correct Comp Cam rockers and pushrod length are being used on intake for correct geometry. They were ported years ago and although I have lost the original flow sheet for all the details but I had the flow recorded elsewhere

Int 2.02 valve
.100 - 65.6 cfm
.200 - 135.4
.300 - 202.2
.400 - 249.0
.500 - 271.0
.600 - 269.1
.700 - 248.6
(Yep, flow backwards)

Exh 1.6 valve
.100 - 52.4 cfm
.200 - 103.2
.300 - 145.3
.400 - 169.7
.500 - 196.9
.600 - 210.2
.700 - 216.5

Intake approx 200cc. Combustion chamber around 62cc. I have never measured mcsa but found info that says the intake port is around .400” shorter than std.

These heads have a limit of .110” lift @tdc intake with flat top pistons.

Do I kick the Trickflow’s to The kerb and go with the Pro Topline OR Fly cut pistons to open up cam selection and have the Trickflow’s given the once over by a head porter to see what more can be extracted?

Hypothetically if the two heads were to flow similar would the features of the Trickflow be more beneficial to power production?

I know it’s all a lot of stuffing around and there may be better than both brand new out of the box but for me there is no challenge in that.

[KnightEngines]

I'd flycut pistons & tickle up the trickflows.
They're a decent head, with good porting they'll go 290+cfm.
As it sits the flow backing up that bad at .700" is hurting power quite a lot.

[1980RS]

A set of mild ported Vortec heads will blow the china heads away and I have the track data to prove it. As for liking you or not, can't say, never met you

I've beaten CNC ported AFR heads that had 62 more cubes, LT headers with just unported bad sank VJ Sportsman II's & manifolds. Comparing two cars by their heads isn't the best.

You're a funny guy

[HQM383]

I'd flycut pistons & tickle up the trickflows.
They're a decent head, with good porting they'll go 290+cfm.
As it sits the flow backing up that bad at .700" is hurting power quite a lot.

Thanks for the feedback. I don’t think I can retire these heads if there is more in them. So I may put that 1k+ toward these Trickflow’s and piston work. Is it possible the previous port work done could render 290+cfm not possible now?

I wonder if you remember Race Tech Heads in Sydney back in the late ‘90s early 2000’s? That’s who did them.

FWIW I didn’t mention them at the beginning of the thread to keep focus on opinions on the Pro Topline heads.

[KnightEngines]

I'd flycut pistons & tickle up the trickflows.
They're a decent head, with good porting they'll go 290+cfm.
As it sits the flow backing up that bad at .700" is hurting power quite a lot.

Thanks for the feedback. I don’t think I can retire these heads if there is more in them. So I may put that 1k+ toward these Trickflow’s and piston work. Is it possible the previous port work done could render 290+cfm not possible now?

I wonder if you remember Race Tech Heads in Sydney back in the late ‘90s early 2000’s? That’s who did them.

FWIW I didn’t mention them at the beginning of the thread to keep focus on opinions on the Pro Topline heads.

Hard to say without a look at them, but it's unlikely they'll be screwed up beyond salvage.
The way they back up that hard the short turns are no good & bowl entry is likely too narrow, chances are they were just opened up at the pinch & fluffed over, pretty easy fix.
Never heard of race tech, but I was in my 20's back then & still working for the man.

[BOOT]

You're a funny guy

As they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat!

[af2]

You're a funny guy

As they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat!

Not funny but those 200 pro action are bad ass. Had a friend in SF that built quite of few and when I was going to a different direction from the Motown 220 ported to the max running in a JR fuel that I bought and were cracked went with the RHS that bought Pro 235 and gained .60 from the start.
377 inch

[HQM383]

I'd flycut pistons & tickle up the trickflows.
They're a decent head, with good porting they'll go 290+cfm.
As it sits the flow backing up that bad at .700" is hurting power quite a lot.

Thanks for the feedback. I don’t think I can retire these heads if there is more in them. So I may put that 1k+ toward these Trickflow’s and piston work. Is it possible the previous port work done could render 290+cfm not possible now?

I wonder if you remember Race Tech Heads in Sydney back in the late ‘90s early 2000’s? That’s who did them.

FWIW I didn’t mention them at the beginning of the thread to keep focus on opinions on the Pro Topline heads.

Hard to say without a look at them, but it's unlikely they'll be screwed up beyond salvage.
The way they back up that hard the short turns are no good & bowl entry is likely too narrow, chances are they were just opened up at the pinch & fluffed over, pretty easy fix.
Never heard of race tech, but I was in my 20's back then & still working for the man.

In my 20’s back then too. They used to advertise in Performance Streetcar magazine and that’s how I got onto them.

Yeah, pushrod pinch opened up to the point they installed brass bushes.

[1980RS]

You're a funny guy

As they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat!

I am a junkyard dog so that don't apply to me.

[conan383]

Yes I run a pair of top line 200 cc iron heads, the intake runners are real tall and it takes a manifold with a lot of meat to port match, and a 1266 thick head gasket is a must. They are the real deal and Ive ran vortecs on a variety of 350's and 400's and yes the vortec is good but no way no how is it better than one of these heads, and long as all the bugs are ironed out. I have them on a 10.8 to 1 383 comp hr cam 288/294 ( 236/242). with 1.6 on in. and 1.5 on ex. tight quench intake closes at 71 degrees. 200 lbs cranking comp. found the wieand team g single plain was able to fit and port match. I used a hvh 2" in tapered spacer as the manifold plemum is smaller. Its a beast. its in a 4100lb car with me in it and with 3.23 gears 700r4 I have zero traction till 50 mph then its hit and miss till 100mph. I keep breaking transmissions . probably over 530 hp.