Your opinion on a 502 build please. Which heads?
#1
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Your opinion on a 502 build please. Which heads?
I am upgrading the tried and true 427 big block in my ’72 Nova. Just picked up a zz502 short block. I wish to retain the short block as-is with the exception of the cam, and want to go with a larger roller. A cam that I’m considering is an Edelbrock is as follows:
#2264
ENGINE: 500+ (1991 & Later Gen V & Gen VI)
RPM RANGE: 1500-6500
Duration at 0.006" Lift: Intake: 308° Exhaust: 315°
Duration at 0.050" Lift: Intake: 248° Exhaust: 256°
Lift at Cam: Intake: .371" Exhaust: .381"
Lift at Valve: Intake: .632" Exhaust: .648"
I have a 1050 Dominator I’ll be using with an Edelbrock Victor manifold.
What I’m hoping to get is advise on is the heads for this engine. I’ll need a small-ish combustion chamber to get the desired 9.5/1 to 10/1 ratio I desire. Approximately 110cc chambers I’m thinking. The ZZ502 head gasket is .040. Is there a thinner one available? My big question concerning the heads is intake runner volume. Some heads I’d looked at were Edelbrock’s Victor Jr. 24° Rectangle Port or the E-CNC 355 - Rectangular Port. The Victor Jr. comes in at 300cc intake runners where the CNC 355’s are bigger at 340-ish.
I’ve listed Edelbrock stuff but this is just where I’ve started looking so would consider other manufacturers as well.
The car will weigh approximately 3400lbs. It’s got a turbo 400, 3500-stall converter. Rear end is a 4:11 geared 12 bolt with 28” tall tires. The car will see very short trips on the street very occasionally, and may make a pass every now and then at Pacific Raceways as well. I want these street trips to be an exercise in throttle control, with more HP than the tires can handle just a blip of the throttle away!
Thanks!
#2264
ENGINE: 500+ (1991 & Later Gen V & Gen VI)
RPM RANGE: 1500-6500
Duration at 0.006" Lift: Intake: 308° Exhaust: 315°
Duration at 0.050" Lift: Intake: 248° Exhaust: 256°
Lift at Cam: Intake: .371" Exhaust: .381"
Lift at Valve: Intake: .632" Exhaust: .648"
I have a 1050 Dominator I’ll be using with an Edelbrock Victor manifold.
What I’m hoping to get is advise on is the heads for this engine. I’ll need a small-ish combustion chamber to get the desired 9.5/1 to 10/1 ratio I desire. Approximately 110cc chambers I’m thinking. The ZZ502 head gasket is .040. Is there a thinner one available? My big question concerning the heads is intake runner volume. Some heads I’d looked at were Edelbrock’s Victor Jr. 24° Rectangle Port or the E-CNC 355 - Rectangular Port. The Victor Jr. comes in at 300cc intake runners where the CNC 355’s are bigger at 340-ish.
I’ve listed Edelbrock stuff but this is just where I’ve started looking so would consider other manufacturers as well.
The car will weigh approximately 3400lbs. It’s got a turbo 400, 3500-stall converter. Rear end is a 4:11 geared 12 bolt with 28” tall tires. The car will see very short trips on the street very occasionally, and may make a pass every now and then at Pacific Raceways as well. I want these street trips to be an exercise in throttle control, with more HP than the tires can handle just a blip of the throttle away!
Thanks!
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Brookings South Dakota
Posts: 244
Depending on what you want to spend. AFR 315 CNC ported would work great on this engine, You could go with the 325s if you add more camshaft.
I would also recommend the Dart intake or Edelbrock intake. Both will require porting to match up the cylinder heads properly.
I would also recommend the Dart intake or Edelbrock intake. Both will require porting to match up the cylinder heads properly.
#4
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Thanks
I had a talk with a great tech at Comp Cams, Justin. I described the project and he recommended going with large ovals such as the heads that came with a ZZ502. GM performance p/n 12363391,
valves 2.19/1.88, 110cc semi-open chambers with a intake such as a Victor 454-O/4500. The cam he suggested was a #01-424-8,
242/248 @50 Duration, 545/560 lift. What do you think?
valves 2.19/1.88, 110cc semi-open chambers with a intake such as a Victor 454-O/4500. The cam he suggested was a #01-424-8,
242/248 @50 Duration, 545/560 lift. What do you think?
#7
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Mobile,Al.
Posts: 127
502
This Lunati cam is very close to the one you all ready had picked out,either cam would be fine,as would the comp unit.I tend to use a little bigger cam in my motors,pull hard all the way to 6500.Had to same motor in my car for several years,drag race only,and ran a hyd roller cam with edelbrock 290 cc heads and it pulled good to 6800 every weekend for four years.Its now a 540ci.If you run on the street more than the track you may want to go with the smaller cam,3400 lbs with a street tune smaller cam may have better manners.
Lunati part#P/N: 54872LUN
Good luck.!!
Lunati part#P/N: 54872LUN
Good luck.!!
#8
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MASTER JOURNEYMAN
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Grand Prairie, Texas
Posts: 36
I will throw in my info....
I have a 10.3:1 496ci with that camshaft actually #2263 and AFR305cc CNC heads milled to 118cc and custom Pro Systems 950 carb with dominator metering flowing a true 953cfm. I am making 675HP/637TQ....You dont want anything over a 305cc head...stick with a Air Gap intake to make that low end torque. Many have swapped to a single plane to pickup more HP, but at the track have showed the airgap had better times.
Go with that cam, AFR305CNC and your gonna be a kid in a candy shop.
I have a 10.3:1 496ci with that camshaft actually #2263 and AFR305cc CNC heads milled to 118cc and custom Pro Systems 950 carb with dominator metering flowing a true 953cfm. I am making 675HP/637TQ....You dont want anything over a 305cc head...stick with a Air Gap intake to make that low end torque. Many have swapped to a single plane to pickup more HP, but at the track have showed the airgap had better times.
Go with that cam, AFR305CNC and your gonna be a kid in a candy shop.
#9
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Great replies. Thanks!
My local speed shop guru is in agreement with you all. He happens to have a used Edelbrock C454 oval port intake with Dominator flange that I can probably swap my Victor rectangular port for. I wish I could spring for the AFR's but, frankly, this whole project started as an oil pan swap on a perfectly good running BBC 427 and budget is limited. What about a set of GM performance p/n 12363391's? The C454 may limit RPM power production to about 6k according to my speed shop guy. Your thoughts on the manifold? My other idea there was an Edelbrock Victor 454-O. Thanks again for all your great input!
#10
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MASTER JOURNEYMAN
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 37
I would go with oval port heads in the 290 cc range if it were me.Big heads small cam,at 3400 lbs,it will be lazy.
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Last edited by murrayjest; 04-24-2022 at 05:42 AM.