Alright guys i know we've talked about this before, i've done a search and went back many pages but i couldn't find what i was looking for

So i have a busted hydraulic lifter and since i got to do open heart surgery i was thinking if upgrading my heads while i was at it.

Engine Specs.
350 bored .20 over... or is that .020 which ever makes sense
flat piston heads except for the indent for the valves
Comp cams cam... i forget the specs exactly but i'm assuming its way better than stock
Performer RPM intake
650 cfm carb


so i was wondering what specs of heads would work best with this set up, all the cc and what not
and you can also recommend a brand and model also

thanks guys

And another thing... if i chose to get a roller rocker arms... that doesn't mean i need to get an entire roller set up right? (cam, lifters etc)

You dont need to change camshaft or lifters if you just want to upgrade to roller rockers.You would just need to get what matches whats on your heads. Self aligning, guideplates or shaft mount . It is almost a requirement to get the cam to match the heads to get the full benefit of a head swap.

Its pretty simple the "bigger" the head the higher the RPM where the engine would make the most power. You need to figure out the size of the valve relief of the piston to giure out the static compression you get with different combustion chamber sizes(cc). Generally speaking 58cc would be the smallest I would put on a premium gas s treet driven motor and it has to be Aluminum. D-port vette heads are old and cheap and known to make 400hp in stock form on 10:1 compression motor is an example. You can step up to the Vortec heads heads or even bigger aftermarket heads.

There are a ton of good heads for the SBC depending on your budget.

well your motor would be .020 over lol, as for heads as daz said your camshaft will play a big part in deciding what heads to get. also do you plan on keeping the performer rpm intake, if so stay away from the vortec heads. For aftermarket look into afr or trickflow if you want aluminum, if you want cast i am not sure who makes a good set of cast. Also do you want to run on a high grade or a low grade(87) of gas. My motor when i built it i wanted to be able to run on 87 octane that way i wasnt paying the big dollars at the pump. By the way i have the trick flow heads that are 62 cc and that have had a bunch of porting done to them. I also matched my valve springs to the camshaft. Oh yeah if you are looking at the vette aluminum heads you have to know the lift you have if not valve clearance could be an issue

My personal suggestion is Street AFR 180's in the 65cc cumbustion chamber, I have never had a better head straight out of the box then AFR

http://www.airflowresearch.com/index.php?cPath=24_25

Edelbrock RPM's flow around the 230cfm mark (around the same as stock L31 Vortecs), 195cc TrickFlows flow around the 250 cfm mark so with AFR's smaller 180 runner over Trickflows 195 you'll get more TQ and more HP with the higher flow, best of both worlds I beleive.

AFR also makes a 195cc head, but you will have to match your cam, stall and rear gears to take full advantage of it, powerband will be pushed abit higher in the RPM range over the 180's, how much so depends on what cam you run, were as the 180's u can get away with using the stock cam if u wanted to (nobody does,lol) and will work fine with the mild cam you were using with your stock heads

http://www.airflowresearch.com/index.php?cPath=24_29

Comp port 180's aint worth the $ in my opinion, better off jumping upto the Street 195's

http://www.airflowresearch.com/chp_test.php

I have AFR 195 Comp ports on my 92 and have a 2nd set of AFR 195 Comp ports gonig onto my other 92 and origanaly had a set of AFR Street 190's on my old 383 back in the day that sold me onto AFR's, but everyone on here already knows I am bi-est towards AFR heads, so do some of your own research when picking, lol

Thanks for all the good info guys..... i knew i could count on you

i will try to find my old "camaro parts" file where i kept most of my receipts.... i hope my cam one is in there
if it is i will come back with those specs

gee... Hawk's biast on the AFRs you dont say
when i was writing the post i was thinking for SURE Hawk would chime in with the AFRs.... and i was counting on it
since i know you've said it all before and thats what i was trying to find in the first place

will keep you all updated

lol thats why i put afr down because i wanted to beat hawk to the punch. in all actuality my trick flows work very well, but they have been worked over pretty good. my limiting point on my car is my exhaust now(and the 3.23 rear gears), i only have the 1.625 primaries on the headers i have, i am sure if i went to the 1.750 primaries i could gain a bit more out of my motor.

it sounds like we have a pretty similar set up.. i'd have to check my primaries on my headers to see when i'm at with those... what exactly are the primaries and whats the measurement do i need to check... i'm assuming its the I.D. of the part that matches with the heads

Yes it the internal dimension. do you remember what brand you had. mine are the hooker 2055's.

that sounds awfully familiar......dammit.... more and more i have to buy better parts of stuff i've already bought!.... this is getting expensive!

You dont gain much going from 1 3/4 headers from 1 5/8 unless you have a stroker or revving that bottom end past 5500 RPM. Unless of course you plan on having more compression into race gas category. IMO you also dont need the "best" heads in the market if it means it will be $1000 more for it. Depending on your horsepower goals and budget the money will better spent elsewhere like traction aid or exhaust. A lot of people make power without the magazine favorite heads.

Small 180 cfm heads can be made to go fast, you just need a combo to match it. Torque accelrates the car not horsepower.My car dynoed at 425RWHP on 180cfm old Twisted Wedge Trick Flows.Don't believe the hype and talk to builders and racers. I also advise of being careful with internet anecdotes

Thanks for the concern Daz... i am doing my homework dont you worry.

But for me new seems more like a viable option, you see, i'm at home about 1.2 weeks a month, and i really dont have time to scrounge the internet (minimal options here in Edmonton) for used or rebuilt heads, let alone rebuild them afterwards. (i've rebuilt 2 sets already i'm getting decent at it)
the second part is i'm getting pretty sick and tired of having engine problems (puking oil 305, and collapsed lifter after 2 and a half seasons with the 350)and i guess new will give me that false sense of security.
Also, i'm home 1 week a month for a reason.... money is really not an issue.
Its true what they say, time is money, you want it to take less time, be ready to fork out the cash.

Anyways you can see why new is more appealing for me. though i havent rulled out used or rebuilt if i do end up finding a good deal.

Im not talking about new or used. Im talking about the choices in aftermarket. Dont get stuck with one or two brands.I wouldnt get the a Pro Comp or the like but the Patriot heads are pretty good IMO. Buying an expensive head and thinking that it doesnt need to be checked is dangerous. A lot could happen in mass production(and transport). You would still need to get it checked by a reputable shop for tolerances etc.

Here is an example.

https://www.patriot-performance.com/xcart/home.php?cat=40

Thanks for the advice Daz

Bang for the buck for a used set I would say Sporstman 2 heads even better if fully ported.