350 with 455 Edelbrock aluminum heads?

[rocket88]

I've read where it's possible to use the Edelbrock big-block aluminum heads with the Performer intake on a 350, but, that seems to be all the info that I can find. It sounds interesting to me...What would the advantages be? How much HP is there to be gained?

[73CS]

I looked into this also for my 73 350, and this is what I have found.

Choice A
According to Mondelo’s site, for Edelbrock Heads, The combustion chamber volume is 77 cc's and can be milled for smaller cc's if needed. The valve sizes are 2.072" intake valve and a 1.680" exhaust. The 6051 Edelbrock Performer RPM head flows in prototype form, 268 CFM intake port flow and 207 CFM exhaust port flow. The stock intake port flow on a "C" casting cylinder head is 230 CFM and the exhaust is 162 CFM, which is 30% less than the new Edelbrock head. The valves are longer than stock OEM Oldsmobile valves. The intake valve is 4.756 long and the exhaust valve is 4.780 long, which will require a taller than stock valve cover. You must use the 7111 Edelbrock Performer Manifold when using the 6051 or 6052 heads on a small block Oldsmobile engine. The 7111 has ample aluminum for port matching and good gasket sealing. The pre-counterbored head bolt holes will have to be bored to ½" for use on 1977 to 1980, 350-403 and 1978 to 1985 diesel blocks being used for gasoline applications.

If your 350 is a 73-77 you probably have 79cc (#8 heads) or 75cc (#3A heads) so not much difference in chamber size. Chart is from 442.com

ID/ Use Casting
Code Year(s) CID CCs Number Notes
1 '64 330 385101 Used ROCKER SHAFTS rather than
pairs on PEDESTALS.
2 '65 330 ?????? All V-8s now using PEDESTALS.
3 '66 330 60 389394
4 '67 330 60 394497
5 '68 - '69 350 64 397742 Excellent candidate for use today.
Good flowing, and high compression.
6 '70 350 64 403859 W-31's had larger 2.000 intakes. '69
W-31's?
7 '71 350 64 409147 W-31's had larger [2.000] valves.
7A '72 350 64 409147 The 'A' is a subscript, like ¼"
tall, to lower right of the '7',
like | 7A.
8 '73 - '76 350 79 411929 Smog heads. Have huge bb-sized 79cc
chambers yielding poor compression
ratios without extremes of
compensation.
10 '76, '77? 260? 57 550362
2A '76 - '81 260 554715 Easy way to ID a 260 engine.
3A '77 - '80 350 75 554716 1/2" bolt holes.
4A '77 - '79 403 83 554717 Matches the 4A or 4B block, get it?
Easy way to ID a 403. 1/2" bolt holes.
5A '80 - '84 307 64 3317
'85 also???
6A '85 - ?? 307 67 5844 Non-ECM Canadian cars?
7A '85 - '90 307 67 0142 This 'A', and the others from 2A to
6A, is a large capital letter equal
in size to, and immediately adjacent
to the 7, like | 7A.
D3A 350 3948 Diesel.

That being said, how much money do you have, and how much power are you looking for? From what I have read the heads will breath real well on a 350, but do you want to spend the money on the bottom end to handle the high RPM to make it worth it?

Choice B

Or you can find a set of #5 heads and go this way, or something like it for a lot less money and have very respectable small block power for the street.


http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/manifolds/ds/images/101b.gif

I went with choice C, found a 455 to rebuild.

I agree with 76HOProposal, figure out what you want, how much $$ you got to spend, and find a reputable “OLDS!!” engine builder and talk to them.

Good luck, Blane

[W451973]

First off, the Edelbrock heads are a total waste of money on a small block, periodly. For a street car, you can get into the 11`s easily with properly prepped factory castings. #`s 4 5 6 7 or even 7a`s.

Second, Mondello`s current management is only in it for the $$$$. They will try to sell you anything. Avoid them at ALL costs. There is NOTHING they sell that you can`t get somewhere else. Most likely cheaper, easier and MORE customer friendly.

Third, stay away from 442.com`s ifo. There is so much wrong info there that it is`nt even funny. And no matter how many times he`s been emailed about it, he won`t change it. Even WITH proof or from extremely more knoledgable people then he is.

That said, you need to decide what you are doing with the car and how much power you can afford. For the money it would take to buy the Edelbrocks and all the stuff needed to use them, you could get a wicked set of small block heads done, and make more power.