[N0DIH]

How many people would seriously be interested in a seto f high performane aluminum heads for a Cad 4.5/4.9L PFI V8?

I know someone who can do it, and I would be glad to work on the port design with him, is there any serious interest??

Cost is likely to be around $1600-$2000 a set. You realize this isn't a SB Chevy where they will sell 10K per year. Tooling is a big deal, it isn't cheap.

Let me know, fill out the poll and see what I can do.

 

[Capt Fiero]

I put myself in the 1500 area. I just dropped 3000 on my 4.9 swap, so what the heck it will make Visa or M/C happy to have me making bigger payments.

LOL.

But see my reply in the other thread about the profitablity of doing uniqe or low production heads. They would be Awesome to see, but I don't think it would be profitable and could end up being a loss in the long run.

 

[N0DIH]

(double post)

 

[N0DIH]

I got some of the best aluminum heads started for SB Olds (which will work on BB) but the actual head designer is concentrating on SB Olds. They are showing up now more and more on some killer cars that are quite fast.

Cost is something that I will discuss with them. I helped get one started, now to get another! The guru likes odd ball engines! This is it! He does intakes too.

Now, the other question. Stock manifolds, or go with something all together new? OR, go with something like a N* exhaust manifolds? Or a SB Chevy manifold? Would it be worth changing the configuration?

I agree on costs, profitability may not be a #1 thing too. We have to see. But if we see only 10 people serious, that will hurt it. But if there are 200 people serious, maybe we have something to ponder. And people live on Visa/MC these days, what the hey!!

I put myself in the 1500 area. I just dropped 3000 on my 4.9 swap, so what the heck it will make Visa or M/C happy to have me making bigger payments.

LOL.

But see my reply in the other thread about the profitablity of doing uniqe or low production heads. They would be Awesome to see, but I don't think it would be profitable and could end up being a loss in the long run.

 

[Capt Fiero]

IF it were just me, I would say if possible going to an exhaust pattern to match the buying power of the SBC. But that may drive the R&D through the roof and outweigh any benefit of header savings.

 

[Night Wolf]

I thought the stock exhaust manifolds were not all that restrictive on the Cad 4.9?

 

[Capt Fiero]

I thought the stock exhaust manifolds were not all that restrictive on the Cad 4.9?

They are only a small restriction on the stock 4.9 heads, but you got to figure new aluminum heads are going to flow a considerable amount more than the stock heads so the manifolds would then become a major restriction.

 

[N0DIH]

I spoke with a friend of mine, and he is all for it. He has the experience in port design. He has learned under a NASCAR Winston Cup engine builder.

He doesn't have a 4.5/4.9L head to work on, but would like one to work with. If anyone has a dud 4.5/4.9L head, intake, and if possible a block (doesn't need to run) please let me know. Just for mock up and some look at. This would give us some real data to model a decent aluminum head. Once we get something looked at and ported to a design we want (we have some great ideas going already), then we will talk to the guy who can do the blueprint and work with the foundry. Again, all preliminary, but we have to start somewhere. So if you have a 4.5/4.9L head, dud or whatever, and wish to donate, we will make it worth your while if we get this going.

He also does head porting (mild to serious). If you are looking for good head porting and are in the midwest, let me know. He doesn't have internet right now (fried computer...).

 

[davesdeville]

I gotta say, we just got aluminum heads a couple years ago for the 500 (and they were pretty crappy quality.) And there are probably 5 or more performance built 500s for every 4.9. I don't forsee there being a big enough market to warrant the effort of production. I'm not saying don't do it, by all means go for it. Just watch your money...

 

[N0DIH]

I am not terribly worried on quality, the guy I know has made a LOT of heads for GM engines, including intakes. But it is a thing to monitor closely.

That is another thing, how many BBCad engines get aluminum heads vs what sort of buildups on 4.x Cads? If the parts were there, would people buy them?

Time to figure out how to do a marketing survey!

I gotta say, we just got aluminum heads a couple years ago for the 500 (and they were pretty crappy quality.) And there are probably 5 or more performance built 500s for every 4.9. I don't forsee there being a big enough market to warrant the effort of production.

 

[Night Wolf]

people like the 4.9 for weight reasons.. Fiero, Citation etc...

dumping cast iron heds for alumunum heads... I'd bet that'll bright the engine weight to right around the 2.8 V6, if not *less* as well as boost power.

 

[Cadillac_Rancher]

Might having aluminum heads on our aluminum black help with the headgasket issuee this family of engines has? If one would go through all the trouble to develop heads, whynot just make a propriotry manifold/header that it must use for best flow results, offer packages with headers/cam/rockers/perhaps solid lifters?

-The Cadillac Rancher