Big block Mopar head castings

[machinedave]

I am in the process of going through my inventory of head and block cores. I have to get rid of some cores because I have too many and not enough room. I have a pair of baked/shot blasted Mopar 383 heads, casting #2406516. The chamber appears better than 906 castings because it doesn't have that big quench recession. I don't have any plans for them yet but I do machine about 5 mild Mopar big blocks a year for one of my customers. Sometimes he brings his own and sometimes he buys cores from us. He usually runs 906 castings but I'm wondering about the 516's. We only have (4) 906 castings left. Has anybody used the 516 castings before?

[andyf]

516 heads are an early design, used from 1964 to 1967. Personally I throw them away but some guys use them. They are probably the very worst OEM casting that you'll find but that doesn't stop people from using them.

[Chipped tooth]

Decent chamber, poor runner.
No short turn.

There is another similar casting that the Max Wedge clone guys use, 4 cover bolts, closed chamber and bolt on rocker stands.
But poor runners.
I have a set from a 413 out of a 63 Imperial.
Can't remember the number at the moment.

[wyrmrider]

I've used lots of them
there are lots of porting reports around
like
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/bb/62.html
http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/tech ... der_heads/
stick late 440 size valves in them and they are bout the same as later heads with the same valves
ported they are not quite as good
BUT
with tight quench they will run with more compression and/or worse gas
so there are several ways to get performance- better flow with no quench is a real loser
unshroud the valves
of course you may need exhaust seats if long life is planned and guides
so at that point the aftermarket heads look like a good alternative
With a 400-440 bore size 915's are my top iron choice, but I only have about 6 sets left
no problem with your heads especially for a HD hyd cam application

[mag2555]

If a customer was to need them ported for a sleeper type project than doing up a epoxy short turn would end ya up with a better head than a ported 906 due to the bath tube chamber, add some un shrouding work and a 2.08" valve and 280 cfm can be had.

[wyrmrider]

sounds about right mag
300 from 906 or 280 from the 516
906 on an HP compression motor- advertised at 10-10.5 to one but really in the 9s took 100 octane gas and on a stock motor (really under 9) what was then leaded regular
neither are available today
want performance or strip only use aftermarket heads
want it to run well on street or street strip use a quench chamber
or
use the special KB pistons which put quench in an open chamber head (takes a trial assembly step)
or, as I have done, get custom pistons like for a 383 stroker
others like Speed=O=Motive welded up the chambers
some run the KB pistons even with closed chamber heads and machine the quench on the pistons to get proper quench dimension
lots of things have been tried but running open chamber heads with flat top pistons just does not work outside of super stock and race gas
Speed-O motive even welded up the heads when running propane

[machinedave]

This is a great site for advice from some smart people. Thanks to all of you for your opinions. I thought they may be a bad casting since I never machine them so I think I am going to put the heads in the get rid of pile.

One more question: Does anybody else make pistons with the quench pad or am I stuck with Keith Black pistons?

[wyrmrider]

Custom made from Venolia, Arias, Ross etc
I've obtained for 383 bore with 440 crank and 440 rods builds
does Icon list one
Myself, Speed-O Motive and Don Bass at TMS Propane performance (among others) all contributed to the design
my only gripe is they made the compression height too low so it takes a trial assembly and some decking to get it right
In reality there is such a big difference between aftermarket heads and the 616, 915, 906 etc iron heads that it makes all the iron heads mostly the same from a flow point of view- if it matters- go aftermarket
I only use 906 on matching number builds- like the 383 4 speed Superbird and a Plum Crazy 6 pack challanger convertible for "MrMopar"

[machinedave]

I didn't think about Icon's but that makes sense they would have the quench pad being part of UEM. My customer usually builds mild, stock looking engines but when originality doesn't matter he will go aftermarket.

I am amazed at how many customers still insist on paying big money for us to machine factory castings when they can have good aftermarket castings for a little more money.

[wyrmrider]

Yes, and there are some amazing CNC programs that do not come up to out of the box Edelbrocks
not doing hard seats is a big mistake on the iron heads, and even the late 52 heads wear through after a couple of valve jobs
I like the durabond sintered seats, used them even before durabond bought the company out of Washington state.
course you have to blueprint the Edelbrocks too.
on the street I'd rather have a 516 0ver any of the open chamber heads- ported or not
I have my guys grab any 67 they can find- but they come back with most everything as parts have been swapped over the years
hard to get them to actually look for the casting number

[BradH]

There's another Moparts.com Tech Archive article from Dwayne Porter than you might find interesting, too:
http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/bb/42.html

Dwayne's done a lot of work for me over the years and knows the ins & outs of most of the OEM BB Mopar heads. - Brad

[wyrmrider]

good find- thanks

[sleeper sedan]

The 516 casting... great head if you like hydroporting. You'll find water pretty quickly on the short side radius. I don't know I'd even use them in a stock OEM application. Help Mother Earth and recycle.

Clark

[wyrmrider]

hydroporting
LMFAO
never hit water with one but watch for and reject for core shifts

[Walter R. Malik]

I am in the process of going through my inventory of head and block cores. I have to get rid of some cores because I have too many and not enough room. I have a pair of baked/shot blasted Mopar 383 heads, casting #2406516. The chamber appears better than 906 castings because it doesn't have that big quench recession. I don't have any plans for them yet but I do machine about 5 mild Mopar big blocks a year for one of my customers. Sometimes he brings his own and sometimes he buys cores from us. He usually runs 906 castings but I'm wondering about the 516's. We only have (4) 906 castings left. Has anybody used the 516 castings before?

The 915's were the best OEM production castings ever produced for those engines.

Those 2406516 castings were from 64 to 67, 361-383 engines. They were serviced with 2406732's. (no short side radius on the intakes).