BBF 385 Series Cylinder Heads... what does it all mean?
Posted: Mon Oct 16, 2017 3:20 pm
I’m trying to figure out Ford cylinder head terminology, and I have a feeling in my previous thread there might have been a bunch of confusion (mostly on my part) because I don’t know the terminology. I’m searching around, trying to gather as much info as possible to figure out what head I want to run, and on other forums I had been told that, within reason as far as price is concerned, the Trick Flow A460’s are the top notch head. I can understand why that is being that it has the raised intake and exhaust runner and excellent flow characteristics. With that said, here’s where my confusion comes in.
I got a bunch of replied referring to the “A” head, or “A460” head, and I suspect (again, I could be wrong), that we weren’t always talking about the same head. This occurred to me when someone mentioned a B460 head. Then I got to thinking about the Ford SCJ aluminum heads that I just installed on my friends Torino, and how it specified that it required a CJ intake. I began to realize that there’s a lot of different parts you could order that are for a 385 series engine that will end up not working together if you’re not careful.
I have mainly a Chevy background, and in my other thread I made reference to the simplicity of the SBC and BBC heads. For SBC you have essentially one port design, or you can get a spread port with some aftermarket manufacturers, and some minor variations in intake mounting angles. The BBC heads all fall into one of a few categories, peanut port, oval port, and rectangular port, and then you have open or closed chambers. I think it’s pretty simple to understand, but maybe that’s because I’ve been around it for so long, or maybe it’s because it’s just really simple. Regardless, Ford is obviously not that cut and dry.
I really think it sucks on the lack of literature out there for these 385 series engines, because the more I read about them, the more I realize the outstanding potential of them. I’m the type of person who likes to have a book to read, to go back to and reference, etc. I’m also the type of person who like to know the “why” when it comes to what works and what doesn’t.
I’ve narrowed down the possibilities of heads that I might use to the list below, most likely a closer match between the Trick Flow A460 and one of the AFR, but I added the others on there for conversational purposes.
When it comes to 385 series heads, which on my list would be considered “A” heads?
What is a Ford “A” head, as it came from the manufacturer? Would that be something like the D0VE heads?
What is a Ford “B” head?
Does the list go on? Are there Ford “C” heads, “D” heads, etc.? (I’m aware of the 4V C head for mod motors, but I’m going to assume we all are going to be talking about BBF stuff here).
Are there obvious differences between these heads (production and aftermarket) that you can look at and go, “Oh, that’s a (whatever) head” if for some reason you couldn’t find a casting number?
I got a bunch of replied referring to the “A” head, or “A460” head, and I suspect (again, I could be wrong), that we weren’t always talking about the same head. This occurred to me when someone mentioned a B460 head. Then I got to thinking about the Ford SCJ aluminum heads that I just installed on my friends Torino, and how it specified that it required a CJ intake. I began to realize that there’s a lot of different parts you could order that are for a 385 series engine that will end up not working together if you’re not careful.
I have mainly a Chevy background, and in my other thread I made reference to the simplicity of the SBC and BBC heads. For SBC you have essentially one port design, or you can get a spread port with some aftermarket manufacturers, and some minor variations in intake mounting angles. The BBC heads all fall into one of a few categories, peanut port, oval port, and rectangular port, and then you have open or closed chambers. I think it’s pretty simple to understand, but maybe that’s because I’ve been around it for so long, or maybe it’s because it’s just really simple. Regardless, Ford is obviously not that cut and dry.
I really think it sucks on the lack of literature out there for these 385 series engines, because the more I read about them, the more I realize the outstanding potential of them. I’m the type of person who likes to have a book to read, to go back to and reference, etc. I’m also the type of person who like to know the “why” when it comes to what works and what doesn’t.
I’ve narrowed down the possibilities of heads that I might use to the list below, most likely a closer match between the Trick Flow A460 and one of the AFR, but I added the others on there for conversational purposes.
When it comes to 385 series heads, which on my list would be considered “A” heads?
What is a Ford “A” head, as it came from the manufacturer? Would that be something like the D0VE heads?
What is a Ford “B” head?
Does the list go on? Are there Ford “C” heads, “D” heads, etc.? (I’m aware of the 4V C head for mod motors, but I’m going to assume we all are going to be talking about BBF stuff here).
Are there obvious differences between these heads (production and aftermarket) that you can look at and go, “Oh, that’s a (whatever) head” if for some reason you couldn’t find a casting number?