BBC Heads

[vht]

I've researched but everything is older threads and the way things
kind of hate to trust whatever brand Liberty uses for valve train. change I thought I'd ask here. I'm building a 454 bbc, this is a budget build, I don't have the funds or the health I used to have. My machinist use Liberty on their budget heads, he says they don't have any problems with valve train parts and the heads perform good. I've also looked at Skip White, Comp valve train and if they are what they say, they don't sound bad. I'm running a Bullet solid roller so i don't want to trust Libertys valve train without knowing what they are. My JE pistons have a 47 cc dome so I need a 122 or bigger chamber, My pistons are .020 in the hole. Another problem is port size, a little big for a 454. Down the rd it'll be a 496 but still bigger than I'll need I think. I know I'd be better off with Brodix or AFR but the funds aren't there.

[1980RS]

Liberty heads look just like all the other china heads. There's a ton of them out there you can use, I would get them bare and add my own parts and get a good valve job done.

[ProPower engines]

Liberty heads look just like all the other china heads. There's a ton of them out there you can use, I would get them bare and add my own parts and get a good valve job done.

X2
There is lots of those off shore heads out there but again get them bare and add some better quality parts.
There is really no head on the market today you can buy that does not need some work out of the box.

From the econo off shore to AFR they all have issues that require a touch up here and there some more then others but if you correct all the valve heights in the chambers to help equalize your final compression ratio rather then accepting some much higher then others because of generous seat margins like I have seen. As much as .050 higher from 1 chamber to another makes a big difference in chamber volume.

reduce the guide clearance to a respectable amount.0012 on the int and .0015-.0017 for the exh on a BBC head will get the job done and be happier longer that just putting parts into heads with no thought for seat and guide concentricness.
Get the chamber volumes closer to what you need and want by choosing a CNC'd chamber.

[vht]

Thanks, I was planning on having whatever I get checked out. I have a set of 781s but to have them redone and putting bigger valves in is the price of a set of off shore heads plus the wt difference.

[ProPower engines]

Personally I would go with the 781 castings. They take all the std valve train parts and there is less chance of pulling a thread insert if using stud rockers and the extra costs that go with non common parts.
Guys worry about the exh guides leaking but theres a fix for that. Pull them and ream to .625 then use a replacement guide for a DT-466 engine. Same guide ID as a BBC and it cures the having to use a stepped replacement guide that always leaks if the inside of the cooling jacket is less then perfect.

Buying heads bare then tuning them up is about the same cost for the parts head for head but at least you can use better quality seats on the ext side and they go 1.900 on the exh and 2.250 for the intakes same as the alloy stuff.

It depends on your power goals but in todays market place where it seems parts have doubled in the last 2 yrs unless extensive port work is on your need list that are a good HP head.