Engines with aftermarket head availability

Reading the Miata power thread got me thinking, what all engines are supported to the point where you can get fully aftermarket performance heads for them?

Would be kinda cool to pull a list together to get an idea whats out there.

To get the obvious ones out of the way...

• Small Block Chevy - LOTS
• LS/LT Chevy V8 - LOTS
• Big Block Chevy - LOTS
• Small Block Ford (modern and FE) - LOTS
• Big Block Ford - LOTS
• Mopar Hemi
• Mopar small block 
• Mopar non-hemi big block

Now with that out of the way (i'm sure I am missing some obvious derivatives.)

• Ford Modular - 2V trick flow, FR500 4v
• BMC A-series - crossflow heads
• Chevrolet 90* V6 - Brodix at least
• Honda K series?
• Honda B series?

Pretty much all old pushrod big 3 engines.

I think its Dart that makes a head for a pedestrian ford engine, like the 3.0 or something. If I remember right, they have some common failure in the rangers and so they started making full replacements and they add a little power.

Chevy 4.3 V6 (thats cheating)

22r

Jeep 4.0

Cummins 5.9

Pontiac 326-455 (Edelbrock, Kauffman, Wenzler, Indian Adventures)

Oldsmobile 307-455 (Edelbrock, Mondello)

Buick 400-455 (Edelbrock, TA Performance)

Buick 231 V6 (TA Performance)

Chrysler "Firepower" Hemi 331-354-392 (Hot Heads)

AMC 290-401 (Edelbrock, Indy Cylinder Heads)

Chevy 235-250-292 Inline-6 (Sissell Automotive)

Ford Y-block 292-312 (Mummert)

Cadillac 472-500 (CHP, CFM, Cad500Parts)

looks like 4piston has a k series billet head

http://www.4pistonracing.com/4p-billetk

For old VW stuff, even though they are probably rare, would the Oettinger 16v head, and maybe a drake head count? 

Do you want head designs still in production, or out of production?

I know you can get Ford Flathead "heads"

The Zetec has an out of production head for it.  *I have one in the garage now on the engine*
I know the JZ series has some billet designs out there.
There was some Aftermarket for the 300 Inline 6 that was a drag only head.

Oettinger and Drake made 16v heads for watercooled VWs in the 70s and 80s.  From accounts, they were way better than what VW came up with.

There are some very nice looking aftermarket 8v heads for Volvo redblocks, too.  Volvo 8v engines are very popular in Scandinavia and - surprise! - racing with a certain ruleset creates a demand.  Want a 350hp naturally aspirated Volvo?  Blocks are available too, with some 3+ liter engines kicking around.

I have seen one of those companies making heads for 8v VWs, too, and some other inline valve fours.

Esslinger are the king of Lima engines, making blocks and heads.  I heard tell of a 400hp Lima in a Mk1 Escort that went like stink.  Over 3 liters in a tall deck block, 55mm independent throttles, bet that engine sounded amazing.

Seems to me that aftermarket heads will be going the way of the dodo at some point. Modern factory heads are so optimized, there's not as much room for improvement as there used to be.

12v Cummins 

6.0 powerjoke 

In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :

I disagree. While OEM heads are wayyy better than they ever have been, OEMs still make them as cheaply as possible given a certain performance/emission target. So youll always have someone who is willing to spend way more on a head than an OEM is willing to in order to get out that last bit of power.

Plus as technology is advancing you are seeing new designs applied to old engines. The Gen 2 LT1 was the bastard of the SBC engine family, with no real good aftermarket offerings outside of AFR. It was only made for a few years and everyone either used Gen 1 SBCs or had moved on the LS based stuff, but a few years ago Trickflow released a new head for a tiny market  (gen 2 lt1) and changed the valve angle from 23* to 21*

Some odd ball engines with aftermarket heads were the 2.8L Ford V6 by World Products and the aluminum head for the Ford "Kent" engine. While the last is an "Authorized by Ford" head is it an after market product.

Couple companies make or made aftermarket heads for the Viper - Striker heads are one option.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Viper-Gen-ii-striker-stryker-cylinder-heads-/283421876865

MGB and MG midget

Austin Healey

With a side order of alloy block if so desired

Thinkkker said:

I know you can get Ford Flathead "heads"
 

Not just aluminum either. Federal-Mogul made some absurdly rare copper(!) cylinder heads for the flathead Ford. Like, only 5 sets known to exist.

There's a new, but pricey, twin cam head for Datsun L series 6 cylinder engines. It's based off of the Honda K series head if I recall.

Did i mention that it's pricey?

You can get a number of OHV (and even some OHC) conversion heads for the old Model A/Model B 'Bangers.

Edelbrock offers aftermarket heads for the Duramax 6.6.L diesel

Edelbrock, Bob Walla Racing and Lamar Walden all make cylinder heads for the Chevy 348/409 "W Motor"

Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) said:

Seems to me that aftermarket heads will be going the way of the dodo at some point. Modern factory heads are so optimized, there's not as much room for improvement as there used to be.

Racing creates the demand, and a lot of the classes where you are allowed to race modern engines will have a "X modern engine must use stock castings" rule, so as to not outcompete the older engines.

At least, in the US, which it seems like most forms of racing limit power by making engine modification illegal or largely fruitless.

You can still buy an updated version of the PBS 8port head for Fiat 600 and 850 motors

And back in the day they offered OHC versions

and DOHC versions

There’s several high compression heads available for the Model T. 

Remember M.I.A.T.A.

Mair Cooled Volkswagen

Is

Always

The

Answer

In reply to Trent (Generally supportive dude) :

Yeah, but now they are in Germany   

93gsxturbo said:

Couple companies make or made aftermarket heads for the Viper - Striker heads are one option.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dodge-Viper-Gen-ii-striker-stryker-cylinder-heads-/283421876865

Make them for the Gen IV as well. I have a set fo Greg good heads. 390cfms they flow so much you need to port the mainfold to keep up. Love them power everywhere. I know of at least four people selling off the shelf Viper heads. 

Stampie (FS) said:

There’s several high compression heads available for the Model T. 

Do they come with a longer hand crank for starting purposes?

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

Stampie (FS) said:

There’s several high compression heads available for the Model T. 

Do they come with a longer hand crank for starting purposes?

I think the correct term is higher compression heads. When start with 4.5:1 compression, anything is an improvement, but I don't think the better heads even break 7:1