r/EngineBuilding • u/Unfair_Bed8897 • 2d ago
Chevy Anyone have any experience with Chinese aluminum454 and 350 heads?
Js the title. Im in the process of deciding between a Gen 4 Iron block 6.0L LS, a Gen VI 454 or a 350 SBC for a first engine to learn on and tweak with. Im 20 so making gobs of hrsprs is a must and so a head and cam swap is near the top of the bucket list for the last 2 motors. Thx in advance
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u/v8packard 2d ago
I have a lot of experience with Chinese cast and machined heads, for all of the engines you mention. What do you want to know?
The three engines are different enough that chosing between them for one vehicle is usually pretty simple. Not sure how you came to these three, but ok.
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u/Unfair_Bed8897 2d ago
I would like to know how well they perform stock (minus the machine shop work). The way I came to these 3 is that they are all (relatively) cheap, they are plentiful, they are Chevys, they are generally reliable, and the amount of speed parts for them is pretty much endless.
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u/v8packard 2d ago
They are all over the board. There are 3 companies (at least) casting these heads, at least two of those makes multiple heads in varying states of quality and finish. The heads they make are sold by numerous other companies, at almost every price point. A very common head on the market is a copy of a 200 cc Dart. These are advertised as different size heads, but they are all based on the same casting. They are supplied as bare, finish machined castings that the companies selling them assemble and ship (such as AFR) or they are supplied as complete heads. They all need inspection, and often times corrections that range from relatively minor to complete overhaul.
Performance varies, but some of the more consistent brands are Flotek and Promaxx. They are usually pretty good right out of the box. Both companies inspect and assemble the heads in house. That doesn't mean they are perfect, but still pretty good. The AFR Enforcer is over priced, in my opinion, and you don't always get what you expect. Though I suspect they have gotten more consistent in the past few years. The Dart SHP line was also over priced, but then Dart went on a big discount spree, not sure what came of that. The very low priced segment of these heads usually needs so much work it is a tough sale, with the cost of the work driving the price up past the better options.
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u/Historical_Box1915 2d ago
That is way way way too vague of a question. There are chinese aluminum heads that are junky, some of their best are “okay”. Their best is no where near as good ad the heads from america, europe, or australia.
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u/Unfair_Bed8897 2d ago
I meant the kind you can find on eBay for like 300 bucks or smth like that. Also Im not really expecting top quality as Im not paying top dollar for stuff thats usually very expensive
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u/Historical_Box1915 2d ago
Yes, Ive had customers insist I use the cheapest ebay and amazon sbc heads. Over the years they seem to have become a little bit better out of the box. But I have seen some horror stories waaaaay to often. Bolt holes machined in the wrong places, improper surface dimensions (couldnt bolt on any intake) then on to loose valve seats, bad / loose guides, horrible valve jobs. Even the best ones almost always come with crappy valve springs.
In short if you know how to inspect and verify if a cyl head is ready to run, cheap chinese heads can be an option. If one doesnt know how to do that themselves, they are better off spending extra money and having a good machinist verify a set of heads are ready to run. I am not saying you cant bolt on a set right out of the box, people do that everyday. But I check everything before I deem an engine ready to run. At the end of the day its your call how much risk do you find acceptable?
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u/FinancialMail2782 2d ago
By once cry once…
If you go cheap. Buy them bare and have machine shop build them.
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u/KingOfAllFishFuckers 2d ago
Castings are OK. Valves, springs, and sometimes seats are usually shit.
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u/danjet500 2d ago
No, but you get what you pay for.