Eight-Budget-SBC-Head Shootout

Patriot

The surprise of this test was the Patriot. In a prior test, we had found a set of Patriots to be only slightly better than a set of Vortec heads. Clearly, Patriot has made some intelligent port changes and come up with a solid-flowing head. The Freedom Series 185cc heads tested First in peak horsepower, First in average intake-port flow, First in average power, and Second in average horsepower per dollar. Whew! —it’s difficult to find fault with a performance this strong.

Edelbrock E-Street

As Edelbrock’s made-in-the-USA, price-leader cylinder head, the E-Street testing shows the head to be middle-of-the-pack performer. While it may not deliver the peak horsepower, it was still 27 hp over the stock iron head, and you can bank on the Edelbrock name as a quality part for the price.

Summit

Long acknowledged for offering house-brand cylinder heads for an affordable price, Summit delivered a solid Fourth-place finish in terms of both peak and average power, but keep in mind that, while not a podium finish, the difference between First and Fourth is a relatively small margin. We call out some very small differences that would be difficult to distinguish in back-to-back tests in a car. Plus, the Summit head was worth a solid 34 hp over the stock iron heads. That’s power you can feel in the seat of your pants.

Speedway Motors

We were pleasantly surprised at the price of these Flo-Tek heads available from Speedway. This is clearly the least expensive aluminum head, which certainly appeals to some buyers to whom the price difference is a big part of the equation. While the Speedway heads placed further down in the power tests, they are a good, lighter-weight option over the iron Vortec heads and still make roughly the same power. Plus, if you already have a good intake manifold, you don’t have to invest in a separate manifold, rockers, and valve covers, as you would with a Vortec head. That can mean a savings of well over $200.

Peaks and Averages

These are the numbers that everybody looks at first. Since our prerequisite to entry was any head with a 64cc chamber that came in under $1,000, this left the test open to any-size intake ports with a resulting span of between 170 and 200 cc. As most car crafters know, the bigger the port, the more air it can flow. But a big port isn’t always a guarantee of big power. In this case, Dart swings the biggest ax with its 200cc intake port, but it didn’t win the peak horsepower race. The winning ribbon went to the Patriot by a scant 1 hp, with 420 to Dart’s 419. Third place went to the Jegs head, with Summit close behind, still making more than 400 hp.

Article Attachments
	Budget Cylinder Head Flow Data.pdf