Grumpy1 (12/10/2011)
....This is a good test but for me i have more questions then answers. Also a lot of whys, how comes and what ifs. I wonder on a stock 292 with a stock cam and intake how these heads would perform. Why did the coae heads with the larger valves not do well?
Ted this engine is a 312 right. You said to score the engine divide by the cubic inch (322). Is this engine a 312 with a 60 overbore or is 322 a misprint.
Greg
The dyno engine in this test is a +060 over 312 with the cast pistons still 0.025” in the hole. Basically a stock rebuild other than the amount of overbore and a Crower camshaft. More details on the rest of this engine are available at the start of this thread.
As a general rule, porting the stock heads will sacrifice some of the lowend torque values for upper rpm performance. That has to do with the air velocity at the lower rpms slowing as the intake ports are either made larger or the port walls themselves made smoother. The intake manifold becomes a serious player once head porting is done. If the intake manifold does not flow at least as much air as the modified heads, then the intake itself will hold back the potential of the head porting. And then the actual valve job is a player. Subtle changes in seat angles can help or kill cylinder head flow which was part of the problem with the larger valves in the COAE heads.
If an engine is not going to be romped on where it sees 5500 rpms or more, then it starts to become a moot point to change intakes, carbs, cams, head porting or any of those other modifications that helps that seat of the pants performance feel. Fuel economy is another subject though. For those Y engines that rarely see over 3500 rpms, then the stock 1957 292 or 312 engines give a good basic blueprint for the best combination between efficiency and performance. For those of us that want more performance, then head work is at the top of the list.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)