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Re: [Healeys] Alloy Head

To: "rrengineer.mike" <rrengineer.mike@att.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Alloy Head
From: Curtis Arndt <cnaarndt@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2014 17:53:48 -0700
Cc: Healey List <healeys@autox.team.net>
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: healeys@autox.team.net
References: <ue66qesvg5vlq6uf3ib15whg.1414883770849@email.android.com> <CAJKrNeSYA2RKTWOHZi2Ejw+rAQcNifP2FzSSSGKkaNFToQtHAA@mail.gmail.com>
Mike,

I remember talking with the late Mark Baker at Conclave in VT some years
ago and he got very good performance out of his very special 100/R Period
Rally Concept car by carefully porting and polishing a stock cast iron
head, plus other modifications.  Most likely similar to what you've done,
this is afterall not rocket science.

http://www.sportandspecialty.com/100-r.html

I think you'll be pleased with the modifications you've made.  My comments
were made to provide an alternative to someone who needs to replace their
original head, and let them know that the high price is worth it with the
extra cost and increased performance and reliability .

Cheers,

Curt

On Sat, Nov 1, 2014 at 4:36 PM, Curtis Arndt <cnaarndt@gmail.com> wrote:

> Mike,
>
> A fellow AH Club member here in the San Diego club took his head to the
> "Guru" of cast iron welding here in San Diego and had his head properly
> welded and repaired. This person was also recommended to me by a friend who
> owed and raced not one, but two vintage AC/Shelby Cobras.  Everyone he
> recommended to me was a first rate craftsman.
>
> Bottom line, the head lasted a year or two before it cracked again, and
> now he has an aluminum one and is happy with it, no problems.
>
> Yes the original 100 head can be ported and polished to a degree, but the
> SC design was a complete internal re-design, and there is no way you can
> open up the original head and make it breath as well as the new aluminum
> ones, either the SC or the Denis Welch standard road head.  Mark Lambert
> told me after he wrote his evaluation that on the original head where you
> could barely get two fingers to fit, on the aluminum one, a golf ball could
> now fit through.
>
> Remember that in the day the reason for the larger carburetor setup on the
> Le Mans modifications was to try to force more air into already restricted
> intake ports.  I'm not saying that your setup won't perform, but if or when
> the head cracks again, I would not waste any more money on it.
>
> Just saying.
>
> Curt
>
> On Sat, Nov 1, 2014 at 4:16 PM, rrengineer.mike <rrengineer.mike@att.net>
> wrote:
>
>> So, I guess you're saying my repaired cast iron head that was repaired
>> properly will not work as well as a aluminum head. Because the ports were
>> augered out to do the welding, I had the rest of the ports pocket ported
>> for even flow. I will be using the larger 100 LeMans carbs too.  Now you
>> tell me this is not a good setup?
>> Mike MacLean
>> 56 BN2
>> 60 AN5
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