Most of the changes we are looking at have to do with the exhaust side. I am trying to figure out if we should make a superior head or a head that meets class requirements. The D-shaped exhaust port on the 24v exhaust is far superior to the stock 12v port but it requires us to add a lot of meat on the exhaust side. Instead of the head dropping off right after the valvecover on the exhaust it would carry out all the way to the exhaust flange, more like a 24v. This would mean that customers would have to buy a few new studs to do the swap and they would also have to go to a 24v manifold. Although both are superior, it might keep some people from doing the swap. Also, talking With Van Haisley, I have factored a lot of his input into the head. He seems to snap the corners on the exhaust side of the head a lot on his hot engines. The thicker design would fix two things but would make it easy to single out someone running this head if rules maintain stock appearing head. In the name of all out HP I would like to make the head thicker and fix the cracking problem and leave enough meat for someone to port the d-shape after the fact. That way you could run with your good ole restrictive T-3 flanged manifold for the average daily driver but have room to go crazy for the Big Boys.We could totally redesign the exhaust side including the manifold bolt pattern but that would alienate a lot of people that want to keep their aftermarket exh. manifold. As far as the intake is concerned there has been a lot of time spent on airflow. 250cfm@ .550" with stock valves and potential room for 300cfm@.650" with bigger valves is amazing! There is not much we can do on that side other than to smooth out the intake manifold, take out the fuel filter in the head option and get rid of the coolant ports so that ZZ intakes would fit easier. One other benefit to going with the solid surface head is that there would be the potential of a one piece valve cover. Other proposed changes are to alter injector protrusion to help the guys running crazy timing, as well as make more room in the pushrod holes for higher ratio rockers that position the pushrod way to close to the head at max lift.
Some people have asked for 11/32" small block chevy valvetrain but we think the smaller factory valves will give a little bump in airflow so we plan to stick with them and just have custom valves made for the high end racers. Anybody have anything else they would like to see? Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Zach Hamilton