[TheLastStarfighter]

First off I'm new to the ford scene and especially new to the big block scene. Want to thank all of you guys for the help.

Question: Are dove-c heads really that great? or is it the price? Are they better then aftermarket aluminum heads like the edelbrock performer/performer RPM.

2nd question: what heads are the best other then dove-c's?

3rd question: I see cobrajet heads for sale but it takes a different intake and hedder. are these worth it, how to they compare to the dove-c, or edelbrock performer.

I'm looking for a engine that is just barely streetable. I don't care whatsoever about comfort but I need to be able to drive a half an hour down the road to the strip.

1985 f-150 with 302 (soon to be 460)
2001 Excursion with 5.4l

 

[alltire]

Many similar heads out there

DOVE & C9VE are the same config, ports, and chamber size. D3VE are same port, and valve, but 20cc larger chamber, so they'll give you less compresion. The DOVE head has been the standard cuz they were plentiful (kinda), and could be worked well to flow very nice numbers. I just had a set of DOVE heads done by the mad porter, and he has a nice setup to get them to flow very well at a fair price. The aftermarket heads keep competing in price, so if you want to wait long enough it'll be like a computer and I think we may actually see an aluminum head that will flow well & get to a price that's a better deal than spending money on porting. I'm not sure if that'll be 2 years or 10 though.
Good luck.

 

[DaveMcLain]

The DOVE-C heads are nothing special, garden variety pieces from pre 1972 engines. They have small ports, valves and chambers. They can be ported to flow some respectable numbers and make some impressive horsepower esspecially for such a lowly piece that can be found in a junkyard or bought quite inexpensively.

The Police and Cobra Jet pieces are a step up from the DOVE's with larger ports and valves and more potential to make power. Quite impressive power for the CJ head, amazing for a production piece. The big problems I see with the CJ heads are avaliability and price.

In the future I think you'll see less expensive aftermarket options that will blow the DOVE's into the weeds for a fair price. A replacement for the rare and expensive CJ head with several much needed improvments, we shall see....

 

[jpierce55]

More direct to the answer:

Doves are fine, but if you must buy them and have them fully ported you may as well buy aftermarket heads. D3's make about the same power, but way bigger chambers. What power do you plan to make? What kind of compression?

CJ's and Doves will take the same intake if you are using a Victor. The different intake/headers don't cost any more or very little when they do.

Aftermarkets are better than Doves.

 

[The Mad Porter]

The cylinder heads you ultimately choose will depend on...

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...budget and intended use.

If you are contemplating a nasty 460 drag truck you could opt for large valve ported Doves or other early castings. Those will support some 650 to 700 HP depending on the combo and how nasty it is.

The TFS street castings are another great small port casting and will support some 800 HP. They are a well engineered product and when ported even work well on the higher HP stroker combos.

Iron cjs are a good casting for high rpm HP and as dave mclain stated they can do amazing things for such an old casting. When reasonable porting measures are used they will support 750 to 800 HP.

I like to use cj port heads on high RPM 460's (above6,500) and on stroker combos. The biggest issue with the iron cjs is availabiltiy. They are costly and getting more difficult to find. The aluminum scj and soon to be out Kaase p-51 which is his updated version of the scj are some of the best aluminum cj offerings available to date.

There are replacements in the pipeline for both the iron D0VEs and iron CJ's (in iron) that will render the originals to restorations. The replacements for the iron D0VEs will cost little more fully outfitted and ported than the D0VEs do now through me.



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[TheLastStarfighter]

mad you say?

Thanks, what would you ask for a pair of nicely worked over dove-c's?

what are they worth from a junkyard unworked, from a private owner?

just asking so I don't get ripped off

 

[tubais]

http://reincarnation-automotive.com/
good info here

 

[BBBob_M]

Re: mad you say?

what are they (D0VE's) worth from a junkyard unworked, from a private owner?

just asking so I don't get ripped off

You should be able to pick up a pair of un-worked castings for $200.00. Less if you're lucky.