Thread: pro comp heads any good ?

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im gonna start off by saying im into mud racing . im running a 408 bbc (396 .060 over) and just traded a set of tires for a pair of procomp heads part number pc3021-396. is has comp springs and comp roller tip rockers on them. the local machine shop took a look and said they r fine. I was wondering if they r actually any good.. what is their down fal regardless of where they r made. also ive heard that with a little machine work they can be pretty good heads .

Welcome to the forum! You'll probably generate a lot of comments with that question! I'm running ProComps on my SBF, but they were bare heads that my engine guy then bowl ported and fitted with valves, springs, retainers & rockers of his choice. He likes them because they have what he terms "extra meat" for porting. From what I understand the big complaint is the valve train in their complete packages, but I can't give you specifics. I'll add that when I got my engine it had a set of cast aluminum valve covers, and I simply could not get them to seal - they were only catching about 1/8" of the lip in places. I called ProComp and the Aussie guy said, "You need our fabricated covers, not the cast." My reply was, well that's OK but I've already spent money on your cast covers", and he sent me a pair at his cost. They fit fine, and I like the look of them, too. If I were doing it again I'd probably spend a few more dollars for some Trick Flow's, Edelbrock's, or one of the other big names out there.

cheap head your getting what you pay for last set i did needed much work .how much work thats up to you. the intake runners will not line up with any intake or gasket .valve job is a joke if you machine shop thinks there fine? i run a shop there not fine. there better then nothing there are some things that should be done to them

pat McCarthy, ive heard all the small block ones have huge issues such as the ports not matching and so forth.. does it go the same for the big block set? on other forums ive seen that the big block ones are a better made head. just looking for more input. thanks

The three best performance aluminum heads are AFR, Brodix, and Profiler. Excellent machining with great flow characteristics. I would not use anything else unless it would be a GM head for certain applications.

Originally Posted by mr73chevyboy

pat McCarthy, ive heard all the small block ones have huge issues such as the ports not matching and so forth.. does it go the same for the big block set? on other forums ive seen that the big block ones are a better made head. just looking for more input. thanks

THE LAST POST there is more then 3 best heads out there Darts. RHS. few more . GM heads and edebrock older vic heads is the rehashed 861/862 head you want to keep away from that head for the size of engine you have as its a 375/380 cc intake port less you close it down with A&B putty have a set in the shop now they are a old set that the flow number were not the best but had only a 2.250 valve in it but made 850hp at 6500rpm . Yes the PRO Comp intake ports do not line up and the way they lay the port out is off so there is a clif on the back side of port by the push rod if you do not care then they will bolt on thats about it . i am a dealer for brodix. profile. dart.world. and flowed the brodixs race rite heads will not flows posted numbers but flow is not evey thing . if you think it is well then i have real flow numbers on the brodix race rites and the 861. and dart wet flows dart makes a O port head that works nice and pro filer O port is to big for a 402 less you going way up in rpm and it a very lite truck you will need more CR as well so a custom piston will be needed as your dealing with big head chambers for all of the heads as they are working around a 4.250 bore and bigger and many head gasket fire ring is 4.370 to 4.540 .you need to run a big head gastket for that chamber so that kill some CR there.other then afr and eldelbrock make a small chamber heads. i am dealer for them as well if you need a price . icon may make a open chamber piston and wiseco i think makes one as well

here is some work i did to the procom head see if you can see it photos are poor but i try to tell you want i did

here is the roof and in green is were there is a hump for push rod .i welded and moved the port for a gasket match or very close white is marine tex putty that i back filled the port back of weld so it will not pop off this port is finish but i cut down alot of junk hanging off the roof and cut the hei-coils down thin down the guides some

see if i can pull up some more this is were i went in did 5 angles on the intake with the tobin arp and then did so chamber work around the valves i really know the photos are poor and when you get a set of heads like this you can see how much junk is in the roof and chamber this head has on finish work this may not tell you much

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

THE LAST POST there is more then 3 best heads out there Darts. RHS. few more . GM heads and edebrock older vic heads is the rehashed 861/862 head you want to keep away from that head for the size of engine you have as its a 375/380 cc intake port less you close it down with A&B putty have a set in the shop now they are a old set that the flow number were not the best but had only a 2.250 valve in it but made 850hp at 6500rpm . Yes the PRO Comp intake ports do not line up and the way they lay the port out is off so there is a clif on the back side of port by the push rod if you do not care then they will bolt on thats about it . i am a dealer for brodix. profile. dart.world. and flowed the brodixs race rite heads will not flows posted numbers but flow is not evey thing . if you think it is well then i have real flow numbers on the brodix race rites and the 861. and dart wet flows dart makes a O port head that works nice and pro filer O port is to big for a 402 less you going way up in rpm and it a very lite truck you will need more CR as well so a custom piston will be needed as your dealing with big head chambers for all of the heads as they are working around a 4.250 bore and bigger and many head gasket fire ring is 4.370 to 4.540 .you need to run a big head gastket for that chamber so that kill some CR there.other then afr and eldelbrock make a small chamber heads. i am dealer for them as well if you need a price . icon may make a open chamber piston and wiseco i think makes one as well

Whats the best bang for your buck head you sell? id like to deal with you if I like the prices later on down the road..

Originally Posted by mr73chevyboy

Whats the best bang for your buck head you sell? id like to deal with you if I like the prices later on down the road..

well i use alot of dart heads best deal . on my street builds i have used brodix . but you need a small head chamber ? so that cut out a lot of head makers . all heads cost about the same as i buy them bare machine them and load them with parts i want . cheaper over sea head that fits good ? there is another maker of heads flow tec .i may look in to this head and do some testing on it . the pro comps.. i will not used in any of my builds less customer is willing to pay for me to fix some of the stuff i do not like if i work out the time to rework them then there almost the same as a good set you would pull out of a box

I do have good news the oval intake ports line up perfectly fine and a valve job was done to them. had an old set of intake gaskets laying around they fit .. there is some meat for porting so that worry is out of the way. also I just got a set of the kb icon pistons with a 41cc dome on it so I guess little chamber heads are out of the question now haha.. I checked for valve clearance and we had close to 1/8 inch of clearance... is this a good thing or a bad thing?

tell us how you went about checking the valve to piston clearance------

Originally Posted by mr73chevyboy

I do have good news the oval intake ports line up perfectly fine and a valve job was done to them. had an old set of intake gaskets laying around they fit .. there is some meat for porting so that worry is out of the way. also I just got a set of the kb icon pistons with a 41cc dome on it so I guess little chamber heads are out of the question now haha.. I checked for valve clearance and we had close to 1/8 inch of clearance... is this a good thing or a bad thing?

well the rect ports do not line up . you do know there bbc open chamber head needs a 1017-1 fire ring of 4.530 or bigger like a 1057fire ring of4.630 looking a cc of 10.5 cc for the f1017-1 and 11.3cc for the f1057 so your Cr will take a hit you need to check this as the pro comp chamber is big and needs the big head gasket .gasket should not hang in the chamber of the head.icon ic9949 10.6 with 119 cc chamber it will be less then that is block zero deck. but no big deal less you want the CR

well jerry we checked the valve clearance with an already compressed head gasket and put the first cylinder together with the rod and piston on the crank we put the cam in the head on and the lifterss and pushrods .. no rings plenty of oil though on the piston. cranked it over trying the three timing marks on the timing gear. with modeling clay on top of the piston of course. and we left a heavy 3/16 roughly of clay on the piston. it compressed the intake a little bit but barely touched the exhaust side..



pat so when getting the right head gaskets i should get the ones closest to the chamber diameter ? also the despcription of the head said it has a 115 chamber.. i figured with a compressed gasket thickness of 0.039 and a deck clearance of 0.010 i should be around 11:1 or about 10.8:1... could be wrong though.. i am new to engine building but want to get good at it haha.