[UR2L8]

Has anyone run a small valve head with a 455? I have a set of small valve 16's (I think) with 1.94 1.66 valves and I was thinking of making a torque monster. The chamber is small too so compression would be about 11.5 to 1 What do you think the max duration for a solid cam would be? How high do you think it could be reved before it ran out of breath? I have no idea what these flow but the runners and bowls are smaller than any pontiac heads I've seen.

[UR2L8]

Has anyone run a small valve head with a 455? I have a set of small valve 16's (I think) with 1.94 1.66 valves and I was thinking of making a torque monster. The chamber is small too so compression would be about 11.5 to 1 What do you think the max duration for a solid cam would be? How high do you think it could be reved before it ran out of breath? I have no idea what these flow but the runners and bowls are smaller than any pontiac heads I've seen.

[Goatman]

I would at the least put in the 2.11" intake valve. Gotta let that motor breath.

I would skip the solid cam as well. Might as well go roller for all the agrrivation.

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[UR2L8]

The thinking behind a small valve head is to build a cheap motor that can build power low in the rpm range.Of coarse I'd want to optimize power with as good of cam as posible, but a flat tappet is all I can afford. I was thinking of using torque to get me there. With a high gear(3.08) to keep the rpms down. Do you think 5000 rpm would be the limit and about 230 intake and 240 ex @.050 with a 112 lobe sep. This would be very similar to many street 455 combo's out there with the exception of smaller valves and intake runners with more compression and a solid cam as opossed to a hydralic. Do you think it could take more duration?

I'm sure many have experimented with combo's similar. How did they do? How would you build it? The reason I'm thinking of this combo is it would only cost 1100.00 from intake to pan.

[Goatman]

I wouldn't waste a cam like that with those heads. Probably no benefit at all. You would make much more power with airflow and low compression.

My choice would probably be a RAIV type cam (hydraulic) with a stock intake and 750cfm carb. Those cams seem to work well on stock 455's.

Chance favors the prepared mind.

[Brian Baker]

I agree with Goatman. Running the small valve head would be fine for a very mild cammed street engine, but with over 11:1 compression it just wouldn't be practical.

Also, putting a 2.11 valve in a small valve head is going to require some porting to optimize the transition from throat to bowl under the seat, as it's cast for the smaller valve.