SpeedMaster CNC ported heads on sale
 

Just throwing this out there but it looks like Speedmaster is offering a CNC ported head complete for 1491.00.Someone might check in on that deal wish they came in 87cc…

I just looked you can put them on a wish list but you can’t buy them. The unported sets are available.

Just ordered another set of bare heads from them again.
Ordered some other stuff too.
A set 2.190 valves, Guide plates and rocker studs

Interesting.. bare aluminum cylinder heads, only look at the big block engines and compare prices, Pontiac are the most expensive, even more so than Chrysler BB. About $180 dollar compared to Chevy BB, Ford BB and Oldsmobile heads.

I wonder why Pontiac heads would have to cost that much more.

Price/pair or each?

What do you guys think about the fluid damper they have for Pontiac?

Because they probably can’t sell as many sets , the more they sell the more they can spread the R&D and set up costs would be my assumption. Or they just know we have less options.

We can probably thank Eldelbrock for the screw Pontiac people mentality. Speedmaster is just following the lead:rolleyes:.........

https://www.speedmaster79.com/Oldsmo...Cylinder-Heads

In past years, hasn’t it taken a while to to delver these when they’re on sale?

No I have gotten my sets within a week each time I have ordered (last two years). I think they run out and then back fill ordered from
Demand. Those “late” orders may be delayed

Roller set up NON-CNC 72cc round port heads are actually showing available to add to cart and buy now I see:


https://www.speedmaster79.com/Pontia...-Cylinder-Head

- I bought a set during an xmas sale and they got to me w/in two weeks.

Has anyone tried or successfully machined the cambers to something more manageable a size like 87cc or so for larger Cubic inches?I emailed them a while back and at that point they didn’t have any plans to have a lower compression option.I realize one can dish there pistons but for those that are looking to upgrade with a already built short block get shut out of the deals on those heads.If they want to sell heads it’s the way to go Imo….

No delivery was actually very fast less than 10 days total for me and when I got shipping confirmation from California it’s was 4 days. For you it should be faster.

Thanks. Tempted to pick up a set in case I ever change my mind on running the RAII heads. I wish the CNC heads were available to buy.

I ordered a set of the regular ones and messaged them about the ported ones and if I could order them instead but I'm betting they don't get back to me until after the sale.

310-661-0020 They are there right now and will be there all weekend.
I am looking at some t400 stuff. They have a forward and direct clutch assembly. I am trying to find out what the drums are made of. Add says steel, fine. But looks like a cast steel to me.
Coan stuff is 1000$+ each drum.
These are a grand total and very new. They got them 2 weeks ago so I would be the first.
They have to call Australia to find out the materials for sure. But that would not be until after this weekend, sale over.

https://www.speedmaster79.com/Racing...9-Steel-Plates

I would think they are steel drums. No frictions or steels. The billet Aluminum direct drum is the go to one. 34 element sprag. that's good. The forward drum in steel is fine. Direct clutch hub is steel. Says both have aluminum pistons which is good. Good prices.

Heads
 

So has anyone ordered a set of the ported heads yet?

GT.

Called speedmaster and the ported heads are not available for order yet. They are having issues with the cnc porting, not sure what issues. Also he did not have any info as to targeted flow or runner sizes after porting.

I do all my own T400 work so I am familiar with them and also work with steel.
My trans has all the good stuff you can have but still has stock drums, input and intermediate shafts.
The new engine will put the trans to the test.
Just not sure if I want to be the first guinea pig on hard T400 parts from China .
I bought one of their T400 yokes a couple years ago. I do not think I am even going to use it. If it breaks the car is all but destroyed. I run a yoke out of a 68 Olds station wagon I trust more and will buy a USA billet for a upgrade.
Probably get a carbon fiber drive shaft that goes poof if it brakes. Again, saving the car. But I do have a .093 wall Strange driveline right now.
I think paying the piper and getting Coans 2800$ kit with billet aluminum drums is a better bet than the untested Speedmaster kit.
The + 1800$ price would seem like chump change if you tear up the trans and maybe wreck the car.

Yes I hear you. I feel pretty much the same way. I spent the $1800 and went with the Reid SFI tranny case.

I ordered an intake and got it over night!Tom

Well, Mitch from Speedmaster gave me a call about 6 tonight. He just got off the phone with his guy in Australia. And he told me they are not steel. The forward and reverse drums are actually made from 7075 aircraft aluminum. The online add is incorrect.
And the input shaft and intermediate shafts are made from 300M steel alloy.
Coan sells both 4340 input shafts and 300M shafts with the latter being their best.
And they give you 30 days to inspect their parts for a full cash refund. After 30 days you pay shipping and get store credit.
I just might do it. Billet aluminum center support too. Could do their sfi case too.
It would cost about 2K for the front aluminum drum- aluminum direct drum kit, billet aluminum center support with 10% larger piston and sfi case.
The CNC heads are available. Have not been flowed yet but they have a 220cc runner. Could be 230 I will ask him tomorrow.
And they are going to make a 87cc round port head for us.

Next time you talk to the salesperson, ask him why Pontiac heads are so much more expensive than say AMC, or olds heads are. I know they outsell either of those makes, but we still pay substantially more than either.

Will they be making a D port?

That’s good news on the 87cc head for sure opens up the market for a lot of folks.This is just my opinion without data but I think the pricing for speedmaster heads are higher than any brand they sale because of Eldebrock.Let me explain I feel like when Eldebrock first copied the RA4 head they didn’t think it would sale that well and the price was adjusted accordingly.To make back the investment as quickly as possible they overpriced them as we are still paying the price for that today.As far as lower volume engines having cheaper prices I feel like there was a lesson learned from Eldebrock and no need to price gouging that much for lower volume makes there on out.All in all the marketing team dropped the ball on or Eheads from day 1.This post has 0 to do with there heads just marketing and pricing…

Well, it sounds like a pretty good deal. The SFI tranny case has the same pieces that came with my Reid case. I cannot beleive the price. Pisses me off what I paid for mine. One third what I paid just for the case.


From my reading at the time on these SFI tranny cases, there are Reid and ATI cases, then both Summit and Jegs carry what they call their brand, then both summit and Jegs have the one called speedmasters. Jegs has it on for $1010 right now. Something tells me these are all cast at the same foundry. Your gonna need a bell housing, This is the same one I'm running as Reid bell housings weren't available when I bought the tranny. I looked this bellhousing over really well, and it fit everywhere like a glove. I did cut the very top bolt hole off with a hacksaw and it was solid aluminum and very solid. Jegs has a couple.. https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/60334/10002/-1
You might as well get a new roller tail housing also.

D Port would be nice

We pay what they ask unfortunately, we just bend over and get shafted!!

Right now Summit has AMC heads by Edelbrock list for 25 bucks less a set the the Pontiac / Edelbrock RPM heads.
Are they then asking us to believe that they sell more AMC heads then Pontiac which is why we get charged more, I don’t think so, do you?

Is there 25 bucks more Aluminum used in casting a Pontiac head, no way!

Until the manufacturers bring Pontiac aluminum heads back into line with the other offerings, I will vote with my wallet, and not pay the extra cost, since I feel it is unjustified,

I have a set of RA IV heads, as well as a set of HO heads that will likely be fine for anything I do as far as a street car at my age. It's not like I want to build another dirt track race car at this stage of my life. Aluminum would be nice, but I'm not going to pay that extra tariff over other brands.

I don't know that anyone has ever had a serious justification for the pricing structure from any manufacturer, since the heads were introduced by Edelbrock.

Wenzler has heads on his site for $1100, that is going in the right direction. Speedmaster $1193, but only once in a blue moon can you get that pricing. Just under $2000 is regular pricing. In the words of Marshall Lucky, on the movie, Used Cars, "That's just TFH". :clap3:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ip8gspFaH8

Olds heads, currently on sale, $780, SB mopar $699, SB ford $657, a little more than half of Pontiac price.........:noidea:

I guess I'm amazed at the head choices available now. Compared to back in the early 90s when I started messing with my car. Roundport heads were rare and expensive.

The speedmaster roundport heads are tempting. But I guess I'd spend the extra $ for D port Edelbrock since they flow so well and have a heat crossover. Then could use my manifolds.

I just checked the website and yes the ported ones are available which sucks cause I already ordered the standard ones after them telling me they weren't available for order yet. Wish they had more info, I'm just gonna keep my order in for the stock heads.

Does anyone know what CFM's these flow?

They're brand new I'm not even sure they know yet. When I called he stated he didn't have any of that info.

How do you offer a cnc ported head but don't know any details on them? That really seems odd to me

Yeah one reason I'm sticking with the stock ones. Hopefully by next year people will have more info on them and if I need a set I'll buy one next black friday.

I was told they are very new and have not been flowed yet.
Oh, and I did ask why they cost double a Olds head. He said that was above his pay grade.

Same BS double talk every time someone asks a legitimate question that receives a politician type answer.

I think the answer is, because we can, and we will charge what we want. Edelbrock already conditioned the market, and since the people want the product, they'll pay an exorbitant price for it.

I guess I'll be sticking to my cast iron round ports. If I want a decent priced aluminum head, I guess I need a Rocket engine, that'll never happen though. The only olds engine I ever had in any of my cars was the 5.7 diesel in an 81 Bonneville.

Thanks Dragncar, for asking the question though........:thumbup:

The ported heads say extended warranty unavailable, but the standard heads are. Kinda like buying a pig in a poke.

I see today you can now add the CNC version of SPEEDMASTER heads to your cart - was not available to do most of the weekend.

$1,491 /pr


https://www.speedmaster79.com/Pontia...Cylinder-Heads

You don’t consider less than $1200.00 a good price?

If olds heads are $780, why would I consider Pontiac heads for $1193 a good price? They don't contain any better materials than an olds head does, do they? The extra $400 dollars per pair is justified how?

Edelbrock set the stage for the extra money over other brands that has never been justified. I know that AMC and olds don't sell more units than Pontiac does, yet they're much cheaper. If it doesn't bother you to pay the upcharge, that's fine, it bothers me to be taken advantage of. Just because I prefer to run a Pontiac Stratostreak engine I should just be happy to pay 30% over other brands aluminum heads?

I have 2 pairs of Pontiac iron round port that I own (455 HO, and RA IV) at a very reasonable price, I've had them gone through, and had port work done on them for a lot less investment than $1200, I'll live with them just fine. I don't need the aluminum heads at that price.

If no one questions the pricing, it will never change. Edelbrock has gotten their asking price for at least 25 years, I think they got their investment returned many times over in that time, Am I right, or wrong? I know that Pontiac heads doesn't sell as many units as chevy does, so they will be more expensive, but olds and AMC are much closer to chevy pricing than Pontiac heads are. I want the manufacturers to justify why, and when they're confronted, you get no answer, just crickets.

Being around high performance Pontiac cars and engines for over 50 years, I expect to pay more than chevy fans do, it's always been that way, but because I chose to race/drive Pontiacs why should I pay much more than AMC, or olds fans do, for the same basic product. If that doesn't bother you, that's fine, it bothers me though. Maybe that comes from being raised by depression era parents, it's just the way I think though when it comes to being overcharged for a product, rant over.

:focus:

It don't look like much of a CNC version in the pics. Too me it looks like a port match only. Maybe why there is no flow rating. J/S.

I know the olds guys have been buying these heads like cord wood for years. Bernard Mondello basically started a business out of buying the bare heads, installing good quality stainless valves, springs and hardware, and light machining for guide clearances and a good valve job. Sold them that way and they flew off the shelves. He has since gone away from using speedmaster for reasons unknown, but I know a LOT of Olds heads have been sold and are in service. Not that I don't agree that prices are unreasonable for the Pontiac equivalent.

Would you buy the heads you have now for 2500 and 4000 bucks you got them years ago and if you sell them you won’t get a deal on them again. So if I’m building a engine for fun not numbers matching I’m going the 1200 route granted only a couple days a year but not 2500 for heads that need work because if they are fresh they are going to be even more. The last pair of r/a II heads I saw fresh ready to install was $4500 cores are 3000+

Someone should ask the Guy in California, to ask the Guy in Australia to ask the Guy in China about the quality of the CNC port job.... That way you will be getting the information from the guy doing the work (first hand)... And then ask what brand of flow bench they use.

Paul,
You sure the guy in China just didn't digitize one of your ports? :eek:

Stan

Only reason its "good" is we are used to getting reamed for so long.
Its just because they can. And of all the ancient out of production weirdo engines, AMC, Buick, Olds, FE Pontiac sells more.
Its a money game and the target in on our back, I mean wallet.
We are all crazy after all.
"shove a LS in it", nah, we enjoy paying 5 times the price.
But at least we can look at ourselves in the mirror.