RamAirV castings
 

Unmachined

Notes:

*raised intake runners to reduce short side radius.
*reduced CSA, but larger capable size for larger engines
*significant improvement on exhaust
*efficient modern combustion chamber
*more room for porting
*11/32 valve stems instead of 3/8
*short side radius technology
*significantly less bronze guide protrusion
*protruded intake runner to accept stock intake location
*improved spark plug location
*improved water jackets to eliminate head gasket issues.
*complete area for shaft or stud rockers
*maintained CSA around pushrod area
*OAL valves only 5.700 inches

exhaust

Any questions? Please ask away............Lynn

[email protected]
317-839-8378

Now that's solid progress!!!
Are they sand-cast? If so, that's a nice casting job.
356-T6 alloy?
What "improvements" to the coolant passages?

Yes, thank you, and yes 356-T6. We improved the water jackets significantly. As we all know the RA-V has a better valve order for eliminating Siamese exhaust port problems with respect to that center head gasket problem, and we also got significantly improved water flow to the exhaust side of the head. RA-V's were way better than traditional Pontiacs to start. ;-)

These heads will be available in with or without water. How many no water jacket guys out there?

Lynn

Lynn,

Great work, I was just chatting with a friend of yours last night about the status of the project.

Calvin Hill
Hill Performance
708-250-7420

thanks Calvin, more pictures

Congrats Lynn!! very nice looking casting, any idea on production time?

Lynn,will current RA V intakes and exhaust bolt up without any mods?Tom

Are you also making an intake to work with these?

What about cam shafts? I assume a standard core will not work?

They look great. Awesome to see you making progress.

Do you think they will allow you to run these in SS?

FYI,cams are no problem,Comp and Bullet can make them.I just got one last week from comp.Tom

Will these work on OEM and Aftermarket block?
What rockers?

I had no idea this project was in the works.

Nice job lynn.

Thanks 500, we have plans for them to hit the floor in 6 weeks. Initial evaluations gave good quality checks. Believe it or not we probably will probably make a special run (although very expensive) of heads without water jackets. They will be with a premium price tag due to small volumes and higher production costs.

Lynn

I assume by the pics and the fact that you mention push rod bulge that the intake ports have been moved?

Nice job. I'm sure we will be seeing more RA5 GTOs and T/As

Will you sell these complete bolt on or bare?

Yes Tom. If you will look at the pictures of the top showing the castings with the intake flange, you will notice that they are extended. This is done to compensate for the 5/8 inch we raised the ports to accept the stock intakes. However the intake ports are smaller, so you will have to port match. This will be done one of two ways. We plan to offer a CNC to match to the stock port size. Alternatively, you can epoxy up the stock flange to meet the new smaller intakes.

Lynn

Yes and it looks awesome to say the least. It will be a single plane intake with the ability to adjust the size of the plenum based on the application desired, or hood clearance limitations. I think we might need two version, maybe a short profile version for stock hoods, but it depends on the demand for such a thing.


True, but they are available. I have worked with a couple of cam companies that are willing to give us pricing based on multiple runs. This will reduce cost of everyone going onesy twosie to the cam companies. Purchasing all together will allow purchasing advantages.


Thanks Ron. RA-V's even the stock OEM ones are not legal for super stock. (ridiculous if you ask me). However, they are legal in Super Stock modified and Comp, so we will go after that approval. ;) I will probably be the first to build a RA-V SS/AM car about 420 cubic inches with twin dominators.

Yes, I am doing a crate motor engine as we speak for the first dyno testing. It will be stock Pontiac block, eagle crank, eagle rods, 4.182 bore and 4.25 stroke. We will dyno with unported heads single 4 and then dual 4. We then will port the heads completely and start over. This will be with all standard street/strip engine components with stud mounted roller rockers. It will be my standard RA-V crate motor available complete or unassembled through RamAirV.com

Yes you can also use the after market blocks.

Thanks John, we will machine these for the stock 1.65 rocker ratio. If you want different ratios then you can buy the heads with the push rod tubes not installed and accommodate the alternative rocker ratios.

We will be sending heads to a rocker shaft company for proper sizing of shaft rockers to offer kits and searching for economy.

Mo, thanks and thanks for picking up on that bulge concept. The RA-V's had very poor carb signal as they were very huge then necked down to the push rod area too quickly. It also is a very lazy port because it is way too big. We made the port smaller, but maintained the CSA around the pushrod by bulging around the pushrod tube. This keeps the port small just ahead of the pushrod area keeping velocity up and not create a brick wall with respect to velocity. We are hoping to make significantly improvement for 455 style engines and below.

Lynn

Lynn, What should we expect these heads to flow as cast on intake/exhaust. Im sure you have done a much better job on the exhaust than the factory. Can you also include the bore size that you used on the flow bench. Thanks, Don.

We will sell them bare or complete to your specifications. However, I recommend light weight valves. As you all know RA-V's came with hollow stem valves for a reason. I have gone through the mill and back trying to maintain lightweight valve train technology. This is the reason we have only a 11/32 valve stem and 5.700 over all valve lengths. We are working on hollow stem valve pricing and titanium valve pricing.

Lynn

Tom, what did it cost you ?

That is one of the smarts moves I've seen in after market head design. Lynn do you
have a ball park price for bare heads and intake, intake for Dominator ?

Thought of some more questions, is there room to add head bolts, instead of the typical 4 per cylinder. Is there any particular reason why you kept it an in-line valve head?

Lou,it was a little over $600 I believe for a one off custom billet.They grind them from a round billet.When a core gets made for more orders im sure they will be the same or close to std cams.Also I will be using 5/16 stems as that is what is in my street heads for the last 8 years or so.Std. early hemi valves were perfect on the intake side.Lynn,I have a set of shaft rockers now.Larry Long had them done for me so you might check who did them.I know Nunzi had them done by someone also.TomTom

Thanks Gach, $2500 for bare head castings. The heads without water jackets will be about $500 more. It is usually $500-$700 for complete heads fully assembled, but not with special valves like a RA-V. Tunnel Ram intake will be under $1000 with the availability of either a 4 barrel or 2X4 barrel top and the ability to mill down plenum size. We will let you know what prices we get. I am trying to keep

After running SS and a Tunnel Port for lots of years and seeing them over hundreds of dyno pulls, valve train is the most misunderstood limitation on Pontiac motors. We got 7500 RPM out of my 455SD with 188 cc intake runners. A big part of that is valve train. We used to think the heads quit flowing at 6200. Not true, it was valve spring limitations due to valve bounce. My opinion we do it in this order:

1.) install lightest valve train weight possible
2.) use soft style seats as hardened seats exacerbates valve bounce as do stainless valves.
3.) run as much valve spring as you need to make power. Cheap valve springs on a Pontiac do not cut it.

Lynn

Don,

Good question. Remember we dont have them machined yet. Yes we have a good estimate, but I would like to reserve my answer for actual values.

I think we will get 40 to 60 more flow from stock, and the exhaust will flow as much as or more than you need. More importantly the smaller CSA will improve volumetric efficiency.

Lynn

We are going to build a Pontiac RA-V race-only block with two more bolts per cylinder. The first version will be with a 4.500 (plus change) bore and the second will be a 4.600 plus bore. Of course some smart street guy will put all the race stuff into a street car and break all barriers of I dont do it first ;)

Each cylinder head has its advantages and its disadvantages. When doing a HP Pontiac motor you pick your poison ;-). Then you try to exemplify the advantages and minimize the limiting areas. My opinion a RA-V has a pretty good package to that ultimate end. Ford spent millions of research dollars and was committed to the Tunnel port concept when the GM of Chevrolet (Bernie Knudsen) became President of Ford and scrapped everything by bringing over his engineering team from Chevrolet and switch to the splayed valve design.

Now we are getting into philosophy that needs to be under a different post. :)

Tom, $600.00 that's a good price I think...seeing their paying $800.00 for the 4-7
swap grinds.

Lynn, I'm surprise at the price, I thought it would be allot more, good price in my
opinion. The intake sounds a little high..but it's a tunnel Ram intake well design.
So I'd pay the price.

I know what your saying there is always compromises in head design, I feel real
comfortable knowing someone with years of Super Stock racing who has dealt with
some of the best engine builders in the country input. Pretty exciting I think it's
going to be another killer head.

Lou,just found my paperwork,661 and a 4-7 switch would have been the same price.As I said before,the price will drop when a V billet is avail and wont have to be done from a round billet.Tom

I am going to have someone do us billets. I will probably do a 50MM with an optional 55. We have both in stock blocks. 50MM is a roller bearing and 55 requires a slipper bearing.

Lynn

more pictures
 

Lynn McCarty
[email protected]

Hello Lynn, have you thought about maybe putting the plug in this area?

Yes, however we do have a water jacket restriction, so we will see what we can get. That would be with the plugs angled toward the exhaust and away from the intakes. This improves combustion efficiency by inducing the flame travel backwards. If you notice there is a degree of casting separation from the spark plug tip and the intake flow.

Combustion occurs via time temperature and turbulence. Since the area around the exhaust leaves the chamber/cylinder first, this it makes sense to burn that area first not like the old way of burning the fuel on the entrance of the intake valve.

Blaktopr I assume you already know this, I was just pointing it out for those who may not.

Lynn

Congratulations, Lynn.

Considering the development costs and time, I think the prices are extremely reasonable.

Eric

How are you getting that bore size? 4.5 and 4.6 did you stretch the dimensions of the block?

Wow- I had no idea this was proceeding so well.
Please translate "hit the floor in six weeks" for this dummy...

Congrats Lynn for a long project coming to an end! Looks good.

But we all know a 455 is all done by 5500 why are you pounding on your so much, I guess it's those huge 188cc ports:)

I'm not familiar with the original design, are those chambers an updated design (like KRE D-ports and HP)?

We stretch, tease, manipulate, drill, miscombobulate, bend, cheat, argue, fight, insult, karaoke, drink, abuse, sodomize, politic, catywompus(ize), screw, debate.....master......masterbate, then go to sleep, wake up, pop 40mg of Prozac, then start over.

Lynn

Thank you Eric. We took extra time, but it was necessary to keep the pricing low. If we threw another $50k at it we probably could got it done way sooner, but then it would have been way more expensive. Keeping the cost reasonable is the main objective to keeping the price reasonable. Annette will only allow me a certain amount of "play" money and I also own 2 Super Stockers and a 69 TA stocker/10.5 car. Two of them have been parked to divert money to this project.

I had a 455 short block ready for dynoing the RA-V heads, then I scattered a short block in my SSer and had to use it. Now we are getting another ready.

Lynn

Here are the OEM head pictures with one comparing old and new.

Naw Skip, lol, we just made peak HP at 7200 on my 455SD with 188 ccs. Of course you wouldnt believe the weird stuff we do to get those RPMs. Too bad NHRA wont let us run RA-Vs or we wouldnt have that issue.

Last thursday we set the record for the fastest time in my 455SD SSer. ;-) Watch us at Indy, we are pretty excited. We are renting IRP for testing next week, that will be fun. (Damn I sound like that extend my unit commercial).

Lynn

Street Strip enhancements
 

I thought this might be helpful to post this email I received with the answers.

Mr. McCarty,
you are to be highly commended on your lasting dedication to see this project through, congratulations. the castings look absolutely outstanding, and i'm sure your well thought out changes of them will be rewarding. Thanks!

my questions are in regards to application. will they be able to mount factory accessories/brackets and be used in a street capacity? basically, if it fits under a stock hood, runs on pump gas, and is durable with moderate maintenance , it's streetable.

* Yes absolutely. We have made several steps to actually make this head more streetable than the original head.
o You can run the stock dual plane intake.
o intake port reduced for better volumetric efficiency.
o reconfigured push rod area to improve carb signal without losing power.
o around 75 cc combustion chamber as cast, but we are going to offer a larger and smaller combustion chamber by milling and machining.
o standard Pontiac style stud mounted rockers
o Stock block bolt on application
o All accessory bolt hole locations (same as Edelbrock).
o Stock appearance (especially with a can of spray paint).
o Offering port match to stock intake flange.
o improved water jacket cooling
o stock exhaust flange location
o reverse water flow will be future offering
o stock piston valve relieves (depending on cam and swapping hole for RA-V valve order)
o 2 inch to 2 1/4 headers in the works
o streetable single plane intake for single 4 or dual 4
o Intake with centrifugal blower/turbo capability


i am extremely excited at the possibility of having a "Ram Air V" powered car that i can drive and enjoy. thank you, for bringing this high quality head to market and i wish you great success with your endeavors.

Matt

thanks Matt

Lynn McCarty
CMI Motorsports
[email protected]
317-839-8378

I think the only better time to be a Pontiac fan may have been 1970. And thats only if i had 30k burning a hole in my pocket.

This is great news for the Pontiac crowd. Heck Im only 36 so I easily remember how difficult it was to get aftermarket Pontiac pieces. Im glad to say Im no tripping over the amount of vendors that devise and manufacture high quality true Pontiac pieces. Thanks!!!

Sorry Lynn.....meant comb chamber.

Does stock appearing mean no logo's on the outside of heads. While not trying to fool anyone a logo in the valve train area would make most happier well me anyways. How many pairs are you figuring to do on the first run. Guess the header question was answered is it any company

you going to charge extra to mill or machine for the cc a person wants?

Oh, no problem,

This is the new style comb chamber heart shaped. It is simply killer in %CE.

Lynn

Havent decided yet on logos, we have left them off for now. If we do install one, it will be easy to remove. The race head version and blocks will definitely have it. The number of heads we run will depend on interest and purchases. We are actually going to run heads without water jackets first.

Lynn McCarty
CMI Motorsports
[email protected]
317-839-8378