BBC Ported Peanut Port Head Review

[@drewsharpe7484]

Ron Sporl from Bessemer AL has gotten over 500hp from stock peanut ports on a mild 496…… Engine was installed in his 3+3 crew cab dually(prob 6500#) Truck ran pretty damn good,even had cast iron exhaust manifolds. He used it to tow offshore power boats

[@cedricwilson2055]

Was wondering where Ron wound up after Katrina

[@shootermcgavin2819]

Us budget build guys really appreciate this video. Alloy heads are far superior but sometimes this iron stuff is all we got 👍🏻

[@mikef-gi2dg]

You said that right, us DYI budget guys got to run what we have. A 500 hp peanut port big block in my 78 Mailbu would be a affordable blast. And I would have NO PROBLEM taking it to the track for some ET FOOT BRAKE RACING....WITHOUT HESITATION.

[@shootermcgavin2819]

@@mikef-gi2dg Its annoying when guys say "peanut ports can't do 500hp." My response is always something like "Coming from someone who knows Camel Hump heads are good for 500hp on a small block chevy. If the Peanut ports flow 30-40 cfm more than 500hp capable Camel Humps than yes peanut port heads are capable of doing 550 hp. Something about a 500hp engine with vintage outdated heads is a real dopamine release. I was fortunate to find 4 Camel Hump heads and a complete 327 with ancient Power Pack heads in a friend's half forgotten storage container in the back of his big property for $1700. The Muncie 4-speed attached to the engine is included. Nice shiny Hurst shifter and clutch fork too. Even the hunt and discovery of this vintage iron is a huge dopamine release. So my point is, you can't get that special excitement from ordering shiny expensive modern parts online than you get by stumbling upon vintage iron in a storage box. Plus real hot rodding is modifying vintage iron for great hp, not ordering fancy Made In China parts to your door. $1200ish for Chinese AFR Enforcer sbc heads verses $1700 for a complete Power Pack head topped 327, Muncie 4-speed and two sets of Fuelie heads. Clear winner there. There is cool NOS and vintage iron out there for real bargain, it comes with an exciting hunt! Go get em 👍🏻

[@mikef-gi2dg]

@@shootermcgavin2819 I couldn't say it any better than that. first time I read about peanut ports and 500-550 hp was in a David Vizard book a while back. If you can take cast away parts and make that kind of power, just imagine what your new found skills will do when you magic hot rod money ship comes in. 500+ in a street car rpm BBC sounds like short money fun to me.

[@shootermcgavin2819]

@@mikef-gi2dg Myvintagiron7512, David Vizard, Andy Woods from Unity Motorsports Garage and Tony DeFeo from Uncle Tonys Garage taught me so much, its intense. I heard Davids books are absolutely nothing short of hardcore. I need to buy all his sbc and bbc books.

[@jeromewieland55]

I never had it on a dyno but a retired gm tech in Louisville KY built a 402 for me back in 2009 with peanut ports that a few oval and rectangular port motors couldn't hang with. I was suprised. The people i beat was even more surprised hahaha. Idk how many times i pulled the valve covers off to show people the casting numbers.

[@williambikash6645]

Peanut port heads were used on low performance 454 marine engines factory rated at about 330 hp + -. The exhaust ports have a mold casting line and are quite thin in this area. I have seen many rust through on salt water cooled engines. So even if used on a car or fresh water closed cooling system be aware that the exhaust port side walls are thin so go lightly on porting.

[@rickbaker9053]

Mark at vortech pro ran 10s with a set of 236s at 9.3:1 compression some porting and running lt1 small block springs...also added 2.19 and 1.88 valves in a 3700 lb Chevelle...you can search it.

[@VORTECPRO]

10.34 @ 3720

[@rickbaker9053]

@@VORTECPRO That's impressive! I bet that's surprised alot of people.

[@rickbaker9053]

@@VORTECPRO That's impressive! I bet that's surprised alot of people.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

@@VORTECPRO I know it's a combination that most turn their noses up at...that said....I have seen the VORTECPRO stuff and it makes me want to try it. I have a set of MARK 5 peanuts, also a couple of 402's. I think that would be a blast. It's a weird combo and I want some. David Vizard has written a lot about peanut ports, going way back.

[@dinosshed]

I really appreciate these videos you keep throwing up. This one is great for the simple fact of being a hack job and having genuine flow figures to demonstrate the improvement.

[@Tshade67]

I ported a set of peanut ports back in the late nineties and remember porting the oval port size all the way in. Maybe the early heads had more metal in the ports. I went with all bigger valves and blended the bowls to match. I never had them flowed but they ran very well on the 460 in a 1968 Impala. 12.80et @ 108mph and had gobs of torque. I tried running 350th and after the tearing 3rd gear out of the 3rd one I went to a 400th.

[@gordocarbo]

Quick Impy you got there! Good example that cfm and hp numbers dont mean much, its the whole combo

[@111000100101001]

It’s nice to see that he put some time into heads that most would throw a nose in the air to and made decent flow improvement.

[@Anarchy-Is-Liberty]

I tossed out a set of these in favor of a set of 781's! Had them on Facebook marketplace for free for several weeks, never got anyone interested, so I tossed them at the scrap yard for probably $5 in scrap. lol

[@gordocarbo]

@@Anarchy-Is-Liberty Did the same with a 305 block in the 90s. Now they are big $ for class racing Speedway motors. Personally I wouldnt use peanut ports unless on a dually.

[@DavidB7474]

Back in the day. The 80’s. The Late John Lingenfelter would upgrade some 049/781 large oval port heads with 2.19/1.88 valve sizes and perform some port work. They made big numbers for street stuff. But I’ve seen plenty of posts that people say dyno numbers for some worked peanut ports can get you 500 hp in a mild 454 big block.

[@patrickm.8425]

Eric said in this video that these peanut ports the way they sit right now, will make upwards of 550hp!

[@Val_Killmore]

Richard Holdener has a video where just a valve job on stock peanuts got over 500hp with an extremely unoptimized camshaft for the test tehy ran. Its not the flow that makes them great its the increased port velocity. They kept level or beat out ported 049s and a dozen other aluminum heads until about 4500rpm.

[@garlandjones7709]

I would've loved to see you put another 2.25 valve in that could have a correct backcut angle flowed for comparison not only against the Manley, but against the 2.19 on the stronger port.

[@Tom-k2b9r]

Great video, thanks. I've thought of using peanut port heads on my '69 El Camino 396. It's a low rpm freeway cruiser. Interesting about putting a larger intake valve in the short intake runner. I might think about replacing the stock 2.06" with a 2.19" in those four places. Maybe not necessary for my application but hey, why not it's cool

[@111000100101001]

I was fortunate enough to be taught many years ago to always grind a back cut when resurfacing valves. A few mins extra while the other guys are out smoking. Maybe I just enjoyed doing valve jobs, but it makes sense to do it if there’s material in the way.

[@vehdynam]

Very informative and interesting as always.Thank you.

[@dtread9543]

Peanut ports are perfect street heads for a car with highway gears or in a pickup. They do not breath well over 5000 regardless of the cam, but the smaller port increases low speed volumetric efficiency compared to the larger square port heads.

[@Harrybowles1969]

Done exactly this on my gen 4 penut ports! Hopefully it does ok

[@468bbccapri]

I'm not sure of the exact year they first came out but I bought two 454's out of some wrecked '76 Impala police cars back in the 1970's and both of them had peanut port heads with regular oval port intakes on them. One engine had flat tops with one valve relief pistons and the other had pistons with a big dish in the middle. I guess they were experimenting.

[@antilaw9911]

Peanut ports heads 454 didn't come out until late 80"s. So many people are misinformed and confused about this. 3 types of big block heads made. Square-large oval and small oval peanut ports(nickname). You definitely can tell the difference by looking how small the peanut ports are compared to standard or large oval port. They are small. Heads in this video look like standard oval ports. Even the cooling passages in these heads looks like the older style. I've seen so many people call the standard oval port heads peanut ports. I could just rack my brain all the misinformation on these. !!!

[@468bbccapri]

@@antilaw9911 that's incorrect I went to the salvage yard and took two engines out of a couple of 76 Chevy police cars and I had never seen a peanut port in my life until then so I know exactly what I was looking at because I showed them to all my friends who had never seen such a thing peanut ports look like they were half the size of a regular oval port so give me a break. If you actually did any research you would see that they came out for first time on big blocks in September for the 1975 model year. I bought those engines in 1977.

[@Saan455]

They were used from 1975 to 95 on trucks

[@gordocarbo]

My 90 dually had them, wouldnt sink any $ into them. Fine for their intended purpose

[@Saan455]

@@gordocarbo Not a race head or high hp. However mpg .stop light to stop light. Part throttle . Towing. Peanut ports will do just fine

[@reloadingfun]

the flow numbers are better than 781's/049's up to .400 lift and about the same at .500 lift. the 781's still gain at .600. I guess if you already have some peanut ports or get them real cheap, you'd be doing alright. getting some 781's or 049's and putting bigger valves in those would be a substantial jump in CFM, if I recall correctly. in Facebook groups and on forums, you always hear people talk about 781's and peanut ports. it would be nice for all of us budget guys to have a comparison and be able to see what the real difference in these heads is. bigger valves vs ported vs stock for example.

[@trailerparkcryptoking5213]

Impressive for low buck high torque.... Great info/content!

[@1WILDsMoPARtech]

It wasn't such a thing back in the day.. but it seems like a lot of people fall back on the back cut for numbers now.

[@craigchiddo2794]

Dv did a trapezoid port on an epoxied rec port

[@jeffpittman8725]

Thinking about a BBC in my C1500 suburban, and I'm curious about this head. Not looking for racing but loading up with people and gear the 350 struggles.

[@gordocarbo]

WOuld work well on it...if you have 781s though stick with them .

[@chickenray182]

Not a bad street head, but the weight is considerable. An aluminum version would be great for a 500hp street car with awesome torque.

[@davidphillips3953]

I always thought they called em peanut ports because the flow was peanuts compared to a real BBC head.

[@shadvan9494]

great video. I love seeing the port work people do. to me this one represents what DIY guy can do in their own garage with and little time and elbow grease invested. I think the peanut port heads would be killer setup for the 366 truck motors, or 396 baby big block for a daily driver BBC or a light truck like a C10 or K10. match it with a cam like a COMP 266HR-12 and standard Edelbrock performer 2161 along with a good Q-Jet carb and some 1 3/4" long tube headers and it would be a stump pulling monster. I would figure around 375HP peak around 5500rpm and should make a tabletop flat torque curve of around 450lbft from around 1500-4500 rpm.

[@gordocarbo]

Good post, makes total sense .

[@rapidride2]

What width of a backcut do you shoot for?

[@danielslocum7169]

better than i expected.

[@tgvettes]

one of the big problems is see with using peanut port heads is that there is no aftermarket peanut port intakes? you hinted to it about the intake port size! As far as what I have seen all aftermarket oval port heads have way bigger ports then the peanut port size.

[@62Gasanova]

With nick's heads and any other 049 or 781 head with 3/8 stems would these Ferrea 5000 series F5108 - Intake valves @ 2.19" & 3/8 stem 5.246" work better? And order under cut stems with flat face.

[@notinterested8397]

As a Mopar guy, I'm disappointed that the worst bbc head outflows the best factory 440 head by 30 cfm.

[@gordocarbo]

Ill never understand why Mopar put such a crappy head on their 440. So much potential yet...

[@blueridgemountainprepper2166]

I dropped by and subbed him the other day, after watching your video from Ohio

[@musclebone7875]

Peanut port heads do have potential especially with the right combo, but for me I'd jump right to some large oval port heads or rectangular port heads.

[@DadsDriveway]

Nice proof that porting works. I am trying to get through to you about some Dragon Slayer 260cc Xtra heads. I need a set for Drag Week.

[@gordocarbo]

Props to the owner for volunteering...that is how you truly learn what not to do...and what helps Spent many yrs and thousands out of pocket on projects to learn myself otherwise you really dont know whats happening . A pro is worth every penny there is so much more to it, picking the right VJ to compliment it people have no idea. I tend to be harsh on yt'ers who promote grinding the pizz out of a valve seat with a drill. Why port if youre gonna shortcut things?

[@hectorsotelo1074]

Eric I've yet to see comparisons between 049 or similar bbc heads with the large oval ports to the low dollar aluminum heads. That would be a nice comparison both as cast and ported irons

[@gordocarbo]

Lot of the cheap Chinese BB heads are 325cc way too big for most applications.

[@bryanwolf9643]

I emailed this guy about a year ago and he said he didn't work on iron heads so maybe he has had a change of heart!

[@WeingartnerRacing]

I didn’t port them. I will valve job them but not grind on them.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

@@WeingartnerRacing You will do the valve job....well now that opens up some options right there!!!!!

[@gordocarbo]

I do iron but little picky. Ones that are too old, have corrosion behind the bowls and can get holes too easily.

[@dragginfool]

EW, I just want to throw an idea out if it happens to be an option. Can you do a flow comp of notched bore vs. non-notched bore?

[@gmcnelly2468]

only the exhaust guides go into water jacket.

[@scottsigmon926]

Very good review, thank you.

[@handmethatchingadera]

These are on some 454 boat engines. My question is would upgrading the heads be worth it? The boat cruises in the 2500-3600rpm range and can run up to about 5000rpm flat out. If I was to swap heads would I gain power in the cruising rpms and torque? Most marine cams are fairly mild but I was looking at a Howard’s marine cam and maybe an air gap intake. Would you be willing to make a recommendation for a marine engine on the heads and maybe a cam?

[@WeingartnerRacing]

You would gain switching from these heads.

[@msh6865]

Firstly, it's nearly impossible to screw up a BBC. They make power so easily. These peanut heads on a low compression 454 in a heavy car can be real fun on the street. With a 230 duration cam and around .550 lift, you'll see well over 500 ft lbs of torque all the way to 5K rpm. That's tire shredding fun! They're done by 5500 rpm but, not everyone wants to wind their BBC to 7500. Plus, not everyone goes to the track every weekend. People are sleeping on these dirt cheap heads.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

With some conservative/highway gearing and the right trans converter combo, I would have NO PROBLEM taking this combo in my street car to the track for some ET racing...NO PROBLEM AT ALL.

[@BillyWilliams-d2e]

Thanks

[@bluecollarhotrods9781]

They would work decent on a street 396/402 I think. I believe they were 225cc runner volume factory, wonder what they are now?

[@shitbox82]

Excellent street head for smaller big blocks for sure, a rectangle port or even a large oval is too much cylinder head for a 396/402 in my opinion…

[@chevyrc3623]

It seems like 500 hp on a big block Chevy doesn't take much. But that's pretty cool I have a 402 BBC with oval ports all it's been done to it is just bigger cam, a dual plane intake, and a 750 cfm carburetor I believe and roller rockers. The heads aren't ported it just a have fun motor that's all it was it's not running yet but it's on my 1971 El Camino

[@gordocarbo]

All most 396 need to run well is a moderate HFT cam headers intake etc. Love those engines, the exh note is identical to the 327 just an octave lower. Listen to both wiht turbos n turndowns youll see.

[@craigchiddo2794]

When you put the rectangle manifold on the oval head did you add clay to shape the port or just ran into the wall

[@WeingartnerRacing]

I’m not sure what you mean.

[@craigchiddo2794]

@@WeingartnerRacing did you match the intake ports when you ran a rectangle port manifold on oval port heads or ran mismatched as is

[@cedricwilson2055]

Going to need a nice sized cam to get 500 hp with only 250 cfm

[@gordocarbo]

Agree...with PP id just focus on torque otherwise a waste camming up a BB with wheezy heads.

[@billskalicky5400]

How much horsepower could a stock 781 or 049 head support?

[@msh6865]

650 easy.

[@garycardwell6854]

Link for his page?

[@patrickwendling6759]

Peanut arrived from small child.. older aunt's & uncle's would call children peanuts bc their small people..

[@riverratmarine7259]

Your no superman but a supergrinder yeah I'd say so

[@collierdodson9806]

A thin valve will warp .

[@collierdodson9806]

I got four of them for sale stock no valves 50.00 each.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

Mark 4 or Mark 5?

[@jesse75]

​@@mikef-gi2dgwhat's the difference ,?

[@mikef-gi2dg]

@@jesse75 Big difference in the cooling passages from block to head. 90% of people say you can't cross the Mark 4 with the Mark 5, and vice versa. Fel_Pro and 10% of people say you can.

[@jesse75]

@@mikef-gi2dg I frequent a local wrecking yard and a friend of mine who is the town junk man. I mainly search for Ford engines as i specialize and rebuild them. Been doing this as a hobby since about 1979. Couldn't count how many engines I've did over the years. 500-600 ? At the wrecking yard was a wrecked tow truck. Had a clean and orange 🍊 big block in it. Someone took the manifold off already. So for fun and investigation, my daughter, certified ASE, she's 18, yep had no son so I corrupted her, took the heads off. Clean as a whistle. Decided to buy/take the engine, even though it's a Chevy. Ha ha. Plate glued to side of block says it's a Generation 4. I'm assuming the heads are a match to the block or are they ? They have 2.19 valves, I matched them up with a set of 4v Cleveland valves. The exhaust are larger than a 1.71. But they are the so called peanut port ? Are these the right heads for the block ? How to tell ? 3 pistons showed some minor melting or giving way at the top ring land. No scoring on the cilinder wall. So I replaced the pistons. Did the heads cause that problem ? Like I said. Every engine can be an investigation and investment.

[@mikef-gi2dg]

@@jesse75 I can't get out of a junk yard with out picking up something, I wasn't looking for...but I want to use sometime in the future. As far as what generation Big Block you have...if the block cooling holes next to the cylinders is ROUND..It's a gen 4. if the same cooling holes are kind of tri-angle-oval shaped it's a gen 5 or 6. The coolant passages at the ends of the heads are different between Gen 4 and 5 or 6. These are the rubs between generations. I doubt VERY SERIOUSLY somebody mixed gen 4 and gen 5/6 heads. It can be done. Fel-Pro makes gaskets that should seal up these different passages, they have a tech bulletin about this. Only the Big Block experts would consider this cross swap, and aftermarket heads add a whole new twist to the mix. Peanut (very small round intake ports) are for low rpm heavy truck use, but can be used in 5000 rpm on down use. I have asked MANY BIG BLOCK experts about this and I get about 3 different versions of what will work. Google should identify what you have. Happy hunting!

[@shaun4bigblocks993]

You are making a mistake with respect to terminology- you keep saying "hurts performance" when you should be saying " hurts power" or specifically "hurts HP." Whether he is working with peanut ports to stay within a class, or because he is truly wanting to have the best possible "low idle"of idle low end "torque," the application that one is aiming for dictates the "performance needed" regardless to where in the rev range power (HP) and (Tork) numbers are generated. Examlpe: You have a Buick 3800 NA that makes a few more peak HP than a late 70s Cadillac 500- so the Buick definataly makes more power right? Lets have a tractor pulling competition and see which one performs better. I lived this, kinda, teying to pull out a stump. The 3800 couldn't even budge the stump and I had to rev it so high to make any decent torqe that all I did was spin the tires into their own grave. Now the low end grunt less powerful Caddy motor- it crawled the stump out effortlessly without even spinning the tires. In that application, the low power Cadillac 500 analiated the high power Buick 3800. Always remember, performance is determined by application, and peak HP and peak torque values don't mean performance, just rather IN RELATION TO POSITION ON A POWER/TORQUE GRAPH which is used to determine what situations said numbers will best perform in. Not everyone is looking to operate at 100% RPM in light vehicles all the time. Example 2: My 1992 Toyota Corolla gets better performance, with respect to MPG, than my 1982 1 tonned Suburban with a moddified 454- but my 454 makes more power and torque anywhere in the rev range of either engine. See what I mean, a lot of "other" factors come into play with regards to the word "performance" so please stop saying "hurts performance" when I think you mean to say "hurts flow." And depending on the situation flow can actually "hurt performance." Richard Holden is bad about this also- he is stuck in a world where mid and high range peak numbers are all that matter to him. Granted he is indirectly in the business of selling "performance parts," but notice he almost always clips off low end RPM from his graphs? He will say, for example, that cam B is way more worth it for performance than a Thuck Norris cam, not realizing that the Truck Norris cam is trying to find that nice teater totter balance between having to rev the crap out of the engine or not to get to the point of making any decent power- really important in an application where you want to maximize power and torque while still being able to tow and get decent fuel economy. Again, performance goals vary, and in some situations to much flow hurts performance.