The heads Car Craft used on their 600-horse monster small-block engine were from Racing Head Service (RHS). However, before I took the bait I did a little research on my own and discovered that RHS would be a good way to go. Some of the facts that I uncovered were the RHS PN 35001-02 Ford heads with an 180cc runner, smaller than the available 215cc runner, are a better choice for a stock-block engine, because the smaller dimensions keep the velocity up. But even with the impressive low- to mid-lift flow characteristics of the 180cc runners, they are capable of flowing quite well with up to .535-inch lift. Since most of the time, especially with the Gear Vendors 8-speed RUG-TOD transmission I've already installed in the '72, the 302-inch engine will spend most of its life at around 2,000 rpm. Of course, with the 4.56:1 gears in the Moser rearend (2.47:1 final in 8th gear overdrive) that I've yet to install, there will be times when the little Ford truck motor will be screaming its head off, or should I say heads? Another contributing factor to my choice of the RHS heads is that they are available in aluminum. Opting for alloy heads was a no-brainer, they weigh much less than the original Ford cast-iron heads, plus they dissipate heat must faster. If this wasn't enough, they look better. One of the steps that must be taken on-no matter which Windsor engine a person installs the RHS heads on-is that the piston-to-valve clearance must be established. RHS specifies that there must be .080 inch for the intake valves and .100 inch for the exhaust. In the case of my 302-inch truck motor with the lowest compression pistons a small-block Ford engine came with, I think there's a good chance I will not need to clearance the pistons.
Now, getting back to the Car Craft budget-boost story and Grant's possible installation of a huffer on his truck, I'll let you guys know what I'm up to. The centrifugal supercharger that Car Craft used to produce up to 618 hp on their 5.0 small-block Ford was from ProCharger. Again, not taking anyone else's word for it, I did a little research and decided the ProCharger would be the best way for me to go for my application. At this point it should be noted that Car Craft's 5.0 engine with its 618hp figure isn't a reliable engine. In their words, "Hey! Don't small-block Fords start sawing themselves in half at around 600 hp?" It creates a pretty humorous image in one's mind, but it's not what I'm after. My next step was to call Dave Culver at ATI ProCharger and find out the best route for what I had planned. Although a part of my original game plan has been ditched, I'm retaining the idea that everything I buy for my '72 302-inch truck motor should be able to be transferred onto a bigger small-block Ford engine. This means everything that I have bought so far can be reinstalled on a 347, or even a 427-inch Windsor Ford. Getting back to my truck 302. From what I've seen other people do, I should be able to get around 400 reliable horsepower out of the engine.
It's not going to be in the next issue, but, as soon as I can, I intend to get all of these goodies bolted on to my engine and get the old girl up to the dyno. In the meantime, rest assured that Grant and I are feverishly working to outdo each other.
 Another big bonus with the...  Another big bonus with the RHS design is that the dual exhaust flange pattern will accommodate most common brands of headers. In the case of our 302, the Hooker Headers go right on. |  An important area to pay critical...  An important area to pay critical attention to is the interface between the intake ports and the intake manifold. Before final assembly we will double-check that our Weiand aluminum intake manifold and the RHS heads unite in a harmonious fashion. |  The ATI ProCharger is fully...  The ATI ProCharger is fully contained, eliminating the need for unsightly external oil-lines that can break and ultimately drain an engine of its ever so crucial oil supply. Here's a bottle of ATI ProCharger's oil developed specifically for use in a ProCharger centrifugal supercharger. |