It just dawned on me that I could probably put the 351W heads on the 302 to get the Cat on the road until the 351W engine is built.
I could just reuse the stock 2v intake and carb so the only costs would be ARP studs to compensate for the different side bolts.
Any issues or drawbacks to doing this?
Basically it is more trouble than it is worth. 351w heads have bigger combustion chambers and the compression is so low that to make it work you need pop up pistons to get to 9:1 compression. A new set of pistons will cost $1k so it’s not going to be a good idea.
Royce is correct, there are better aftermarket options than stock 351W heads.
However, I think the '69 351W 4V heads did have smaller combustion chambers - and I recall a few friends going that route in the late 70s-early 80s
I ask because I already have the heads since I’m not going to use them on the 351W that I’m building out for the transplant.
I figured it would be a minimal cost to get the car back on the road.
They’ll work, just won’t be ideal for power creation.
If they are C9OE (1969 castings) that would be preferable.
Compared to stock 302 heads they will drop the compression by a couple points. There’s no amount of flow that can make up for that loss of power. Also you will need a set of Boss 302 head bolts and custom length pushrods to make it work. It’s a lot of hassle for no reward.
Don’t you have the stock 302 heads still?