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We all know that building horsepower requires moving air. The more air your engine can suck in and then push out, the more power it can potentially make. That’s why almost all enthusiasts either do some sort of porting — or at least — gasket matching of the cast-iron cylinder heads on their engine. Many have even stepped up to a set of aluminum heads.
Speaking of aluminum heads, we just heard that Dart Machinery has made some improvements to its tried-and-true SHP-series small-block Chevy heads. In case you were not aware, Dart’s Special High Performance (SHP) small-block Chevy aluminum cylinder head program was originally developed to offer enthusiasts a quality, lightweight aluminum head engineered for hot rodders and budget-minded racers. The company felt there was a need for high-quality small block cylinder heads that the company felt delivered a superior, affordable option to the “cookie-cutter” cylinder heads on the market. But you know what they say, there is always room for improvement.
The improvements result in a redesigned Dart head that features a popular 23-degree valve angle configuration and offers revised port designs to deliver significant power improvements at what Dart refers to as budget-friendly affordability.
Dart’s aluminum heads are manufactured using a proprietary process that employs permanent molds and a dense aluminum alloy. This creates a quality piece with minimal core shift. The intake and exhaust runners — as well as the combustion chambers — are exceptionally smooth in the as-cast condition. According to Dart, this provides excellent power gains at optimum cost-efficiency.
The SHP-series Dart heads are available in either bare form or completely assembled. The bare aluminum heads are designed for the user who will be making a few modifications. They come with powder-metal seats, multi-angle valve jobs, magnesium-bronze valve guides, and .530-inch seals. When purchasing the assembled heads, you get Manley stainless-steel intake and exhaust valves (with wither 7- or 10-degree retainers), your choice of 1.250-, 1.437- or 1.550-inch valve springs to complement the camshaft design your engine is utilizing, Viton valve seals, hardened spring cups, a Dart two-piece guide plate, and ARP rocker arm studs are also included.
If you’re ready to upgrade and would like additional information about these and other Dart products, information is available by calling Dart’s tech team at (248) 362-1188 or visiting www.DartHeads.com.
