Dual plane intake on W2 heads?

[Tony W]

Anyone running W2 heads and a dual plane intake? There is the Iron 4 bbl d.p. and the P5249572 and the Weiand Stealth. Anyone?

[DYNO360]

I didn't know there was a cast iron intake for the W2's. Can anyone help?

[sanborn]

Yes, there were cast iron intakes for W2s. They were original equipment on Highway Patrol Pursuit cars in the late 70s. All they were however were standard 4 barrel intakes (like HP 340s) with the intake bolt pattern for W2s.

Didn't know MP had them available.

[DYNO360]

Sanborn If the cast iron W2 intakes are available, wouldn't they be the best bet if the rules called for cast iron intakes? This combo would produce more power without porting over regular production heads (unported) and regular cast iron 4bbl wouldn't it? And what about magnum heads. Are there any cast iron intakes that will work with them?

[mr_340]

MP lists two CI manifolds in the 2001 catalog (I haven't received the 2002 yet), P5249193 (2bbl) and 194 (4bbl). Given the way the W5 aluminum single plane intake was made (standard 340 ports with the W5 bolt pattern), I'd guess that these are regular CI intakes with the bolt holes moved to fit the W2 heads.

[DYNO360]

Mr_340 What kind of carburator on the 4bbl intake? Spreadbore (Thermoquad or Quadrajet) or Squarebore?
Speaking of 4 bbls. Can you take a Holley with side hung floats and change it to center hung fuel bowls? It looks like the bolt holes line up. Has anyone tried it? I have a Holley 650 cfm spreadbore, vacuum secondary carb with side hung floats. I want to change it to a center hung float arrangement. I would have already tried it but I don't have a second 4 bbl with the center hung floats around. Any suggestions?

[mr_340]

Not sure what carb would fit the intake, but I would think that they would use a standard Holley 4150/late AFB bolt pattern.

As far as the Holley goes, I've put the center hung bowls on a number of 4160/4150 type Holleys, including a 390 cfm Holley that a friend had on his 2600cc V6 Capri (Das German variety). The carb looked like a 780 and it was half as big as the engine. Carb was way too big for that engine. I think the spreadbore Holleys use a different float bowl. Get a Holley catalog and look if they make a conversion kit like they do for the 4160-to-4150 models.

[sanborn]

Dyno 360, yes the W2 head with a cast iron intake would be a good combination. But, the local track(Duck River) will not allow W2 heads under any condition. Several years ago I got a written confirmation from Dick Maxwell (former VP of Direct Connection/Mopar Perfromance) that stated that the W2 headed/cast iron intake engine was produced as an assembly line engine. Even stated how many were produced (a few hundred). Didn't make any difference to the track owners, they didn't care. They are GM guys. Notice Fords can't compete there either. The Mopar guys overcome a lot of odds to be competitive.

[DYNO360]

Well said Sanborn. How did you know I was thinking about Duck River. Anyway, do you think Hohenwald, Baxter or the new Golden Mountain track would know a W2 from a hole in the ground? I'm not trying to cheat, but just trying to level the playing field against the Chevy bias.

[sanborn]

No, they wouldn't know a W2 from a hole in the ground, but neither does the Duck River personnel. They just go into orbit when they see oval intake ports and "D" shaped exhaust. Because it doesn't look like a GM, it must be illegal.

Sorry for my attitude! That's the reason I prefer Super Late Model-where the engine rules are simple; one spark plug per cylinder, two valves per cylinder and one 4 barrel carb. If we get beat, it's because we get beat- not because we can't run the best equipment available.

[Mopar Trac]

I've ran the w-2's with the weiand dual plane for 4 years. makes great power down low but found that also resticts rpms to bout 6800-6900 unless you are breaking traction. Car was awesome on restarts and off the corner had to to a lot of work on chassis to get to use all of the power off the corners but was well worth the effort.

[Trat]

I've heard that you can put a "stock" manifold on a newer Magnum head by egging out the intake bolt holes (on the manifold), and making some shims to put between the bolt head and the top of the intake manifold. It's not 'spose to be that hard to do. AMC lifter and pushrod needed, too.

The new Magnum RT should be pretty close to the W2. The W2 flows better on the intake, but the new RT flows better exhaust (and more balanced Intake/Exhaust ratio).

Sanborn, is that right? I never knew that the W2 was ever used on production. What did they put 'em on? (Have to start checking the boneyards!)

[sanborn]

I have actually only seen one engine. Saw it several years ago in Alabama (greazy, obviously out of a car, thermoquad carb, dual snorkel air filter, stock type exhaust manifolds, hydraulic cam, non bushed adjustable rockers, short valves). The guy told me it came out of a Texas Highway Patrol pursuit car. Apparently Texas and Arizona purchased several for special duty.

I was trying to help some local Mopar racers get the W2 head approved for the Bomber class. Wrote to Dick Maxwell at Mopar asking about the engine. Got a response from an assistant. The letter confirmed there were some built as special order in late 70s and early 80s. I may have the letter around here, haven't seen it in some time. Something like 350 (memory may be bad) cars were equipped with W2s.

That engine I did the oiling modifications to (pictures were posted) had a set of early W2s like the ones I saw. And the heads came out of Texas about 10 years ago (along with about 10 other sets). The heads had been updated with long valves, pedestal rocker arm stands, etc. But the heads had only the exhaust bolt pattern of the stock X or J heads, not the dual pattern of other W2s (aftermarket) I have seen.

Unless there is a special reason you want the early heads I wouldn't get real excited about trying to find those heads. I suspect someone is ten years ahead of you finding the heads and the later heads are really better flow wise and have a better combustion chamber.

And, unless you really knew what to look for, the engine would look like any other 360.

There are several Moparchat contributors from Texas and Arizona, maybe they can shed some light on the subject; OR, maybe they want to keep it quiet!

[MOPARVANN]

Sanborn these are the heads that I have found. This years engine is a 360 fitted with 340 pistons. It has been slow going having to measure and machine over and over, but I think it is going to work. Mopar is not going to build the oval port cast iron intake but I do have one of the rectangle port ones(new). I think this engine will pass tech and be competive. Last year I was competive and ran same engine with less cam and 2.02 J heads. Engine broke a valve retainer and the rest was history. I am also regearing to try and keep engine around 6500 I feel that 8000 was just too much for my cast crank motor. Hope to stay near the top 5 this year. Good Luck in all you do.