just1me

I have a 1972 429 unfortunaletly came with the D2VE heads and only had an 8:5:1 compression but I switched over to D3VE heads, and it feels I have a bit more power than before, Ive read the D2VE heads had larger combustion chambers than the D3VE heads and was also open chambers, but the D3VE heads are closed chambers and look to have a smaller cc, what Im trying to figure out is my compression ratio now, I have searched for days on the net trying to get answers but none yet ,anyne know?

Rat460

I think your compression ratio will be about the same, the D2VE heads had a 90cc open chamber (suffered badly with detonation) and the D3VE heads had 92cc closed chambers.........I think.

Paul Kane

Change in compression ratio is negligible as both heads have about the same volume as delivered from the factory...the D2VE about 97-99 cc's and the D3VE head about 96-97 cc's. By the way, realistic compression ratio for you standard bore 460 is closer to 7.8-8:1.

The D3VE heads will offer an improvement in torque, primarily because the D2VE head is an open chamber design (the only open chamber head Ford ever made for the passenger casr 460), and the D3VE head is a closed chamber design. Generally speaking, the D3VE closed chamber design promotes better mixture motion in the cylinders and less detonation as a result...and better torque as a result. The D2VE head is a very detonation-prone head, which is probably why Ford ditched it after a single year. Please take the D2VE heads to the nearest foundry and ask that they melt them down.

Paul

__________________

just1me

thanks i gave the old d2's away i think they scrapped them so yea. well more toreque will help in this heavy f-250

jwandhistools

Well, I was about to post the same question...

I have a jet boat with D2VE heads and I have a chance to get a pair of D3VE heads for real cheap. Looks like it might be a good idea to get 'em.

Here's the boat in action...

You Tube

You Tube

2 Rednecks in a rocket powered rowboat....

Paul Kane

In your jet boat application, they might not be as effective in a couple of ways:

• You may not feel any difference in power because your jet pump is not hooking up until about 3000 rpm and above, and so any gain in torque will be unnoticed
• The D3VE head has the poorest flowing exhaust port of all the 460 passenger car heads, and they begin to back up at about 4000 rpm. And since the jet boat engines typically run above 4000 rpm, you might not see any upper rpm gain either.

However, this is all correctable. If you install a set of ported, large-valved D3VE heads on your boat it will make significantly more power, expecially with the tunnel ram and headers. And it just so happens that I have a set of ported D0VEs on the shelf ready to go and also just finished a set of ported D3VEs ready to be machined and then they are done, too. These particular ported D3's are a budget porting setup. Aren't you somewhere around Modesto? I am in San Jose.

I just watched your video again and to me the engine sounds like it runs nicely....are you sure you want to mess with it? At least maybe enjoy the summer and then you can do the head swap in the off-season.

Paul

__________________