Buick Motorsport Heads

[rjburner]

Anyone remember these heads? Anyone now how to ID a set? I'm asking because I think I've ran across a pair but I would like to know for sure.

 

[KL Mallender]

Buick Motorsports supplied engine parts as "Stage" equipment,

Blocks are known as Stage 1 and Stage 2, multiple variations of bore size,bore center locations, head bolt count and main cap configurations.

Heads were also "Staged", Stage 1 heads were improved versions of production iron castings with the addition of extra mounting bolts, 6 per cyl vs 4 for production, needed special rocker shafts for use.
Stage 2 were available in both cast iron and aluminum and require special "everything" for optimun usage.

Buick Motorsports helped change everyones view of GM's grey-haired car fleet, we owe them a lot.

Kevin.

 

[rjburner]

Casting number 25509263 seems to point to the heads not being a stage one Buick motorsport head. I definitely don't see 6 head bolts per cylinder either. Looks like somebody got a raw deal... Are the 25509263 castings any better or worse than the 25518445 castings?

 

[turboc87gn]

So will stage 1 and 2 heads work on a 109 block or do you have to have a stage block?

 

[Fastair6]

Hey guy's,

A friend of mine has a set of these heads. Part # 25509263 is a stage 1 head if it doesn't have an EGR passage/crossover drilled on the intake face. It also should have a raised intake runner floor and thicker water bridge in the rear and front of the cylinder head.

If you have the same part # with an EGR crossover. It came from a stock production 4.1L motor and is not a stage 1 motorsports head. They used that same casting #, but reworked the casting to make the stage 1 head.

I don't have a pic, but if it's a stage 1 head it's defineltely better than the stock 8445 casting. Also, the stage 1 head never came with 14 bolt bolt option. They all had 8.

Hope this helps.

 

[rjburner]

If you have the same part # with an EGR crossover. It came from a stock production 4.1L motor and is not a stage 1 motorsports head. They used that same casting #, but reworked the casting to make the stage 1 head.

Can I check for the EGR passage from the exhaust side or can I view it from the top of the head (under the valve covers)? The heads and intake are currently bolted on so I can't view the intake ports. Thanks for the help.

 

[Fastair6]

Rjburner,

The best way to verify is to pull the intake off. However, if you feel lucky, you can pull the EGR valve off and snake a wire or look down the passage and see if the crossover is there. Most of the time these passages are blocked up by carbon. This doesn't mean that the head is not a stage 1. The intake could have been run on a non stage head before it was put on this motor.

Good Luck.