will larger valves help top end bottom or both?

[Street Fighter]

I have a 77 camaro with vortec heads with 194/150 valves. with a 525 max lift. I have a 480/480 lift comp cam with 1.6 roller rockers which gives me a lift close to max.I have thought about getting 202/160 vortec heads.I already have a RPM intake, 750 vac holley,headers,accel Dist.B&M trans,B&M 2200-2400 stall,B&M quick silver shifter and 373 pos. rearend.2.5 exhaust with hooker mufflers. The car runs great but just like all of us I want more.I am not to worried about top end horsepower, but more bottom end torque.will the $800.00 be well spent or stay where I am and live with it.The bottom is good but I want even more.

[mark21742]

Most of the time bigger valves help all across the rpm range, but mostly up top....at any given rpm and lift a bigger valve will allow more air flow

[extremecorvette]

I would agree, most of the time larger valves will help across the rpm range. There is such a thing of to large of valves and runners that cause the port velocity to slow down and you loss some flow numbers. My 427 TT has 2.250" and 1.625" and I flow 366cfm at 0.500" and 391cfm at 0.600", but at 0.700" lift the heads top out at 398cfm. I've seen guys with the same heads hit over 410 cfm at 0.600" but have 20 or 30 cfm less than me at 0.300"-0.500" lift due to them running smaller runners and diffrent port design. My point is a good ported for your heads can help you get more power down low vs at the top end. Also cam plays into this.

[mark21742]

If you can feel the air and be the air you can port heads....if you can't, then it should be left to a professional...plus you need to watchout for the water jacket dips in the exhaust runners

[extremecorvette]

If your not removing material and just polishing anyone can do that long as they read up on it before doing it. Meaning there is books on how to polish heads, with examples of correct and wrong ways. I've done a few sets

[mark21742]

Exactly what extremecorvette said...if your going to try it take some time to read about it and as long as your not going hog wild on them you should be fine...remember, don't get the runners too smooth, I wouldn't go any smoother than 80 grit... I have about 10 hours or so in mine and VERY happy with them.