In the US the 170/200/250 small Ford 6 has an integral casting for the head and intake manifold. There are numerous work a rounds for this problem including cutting the intake off and welding flanges to the head.

Ford of Australia and Ford of Argentina cast a new head with out the intake attached. This is a favorite import for the Ford guys. The ultimate expression of the small Ford inline 6 is the Barra engine from Australia which is a dual OHC crossflow engine that is rated around 1000hp with boost.

The aluminum head is aftermarket stuff. I think it is still being sold thru Classic Inlines. The original designer has passed on and I believe he never made his money back.

I've said before, the Australians make aluminum heads for everything, but not Slants. That should be a clue.

One huge problem that some of the previous attempts here ran into is you couldn't get 3 people to agree on what they wanted.

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

The best way to have a million dollars after: designing, casting, machining, selling an aftermarket slant six head is to start with two million dollars.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

With all the advances in technology that have been made in the last 10 years in the CNC industry with cylinder heads. Casting heads has become outdated, while billet heads has become cheaper and the more practical method to make specialty heads. When I purchased the casting patterns for the Chevy 6 cylinder race head, the man I got them from was selling the patterns because it was more practical and economical to make them billet instead of cast, and that was 10 years ago. He was in Indy, and he was paying $2500 per head ready to bolt on. Now that breakthroughs have lead to being about to make billet heads with water jackets by companies like Dart, it makes no sense to spend $50K or $60K to make patterns, when you can make a billet head with a water jacket for $3K or $4K.

Technology has finally caught up with and surpassed the methods of doing things the old fashioned way(metal casting). The costs of CNC mills and lathes continues to become more and more affordable, and even the backyard tinkerer has found the need to purchase these machines. Ten or so years ago, it was 3D printers that gave inspiration to millions by being able to create impossible and abstract shapes and parts in a short time right in your own workshops with very low costs. Now 3D printers capable of printing metal are making their way into the mainstream as well. Quicker, cheaper and more versatile processes such as CNC and 3D printers are definitely replacing the older methods of parts manufacturing in a lot of industries, and casting parts may very well be on its way out. Companies like Brodix have been making 2 pieces intake manifolds for over 15 years now for V8's. A 2 piece billet intake for an inline is very easy to make and much simpler and cheaper than trying to cast one.

_________________
There's no such thing as too much cam....only not enough engine!

Sign me up.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

well then, do it!
If you are going to Talk the Talk
go ahead and Walk the Walk

Instead of saying how easy it is,
you have the knowledge,
you have the experience,
you have the equipment.

Just show us the parts.

_________________
Doo Ron Ron and the Duke of Earl are friends of mine.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX8Nj8ABEI8

I'm not trying to be rude, but the Slant community has shown me from past Slant products I've made and developed(one was in Hot Rod and Mopar Muscle magazines at the same time)at their request that they aren't loyal and supportive of people trying to help them grow. I have no more interest in spending time, money and resources for a group that wont reciprocate. You buy one and you do it.... I'm just saying previously that the technology and equipment is more affordable and accessible to anyone that is willing to embrace it and wanting to do it theirselves....I have been there and done that on many occassions with numerous products for the Chevy and Ford inline markets. Slantzilla was partially correct about other companies making heads for all other inlines except the Slant. These other companies likely realize like I do that the Slant community isn't as supportive as the Ford and Chevy inline groups are, and they just aren't willing to gamble or risk investment in products for them for that reason alone....
I also mentioned that I took one of my aluminum race heads to one of the Slant Awards Banquets to show a room full of racers that I thought represented the Slant community at the top end of the performance spectrum as far as Slant racing and performance goes. Many of those guys had never even seen an aluminum head in person before....yeah, hard to believe isn't it! But how many do you think actually came over and looked at, asked questions about how this feature or that could be incorporated into a Slant head......none! So why would I, who was willing at that time to offer my resources to produce a head for them want to do so after that....? Talking behind a computer is one thing I understand, but I've been face to face with these guys and showed them a real tangible part they can see and touch and none did....

_________________
There's no such thing as too much cam....only not enough engine!

Talk is cheap. That was my impression at that banquet as well, on both sides (to be fair). The things you designed/made for the Slant 6 were already being made, were not needed, or were very easy to make by someone in their garage. Why would I buy something that is already available or is not necessary? I shipped you an aluminum block (that only needed minor repair) for free and where has that gone? Again, talk is cheap...

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

The only talk was on the forum here about the head and I was offered to bring the head in person to the Slant Banquet and do a show and tell, but once there, no time was allotted to do so. So, no CHEAP TALK!. Everything I've made for the Slant so far has been needed. The large port intake/exhaust port gasket for ported heads was requested by Rick Covalt who told me there was no source for them, and sent me a template of one to copy. It's also is reusable over and over again, where homemade crafted by these Slant tinkerers in their garages are not, and aren't of the same quality, as might be expected from someone do so in their garage. Also, my two piece timing cover. Maybe not needed, but highly requested. As for your aluminum block, the idea to create a cylinder girdle I suggested sounded good at the time, but I felt because of inconsistencies around each cylinder barrel and probably from block to block as well, would make fitting them by Slant owners problematic and frustrating for them even with basic handle tools they may be limited to. So, if you understood I was to repair the block where the bell housing ear broke off, it was never my intention to do so, it was just understood my my that it not get lost and to keep up with it, and I did. But it all goes back to support, if there isn't support for the little things, who's going to gamble on making big ticket items....? I have been here showing my interest to support the guy that just needed one part made. And many times just gave it him to help him out, where he might not have been able to complete his project at all. But it has to work both ways so everyone can benefit.

_________________
There's no such thing as too much cam....only not enough engine!

I had no intention for you to repair the block or give it back to me, but I thought maybe you would have tried something with it or at least given it to another Slant 6er who could use it. I spent a few hours to box it up and ship it and I heard nothing back. I have never seen a 2-piece timing cover offered for sale. That would be useful.

I will happily call myself a lowly "Slant 6 tinkerer," and I build some cool cars and engines that people can see run and get rides in. I guess that's not worth much in your world, but it works for me. No one is asking anyone to "gamble on big ticket items" here. Money runs the world and dominates everyone's lives, but this particular hobby is not about that at all, IMHO.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Ok, then that could have been a slight misunderstanding about the block on my part. And your efforts on crating it up were much appreciated and was done very well. Most of our hotrodding forefathers were themselves garage tinkerers, and look at what they created. There are many sharp and creative ones here on the forum as well, and they have made some nice, cool stuff, so not taking jabs at any of them by any means for what they have accomplished. You yourself have created some nice rides from what i've seen mentioned about them on here, and it does take a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but provides a great sense of accomplishment knowing you did it yourself.

I had posted some years back several 3D models of intakes I was considering, but the Slant market seems to be pretty flush with them at the moment and may not really be necessary any longer. Other ideas I have had may be, I just haven't seen anyone mention a need for anything specific in a while. I have seen a lot of complaints about the available aluminum valve covers for the Slant, so that may be something to bring to the table.... As for the 2 piece timing cover, I made a few prototypes for people to try out and endorse but then.....crickets! They take the goods, but never follow through with their end of the deal. So maybe I'll make some more and revisit that.

_________________
There's no such thing as too much cam....only not enough engine!

I would pay a reasonable amount for a bell housing that would allow for a 10 1/2" clutch and fit a '65 Dart chassis.

What's the price on a 2 piece cover?

_________________
Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I had offered several prototypes to some guys that were to test and evaluate and give feedback on whether they had a green light to go into production. So, I'll have start the process over again because they never followed through and it's been about 4 years now since this was done. So, I'll dig all that stuff back out and let you know....

_________________
There's no such thing as too much cam....only not enough engine!

I would happily test a 2-piece cover and report back in gory detail with pics. FWIW, I would guess Slant 6ers would pay something like $200-300 for such a unit, but not much more.

I would gladly pay at least $5000 for a billet aluminum head that was streetable (water jackets) with upgrades to the stock geometry (raised ports, thicker walls, use of proven port shapes, etc). I have heads with good flowing ports to copy. I can think of at least a few others who would too, but most people would want to pay more like $2000-3000.

There are a good number of intakes on the market (new and used) and I cannot see the need for new designs there, given what is already around and how many people would want such things.

The bellhousing thing is a definite need area, as kesteb said.

Lou

_________________
Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988