Blydenstein Head/ Valve identification

[wwinstanley]

I got hold of a head, which was in a job lot of spares i got hold of. The previous owner told me it was a blydenstein, there is blydenstein paperwork there but that could relate to any head.
Is there an easy way to identify, i cant see any numbers on it which may suggest it is.
I have removed the valves and the GM numbers on them are as follows:
Intake: GM T-T 29199/1
Exhaust: GM T-T 29200

If these are standard valves then the possibility is that it is either a standard head or one thats just been polished/ported and not big valved.
does anyone know what size valves were in the BB heads?

Any help will be much appreciated, obviously if it is a decent head i will rebuild it and put it on my sport! :thumb:

[dgbnova#1]

http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/items-sale/195623-performance-parts-blydenstein-head-others.html

valve sizes mentioned here

[wwinstanley]

A one-off Bill Blydenstein B+ 1.2 head. 35mm inlets valves, 31mm exhaust

Just measured my valves and they are 35mm and 31mm respectively. This must mean that the head i have is a B+

[dgbnova#1]

Going off that info yes I know standard 1.4 is 29/32 mm.

[therealnovaboy]

Blydenstein are waisted stem on b+ heads. I don't think any gm valve are wasted stem.

[wwinstanley]

Ok yeh these valves are not waisted stem. So could this mean the head is a B and not a B+?
Does anybody know the specs of the different BB heads? Im guessing maybe this is a B which would be polished ported and larger valves??

[therealnovaboy]

Ok yeh these valves are not waisted stem. So could this mean the head is a B and not a B+?
Does anybody know the specs of the different BB heads? Im guessing maybe this is a B which would be polished ported and larger valves??

Think the A's are flowed heads B's are flowed + bigger inlet valve and B+'s are flowed + bigger inlet and exhaust.

If you put pictures up I might be able to suggest if it's a BB or not.

[mowgli]

i thought they fitted valves from the big block 8v engines...

[therealnovaboy]

i thought they fitted valves from the big block 8v engines...

They maybe are but non oem waisted stem valves

[andybishop]

When Bill did my 16v head many years ago he stamped Initials and an identifying number on the distributor side of the head.

[mikeoxford]

Mine too @andybishop

One of the differences between B B+ was definitely waisted stems.

I might have the bill of sale and his literature still. We used to do bill's website decades ago before he sadly left us :) true gent

(Just found PNG on Tapatalk... Welcome back all!)

[wwinstanley]

Think the A's are flowed heads B's are flowed + bigger inlet valve and B+'s are flowed + bigger inlet and exhaust.

If you put pictures up I might be able to suggest if it's a BB or not.

Il try get some picture this week, might need to clean it out a bit as its a bit minging and might be hard so see what work has been done. my valves are 35mm and 31mm but not waisted stem, so being larger than standard would suggest it is a B head, but il get some pictures up so we can be sure.


Mine too @andybishop

One of the differences between B B+ was definitely waisted stems.

I might have the bill of sale and his literature still. We used to do bill's website decades ago before he sadly left us :) true gent

(Just found PNG on Tapatalk... Welcome back all!)

What literature of his do you have? would be interesting to see, any chance you could scan in?

[mikeoxford]

What literature of his do you have? would be interesting to see, any chance you could scan in?

Everything, printed versions and electronic (not just vaux either!)

Got some cracking photos of his workshop and demo products too. It's been a while... Let me raid the archives!

[Stuart]

worth noting that a while before Bill passed he had Ivor Searle doing his work, so they might not have marked up the heads as such.

[mikeoxford]

@stuart that's correct, I forgot that!

[therealnovaboy]

Not all the 8v heads were marked.

I have some of the paperwork too. It contains various magazine articles where they have compared various head tuning specialists. Blydenstein came out on top. Also one where they get 20bhp from a bb head, chip and a back box on a 1.4 mpi 8v Astra. I'll see if I can find them.

[therealnovaboy]

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd375/therealnovaboy/Mobile%20Uploads/5F11430F-5C7C-471C-A357-08AA8C95F307_zpsan0tet1j.jpg

[therealnovaboy]

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd375/therealnovaboy/Mobile%20Uploads/B104567E-EF5F-4CA4-BB7F-066E3751BCDD_zpsztgjcyjf.jpg

[Stuart]

WOW, never knew fastcar did proper articles!

[mowgli]

they were pretty good until they set off to become max power