Alrighty guys. I need some opinions and/or help. Since i am having to wait till the end of the semester for a cam, i have decided to go all out and do some serious stuff. I will be getting a custom grind cam but havent decided what to get yet. Im thinking of giving futral a call but not until i get the ok from the old man in May. The truck is gonna run NA with a chance of gas but not FI so maintaining the stock compression ratio or raising it is gonna be a key factor. so the 2 34 dollar questions is:

Aside from the LS6 heads, (cast # 243) What LS1 production head is the best performer out of the box after bringing it to stock compression? (please give me casting numbers)

Is it worth it or should i just stick to the stock 5.3 heads, have them milled a bit to up the compression, and get the whole Port and polish business out of the way?

Thanks for reading!

 

Why not get a set of LS6 heads? You can pick some up for 400 or so pretty regularly.

 

oh sorry for the lack of info about that! I was looking to spend less than what i was seeing the prices at. The lowest i have seen those for is $500 and that is a little much for a college student. If i could find some for $300 then that wouldnt be a problem because i would have them milled and be done with it. If that were out of the picture i was thinking cheap!!! What would be the cheapest and perform better?

 

I would mill the heads .050 and run something like LPE gt2-5 222 .566 112, hope youve got a stall.

 

Yea, everything is gonna be set up right come summer. I do have my built TB stall in the closet right now!

 

Just get your stockers milled a little and replace the lifters while ur in there since you will have the heads off. A 222 duration would be decent and throw an LS2 timing chain on there springs, and replace the valve guide seals sicne you will have the springs off.

 

Yeah ill prolly do the lifters and timing chain and the whole bit if i do end up with that. I would like to get some better flow numbers as well but i dont wanna blow the $1000 on getting them worked. that is the reason for the stock ls1 head question. How much compression do you think ill get with .050" of milling? That is quite a bit! I wanna be sitting at 10-10.2:1 comp so it raises the compression because i dont want a ton of knocking and ****.

 

well if you shave off .050 then you will have to do the intake side as well, then you have to worry about valve to piston clearance, good luck

 

Excellent point! I think im just gonna wait on the whole head bit until this motor screams uncle, then im gonna do something downright nasty!

Btw Kevin, what is goin on with your head swap? How much are you shaving them and such. What compression ratio are you gonna be running? You got the 853 castings right?

 

heads are still in the living room lol, going to take them friday to get milled another .020 for a total of .033, I have the 853 correct, I hope to get them installed before the 19th of march, have to get a few things like lifters just because im there lol,gasket kit, waiting on arp bolts if they dont get here in a couple of weeks i guess i will have to buy some.