Is this a good deal for 243 heads?

[98ramairguy]

LS1 LS6 243 Casting GM Cylinder Heads Perfromance Built Viton Seals Assembled | eBay



Im wondering if this is a good deal for some 243 heads? If so what else would I need for a swap into my 98 Trans am.

I was thinking of getting a cam as well

[Firebirdjones]

Hard to say. Doesn't mention if they needed any guide work (hopefully they didn't just knurl the guides for a quick sale)

On a brighter note, the price isn't bad considering you are buying reman heads from a shop verses buying used heads with who knows what's been done or what kind of shape they are in from Joe Shmo down the street for nearly the same money.

Your call really, what ever you feel comfortable with.

[Spikito]

yeah im kind of on the fence too, Id want to know if it comes with valves or not, it states that it doesn't come with the yellow springs, but doesnt say anything about valves. If no, id say no, if yes, id prob say yes.

[Firebirdjones]

It says it comes with .500 lift springs, just not the LS6 style springs, and also mentions locks and retainers, as well as a 5 angle valve job. You can't do the valve job without the valves to match it.

So I'd assume they are complete assembled heads. But....I'd ask if you aren't certain just for piece of mind.

I worry more about whether it's had valve guide work. I've never had a set of heads with over 50,000 miles that didn't need valve guides, and there's no telling how many miles prior these heads had. Personally if the guides are the least bit worn I prefer to replace them for a nice tight engine that doesn't use oil. New seals alone won't stop oil consumption if the guides or valve stems are worn below spec.
Some shops use a quicky (and cheap) procedure called knurling the guides, which is basically a way of manipulating the guide for tighter clearances without replacing them. It works for a while but is a bandaid fix, after about 10,000 miles you are back where you started.
Engine builders also did (and possibly still do) this with piston skirts to tighten piston-to-cylinder-wall clearances, rather than bore an engine and fit it with new pistons to save some coin.
So you really have to watch what you buy and who is doing the work. This is an instance where good quality machine work will pay off in the long run, even if you pay more for it. Not saying this is the case here, but I'd certainly ask.

[98ramairguy]

How do the 243 heads compare to the patriot heads that are about $1300 for the pair? Are they twice as good of heads or is the 243 the way to go?

[SMWS6TA]

My input is - I just recently got a set of 243's for my 6L build. While I could go out and get a set of $1500 < heads and get 10-20 HP gains, Cost wise vs my purpose for the car it just wasn't worth it. You have to decide how much you want to spend on going fast and how fast is enough. If you are not racing for cash or competing at the track for bracket racing then some of these parts are not necessarily needed. I'm building mine for street and some track use for fun.

Stock to stock comparison - Are 243 heads better then 241's, 853's etc... = Yes.

Are they better then aftermarket heads - Some yes, while others Hell no.

It comes down to what your goals are. There are so many ways to achieve hp & tq with LSx engines. That's why they are so great to work with.

[Firebirdjones]

Patriot heads are likely reworked/ported pieces so it's hard to compare to bone stock 243's. However, not everyone likes patriot heads as some claim lower HP numbers when compared to better (and more expensive) heads. Seems Texas Speed has some pretty decent prices on ported stock casting heads and they perform well.

Like SMWS6TA says, it all depends on what you are looking to achieve with the car and how thick your wallet is. I've seen cam only cars that perform extremely well, well enough to satisfy my taste in a multipurpose street car. Many cam only cars out there in the 11's and very streetable with a well thought out combination that works well together.