cylinder head experts

**Nater36** · 03-10-2011, 07:33 AM

I have a set of sbc heads. Trickflow. They are for TPI style engine. What all must be done, and would it be practical to put them on the lt1.

**Knight** · 03-10-2011, 08:25 AM

Because of the reverse flow cooling in the LT1, you would have to modify the coolant passages and run a sbc intake as well. I would just get a set of heads made for the LT1.

**TLS_Addict** · 03-10-2011, 08:48 AM

Yupper, get some LT1 heads and have them ported, decked, and larger valves put in. For about 1k you can get a set of heads done up with vavles and springs and that is using NEW LT1 casting heads.

**Nater36** · 03-10-2011, 09:18 AM

if im going to purchase heads ill just buy afr, but for now i was curious how much money and trouble it would be to use the tpi style heads... Ill just go afr i guess..

What could one expect with afr heads, stock cam. Need larger injectors?

195cc street

**5.0THIS** · 03-10-2011, 01:01 PM

If you're doing new heads, no reason not to put in a cam matched to them. In fact DO NOT do afr heads if you plan on keeping the stock camshaft.

**Nater36** · 03-10-2011, 01:08 PM

lol why? Its a pain in the a$$ to put a cam in, and i dont plan on revving past 6k. Id like to keep the stock bottom alive for another 100K.. Id put the heads and 1.6rr

**5.0THIS** · 03-10-2011, 06:42 PM

It would be about the biggest waste of money that you could dump into that car to spend all that money on a nice set of AFR heads, only to cripple them with the stock cam. Any cylinder head manufacturer worth a shit would say the same thing. And it's not a pain in the ass to put a camshaft in. If you dont have the skill to put in a camshaft, you dont have the skill to put on a new set of heads and re-adjust the valvetrain. A set of nice heads like that wont offer you much in terms of hp gains with a stock cam, intake, and only revving to 6K rpm. Complete waste.

**Nater36** · 03-10-2011, 06:53 PM

i do have the skill. im not about to pull an engine in the middle of my street.

**5.0THIS** · 03-10-2011, 08:48 PM

So you think you have to pull the engine in order to do a cam?

It should take less than an hour to gain access to the camshaft once the heads are off, with the engine in the car.

I think I'm done in this thread though. You seem to have made up your mind already, even though it's a gigantic waste of money to put heads on with a stock cam. You're going to be really disappointed.

**Nater36** · 03-11-2011, 06:25 AM

I thought these were different? No room? Maybe I will swap it then. Was easy in the old sbc on the engine stand

**JaycenK** · 03-12-2011, 03:41 PM

Facts
With a good set of worked LT1 heads and custom cam it will make around 400rwhp and still live a long life.
Change the pistons and you could run it for the next 10 years at the track and rev it to mid 6k's. Possibly while shooting a 150 shot at it.

If you do change just the cam and valve springs you will see more gain then if you change the heads but not the cam.

Last but not least It’s NOT A GEN 1 SMALL BLOCK!!!! as much as most will tell you an LT1 is nothing more than a gen 1 SBC with reverse flow cooling, they are wrong. There are similarities like the bore, stroke, main journal size, rod journal size, It looks similar, bolt holes are some of the same spots as this or that. That’s where it ends. You can not apply the power building rules from a gen 1 sbc to an LT1 other than some general thing like cubes are cubes, heads need to flow and the correct cam makes it all work. LT1's need higher compression for N/A power. up wards of 11 to 1 or more to make great power. Working these heads is not like working a sbc head. I see guys on forums all the time wondering why they are not making any power on the dyno's. You need to just call someone like Lloyd Elliot, or advanced induction and just hand them your money and say I want a fast car. They will take care of the rest.

**Nater36** · 03-12-2011, 04:51 PM

I was looking into the afr heads and comp cams 280xfi. Made very good power lol. Still debating

**5.0THIS** · 03-13-2011, 01:41 AM

Originally Posted by JaycenK

You can not apply the power building rules from a gen 1 sbc to an LT1 other than some general thing like cubes are cubes, heads need to flow and the correct cam makes it all work. LT1's need higher compression for N/A power. up wards of 11 to 1 or more to make great power. Working these heads is not like working a sbc head.

Actually you can apply the basics of small block chevy engines to the LT1. The block architecture is the same between a LT1 and earlier block. All of the components that concern how power is developed are the same. Bore, stroke, bore center, angle, valvetrain location and geometry, etc etc. And a 23 degree head is a 23 degree head. The ports are designed in a similar fashion on any sbc 23 degree head. the differences are seen only when you get to the intake and throttle body design, and there are lots of ways to make an intake, and make it work well. I'm not sure why you think the LTx head is so different. Put it next to a set of 96-98 vortec cast iron heads off of a 350 truck motor. You'll see ports that are remarkably similar. I'm actually not sure where you're coming from on anything you're saying, but I guess we'll just agree to disagree on this one.

**Knight** · 03-13-2011, 04:39 AM

Plus I think you'd need more than just heads and a cam to get to 400 rwhp.

**97bluebird** · 03-13-2011, 08:02 AM

You only need heads, cam, maybe injectors and a tune to see 400 rwhp.

**Knight** · 03-13-2011, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by 97bluebird

You only need heads, cam, maybe injectors and a tune to see 400 rwhp.

On a LT1? More is involved. Intake, tb, exhaust, ect. It can be done, but it's not just as simple as swapping heads and cam is my point.

**5.0THIS** · 03-13-2011, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Knight

On a LT1? More is involved. Intake, tb, exhaust, ect. It can be done, but it's not just as simple as swapping heads and cam is my point.

When most people say heads/cam it is assumed they're also including all of the supporting mods. And 450+rwhp has been achieved with a heads/cam LTx motor.

**Nater36** · 03-13-2011, 01:48 PM

What do you think about the afr/280xfi combo 5.0?

Btw. I already have longtube headers and 3" ory plus 3" all the way out. No muffler no cats and k&n intake system.

**5.0THIS** · 03-13-2011, 05:10 PM

I'm not familiar with the cam grind. You need to pick your cam with a number of considerations in mind. Where do you want your power? Low in the band or high? Do you need to worry about emissions? If you have an auto, keep in mind the converter you'll need with any sizable cam. And where do your heads flow well? Do you want any kind of manners on the street with it?

**Nater36** · 03-13-2011, 08:21 PM

6spd want it high as it will be a street racer. But not too high so that I spin a rod bearing or break a rod :s Also not too concerned about street manners but it's a pretty tame cam 113lsa. Afr 195cc on a 383 with this cam and lt4 intake made I beleive 519 horsepower? I could find the build again. 5 cylinder head tests on same engine by gmhightech