Ported LS heads ??

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Turbo231
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Ported LS heads ??

Post by Turbo231 »

I am looking to get a set of cathedral port heads to put on an LS 6.0. Shooting for a good 500 hp street build. I didn't realize there are so many shops offering CNC ported heads off-the-shelf. Big valves, great springs, etc. How in the world do I sort through all the options? Can anyone recommend someone based off their personal experience?
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by user-30257 »

Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:36 am I am looking to get a set of cathedral port heads to put on an LS 6.0. Shooting for a good 500 hp street build. I didn't realize there are so many shops offering CNC ported heads off-the-shelf. Big valves, great springs, etc. How in the world do I sort through all the options? Can anyone recommend someone based off their personal experience?
What's the rest of the build?
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

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Headguy wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:40 am
Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:36 am I am looking to get a set of cathedral port heads to put on an LS 6.0. Shooting for a good 500 hp street build. I didn't realize there are so many shops offering CNC ported heads off-the-shelf. Big valves, great springs, etc. How in the world do I sort through all the options? Can anyone recommend someone based off their personal experience?
What's the rest of the build?
Plan to run 10.5:1 CR, mid-range Comp hyd roller (still need to select), stock intake, 1-7/8" headers through full exhaust. Would love to get 500 hp at wheels.
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by user-30257 »

Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:44 am
Headguy wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:40 am
Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:36 am I am looking to get a set of cathedral port heads to put on an LS 6.0. Shooting for a good 500 hp street build. I didn't realize there are so many shops offering CNC ported heads off-the-shelf. Big valves, great springs, etc. How in the world do I sort through all the options? Can anyone recommend someone based off their personal experience?
What's the rest of the build?
Plan to run 10.5:1 CR, mid-range Comp hyd roller (still need to select), stock intake, 1-7/8" headers through full exhaust. Would love to get 500 hp at wheels.
Imo, you are asking a lot out of cathedrals. You would be better off starting with LS3 or 7 heads and hand porting them. You will still need a fairly large cam, and a NOT stock intake to get a real 500WHP. Shoot for 11:1. And as much lift as you can get.
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

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Headguy wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:50 am
Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:44 am
Headguy wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:40 am

What's the rest of the build?
Plan to run 10.5:1 CR, mid-range Comp hyd roller (still need to select), stock intake, 1-7/8" headers through full exhaust. Would love to get 500 hp at wheels.
Imo, you are asking a lot out of cathedrals. You would be better off starting with LS3 or 7 heads and hand porting them. You will still need a fairly large cam, and a NOT stock intake to get a real 500WHP. Shoot for 11:1. And as much lift as you can get.
I agree. Not that 500rwhp ls stuff like that isn't everywhere on the net :lol: . My personal car a couple years ago...2011 SS Camaro 6spd manual. Heads and vj touched up by Randy331, .5 more compression added. 233-247 113 .640 cam, headers, all the bolt on stuff. .036 cometics, highly modified ls3 manifold. 490ish at the rear wheels on a dynojet SAE.

In that world if 500rwhp is the goal, keep visiting different chassis dyno's...the owners are usually goons. You will eventually find one that will meet your goals.
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by Turbo231 »

Ya'll are probably right on the 500 hp number. The factory LS1 is making 402 rwhp with cam and headers now so I was hoping heads, more cubes, and bigger cam might get close to 500 rwhp. Does 460 rwhp sound reasonable?
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by DrillDawg »

With a 6.0 you should be able to use ls3 heads unported, in the last couple of hot rod magazine they tested a truck load of manifolds on a ls3 and a stroker, tons of information.
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by midnightbluS10 »

Or you could go bigger with something like those from Mast, which flow 372.2 @ .700"
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

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Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 10:31 am Ya'll are probably right on the 500 hp number. The factory LS1 is making 402 rwhp with cam and headers now so I was hoping heads, more cubes, and bigger cam might get close to 500 rwhp. Does 460 rwhp sound reasonable?
Buy a set of LS3 heads. I have a set that I can send you pics of, my cylinder head guy did them for one of my customers, I'm building a 421 LS for his street car. We're figuring, on the air flow we got, around 650 normally aspirated and very streetable.
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by CGT »

Alan Roehrich wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:11 pm
Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 10:31 am Ya'll are probably right on the 500 hp number. The factory LS1 is making 402 rwhp with cam and headers now so I was hoping heads, more cubes, and bigger cam might get close to 500 rwhp. Does 460 rwhp sound reasonable?
Buy a set of LS3 heads. I have a set that I can send you pics of, my cylinder head guy did them for one of my customers, I'm building a 421 LS for his street car. We're figuring, on the air flow we got, around 650 normally aspirated and very streetable.
I would be interested in pics and details
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by Newold1 »

These guys auction off about 20-30 sets of these a month and they seem to go for about $500-$600 a set on bids for complete ready to run CNC heads with valves, springs, etc. Look up Ebay item # 142869517150 for a set at auction currently.

Get hold of a used stock LS3-L92 stock intake manifold with the 90mm throttle body, add a good camshaft a nice set of 1-7/8 long tube headers, a set of 42lb injectors and a nice tune on the ECM and you can hit 450-475 rear wheel horsepower no problem.

Trying to put a really good CNC or porting upgrade on stock cathedral port heads with valves and springs you will end up spending more and receiving less!

Remember, engines are SYSTEMS, on an engine system it takes a good set of heads, a good camshaft and intake and exhaust system all combined to reach good horsepower levels. Leave one part of that system out and you will not get there plain and simple! THINK COMPLETE SYSTEM!!
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by GARY C »

CGT wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 10:00 am
Headguy wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:50 am
Turbo231 wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 9:44 am

Plan to run 10.5:1 CR, mid-range Comp hyd roller (still need to select), stock intake, 1-7/8" headers through full exhaust. Would love to get 500 hp at wheels.
Imo, you are asking a lot out of cathedrals. You would be better off starting with LS3 or 7 heads and hand porting them. You will still need a fairly large cam, and a NOT stock intake to get a real 500WHP. Shoot for 11:1. And as much lift as you can get.
I agree. Not that 500rwhp ls stuff like that isn't everywhere on the net :lol: . My personal car a couple years ago...2011 SS Camaro 6spd manual. Heads and vj touched up by Randy331, .5 more compression added. 233-247 113 .640 cam, headers, all the bolt on stuff. .036 cometics, highly modified ls3 manifold. 490ish at the rear wheels on a dynojet SAE.

In that world if 500rwhp is the goal, keep visiting different chassis dyno's...the owners are usually goons. You will eventually find one that will meet your goals.
CGT, Surly I didn't just read you supporting a big LS head on a small LS engine did I?
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by gruntguru »

The ports and chambers on those heads are not CNC. They are "better than factory" castings.
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by CGT »

gruntguru wrote: Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:47 pm The ports and chambers on those heads are not CNC. They are "better than factory" castings.
From the pics. I disagree from a performance standpoint. But who knows. They kind of look like the prc castings that texas speed sells but different. Castings look nice though.
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Re: Ported LS heads ??

Post by midnightbluS10 »

They're "Pro Header" heads. Chinese? Likely. Why not support an American manufacturer? Isn't that what people here always complain about? Buying cheap, knockoffs from China instead of the real thing from the American companies who manufacture them?


Been finding more and more of this, also. Quite a few people say they're junk. Just because they sell a lot by claiming they're comparable to "Pro-Comp, speedmaster, Dart and Brodix" in the same sentence doesn't mean they're quality parts. Anyone with any sense knows that if they're comparable to Pro-Comp heads, they're NOT comparable to Brodix, Dart or any other quality manufacturer. I'm sure they've pulled one over on more than a couple of customers who purchased them, expecting Brodix quality and only to receive pro comp-type garbage. Plus there's the last fact that people buy them because they want cheap parts. That's why places like speedmaster still exist. As long as they offer lower-priced options from China, people will by them. Instead of supporting American companies, they're only worried about getting perceived value...the most for the least amount of money. When you have places like that selling speedmaster-type heads described as Brodix quality with speedmaster prices, people are going to buy them. Chinese or not. Doesn't make them quality parts just because they sell 20-30/month. It means people are more concerned with perceived value than where they come from. Until that changes, Chinese parts will continue to sell at rapid rates. Whether quality or not.


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bigjoe1 wrote:By the way, I had a long talk with Harold(Brookshire) last year at the PRI show. We met at the airport and he told me everything he knew about everything.It was a nice visit. JOE SHERMAN RACING
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