Blown Head Gasket = Ported Heads?

[Bartman]

I just got my car back together after getting my AC system installed and it worked great. I drove it for around 2 hours in bumper to bumper traffic with the AC on without any problems.

 

That night I decided to get on it and burned the tires up through first gear and a little more in second. Although it was great fun, I think that's when I blew the head gasket. Now the engine stumbles now and then, has a loud tick under acceleration, and when I checked out the engine after a short drive Saturday morning, there's an audible hissing type noise that seems to be coming from the left side of the engine (around the head). I haven't checked the water for oil or vice versa I just took it back home and parked it and then spent the weekend at the Long Beach Grand Prix.

 

So if the head gasket is blown I'm going to take this opportunity to get some ported heads (or have mine ported), drop in a cam (maybe an LT4 hot cam), and maybe 1.6 ratio rockers as well. Any suggestions are welcome.

 

My first big question regards the head porting. Could anyone give my specifics on what porting should be done? Should I buy a pair already ported or get mine done? What about one's on eBay? Here's a link to one on eBay now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/93-97-lt1-ported-aluminum-heads-camaro-firebird_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33617QQitemZ8054129807QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[Pop N Wood]

AFR makes a damn nice set of LT1-LT4 heads. Pricey, but hard to beat performance wise.

[grumpyvette]

you might want to brouse thru this sites info

 

http://www.kendrick-auto.com/lt_1__gm_head.htm

 

http://www.grandsportregistry.com/lt1vslt4.htm

 

http://www.precisionporting.com/index_files/Page448.htm

 

http://www.purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/techinfo/heads1.html

 

http://www.fierolt1.com/lt1_camdata.htm

 

http://www.karl-ellwein.org/3832004/383y2004.htm

 

http://www.advancedinduction.com/AiProductsLT4.html

[DaleMX]

If you buy used aluminum heads they should be milled a bit (I have yet to see an aluminum head that didn't warp a little after being removed from the engine).

 

Personally, I would use an ARP stut kit too. You never have to worry about the clamping force with the stud kit.

 

Check out thunder racing, they have some nice stuff for the LT1's, so does Scoggins Dickey out of Texas.

[80LS1T]

It would be nice if those heads on ebay had some flow numbers.

 

I spent $1300 on my stock castings to have them ported, new valves(ferrea 1.94/1.50), and the intake port matched to the heads and TB matched to the Holley 58mm. Grumpy recommended Jeff Ondo.

 

Here are my before and after #'s just to compare what you get for the money vs. buying a set of heads. I think I could have spent a little more and got a better set of heads but for what I was looking for at the time they seem to be suiting my needs!

 

 

Guy

[Bartman]

I appreciate all the knowledge and advice. I've been researching and based on my goals and budget I'm thinking of getting one of the packages from Elliot's Portworks http://www.eportworks.com/LT1LE1.htm or Advanced Induction http://www.advancedinduction.com/AiProductsLT1.html. The LT4 Advanced Induction package made it to Grumpy's list, but Elliot didn't get a mention. Initially I was thinking LT4 hot cam kit and a mildly ported head, but now I think once of these packages would be a better choice.

 

Any comments or advice on these packages or something else within the same budget?

 

BTW - For anyone that one that wants to read a great deal of information regarding cylinder heads and porting check out this thread at Camaroz28 http://web.camaross.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-411824.html

[BillZ260]

Exhaust leak?

[Bartman]

I bought new fully ported and polished heads, they've been flow benched and ported by Airflow Performance Engineering. Here's the spec's:

-New Manley Stainless Steel 2.02 intake valves cut down to 2.00" with 2 angles on the face & 1 radiused angle on the back side.= 3 angles total on the valve

-Stage III Port and Polish with flow specs

-New Manley Stainless Steel 1.60 exhaust valves cut down to 1.56" with 2 angles on the face & 1 radiused angle on the back side.= 3 angles total on the valve

-Valve seats cut to 3 angles on the seat @ 2.00/1.56

-New positive Viton seals

-BEFORE and AFTER Flow Testing

-Sonic Thickness Testing

-Full Blueprinting of heads (including intake runner and combustion chamber CC volume)

-Installation of ARP studs and GM guideplates

-Full Re-assembly of cylinder heads.

-New Comp 978 springs up to .650 lift

-New Custom Grind Comp cam to match head specs

236/242 .580/.585 LSA 112

 

Here's the only flow information I have right now:

@.600 267cfm

@.600 184cfm

I'll post up more when I get the flow sheet

 

This setup claims to produce 400-450rwhp. I'll have to dyno it and see if it can hit these numbers or not. I still need to buy the Comp Pro Magnum roller rockers, timing chain, head gasket, hardened push rods, new lifters, and probably more stuff that I haven't thought of yet.

[DaleMX]

Those look like nice heads! Congrats!

 

That seems like a fairly large cam. For sure do a P/V check before you crank it.

 

You'll need a good tune to get the power out of it and to make it idle.

[Bartman]

Those look like nice heads! Congrats!

 

That seems like a fairly large cam. For sure do a P/V check before you crank it.

 

You'll need a good tune to get the power out of it and to make it idle.

If your talking about piston to valve clearance, I will definitely be checking that. Do you think the cam is too big to be streetable? I got everything as a package, but I could still get a milder cam if this one is too much for the street.

[Turbo Meister]

I bought new fully ported and polished heads, they've been flow benched and ported by Airflow Performance.

 

I know your daughter forced you to buy these heads because she was tired of your Z having so little power.

 

So when are you taking the Z to the track?

Hanns

[DaleMX]

I think that cam is streetable, in fact it will sound mean as all getout.

 

I am running a 230/224 with .585 lift and it took me a while to get it tuned and running happy. It's a little weak under 2500 but the 350 has plenty of torque to move the car in any gear at any time.

 

P/V clearance is more of a duration issue than a lift issue and your cam is borderline big. If your P/V is ok then I'd button it all up and deal with the tunning. Dont use play dough as it's kinda springy, use modeling clay and use a set of solid lifter's in the cylinder of choice as the hydro lifters will give, and you wont get an accurate reading.

[Bartman]

I know your daughter forced you to buy these heads because she was tired of your Z having so little power.

 

So when are you taking the Z to the track?

Hanns

Yea Hanns, I was just talking to my wife this morning about having to start taking the Z to the track. I think I'll have to give it a try once I get everything sorted out. Maybe you can help me put in a Ford 8" next.

[Bartman]

...Personally, I would use an ARP stud kit too. You never have to worry about the clamping force with the stud kit...

Is it really worth it to buy an ARP stud kit? I'm not sure if mine or torque to yield (TTY might have started in 1996?), but I do plan on replacing them. It's just a question of which one's to get, GM, Clevite, ARP, or something else. I also need to figure out which gaskets to get GM, FelPro, ROL or ?

[Guest ON3GO]

are you 100% sure its your headgasket?

other wise nice heads!

 

mike

[Bartman]

are you 100% sure its your headgasket?

other wise nice heads!

 

mike

No I not 100%, but I'm 100% sure I'm doing the upgrade. I've already removed most of the top end including one of the heads. The new heads and cam were shipped today...now I just need to figure out all the other parts I need to get as well.

[DaleMX]

If you go with the stock tty bolts then make sure the holes are really clean and free of any liquid. If liquid is in the hole when you torque the bolt it can crack the block. If you take one of the stock used bolts and grind up and down the threads on one side of it and make a bolt that kinda looks like a tap, then you can use that to get the factory thread lock out of the holes by running it in a few time then blowing the hole out.

 

Also now that you are upgrading you have to remember that the stock tune will make you run really lean at WOT and could cause some serious damage. Get it tuned up before you step on it. The computers use the O2 at part throttle, but use maps at WOT. You may even need to upgrade the injectors.

[Bartman]

DaleMX,

Thanks for the tip about cleaning the threads with an old head bolt, I'll have to give that a try. From what I've found the TTY head bolts didn't start until 1996, so I guess that means my heads uses normal SBC head bolts. The ARP's aren't as expensive for a regular SBC so I may just go for it. I'm still not sure which gaskets are best (GM, ROL, FelPro), it looks like I could use most of a complete gasket set.

 

I got confirmation the new heads shipped today and I've already got the old heads removed. Here's how it looks now:

And here's what it looked like yesterday:

I need to get some type of puller to remove the hub on the crank and then I can remove the timing cover and get the cam out.

[DaleMX]

I never used the ARP bolts before, just the stud kit. With the stud kit you install the stud in the head finger tight, put a little moly lube on the back of the nut, then torque the nut onto the stud at 75 Ft Lbs. That way you dont have to worry about getting accurate clamping pressure, and the studs and nuts are reuseable.

 

Looks like you have done alot of work already. I bet you have the cam and heads done pronto. That bi*** is gonna sound mean!