Head and Intake Swap
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
Head and Intake Swap
So I figured Since I'm going to start this shortly i should post about it...
I own a set of LS6 (243 Casting) Cylinder Heads and a LS6 Intake Manifold that I Plan on swapping onto my LS1 '97 MN6 Coupe.
Before I can get started I need a few things.
A) Britco Racing Engines to Port my LS6 Heads - $400
B) OEM Cylinder Head Gaskets $48.99
C) LS1 to LS6 Intake Conversion Kit $44.99
D) Center Bolt Valve Covers to Replace my Perimeter Bolt LS1 style valve covers $?? (Anyone selling these?
)
E) OEM Cylinder Head Bolt Kit $47.99
I'm going to start gathering up everything I need for this. I was looking for a write up detailing just a Head/Intake swap and not a Head/Cam swap - because w/ a cam Swap there are a lot of other things that get R&R'd which aren't needed to do the heads...
If someone has a good writeup on a Head Swap only that'd be really useful...
Also when i pull the heads and intake - what other things am I going to need? Other gaskets or anything?
-Dan
I own a set of LS6 (243 Casting) Cylinder Heads and a LS6 Intake Manifold that I Plan on swapping onto my LS1 '97 MN6 Coupe.
Before I can get started I need a few things.
A) Britco Racing Engines to Port my LS6 Heads - $400
B) OEM Cylinder Head Gaskets $48.99
C) LS1 to LS6 Intake Conversion Kit $44.99
D) Center Bolt Valve Covers to Replace my Perimeter Bolt LS1 style valve covers $?? (Anyone selling these?
)E) OEM Cylinder Head Bolt Kit $47.99
I'm going to start gathering up everything I need for this. I was looking for a write up detailing just a Head/Intake swap and not a Head/Cam swap - because w/ a cam Swap there are a lot of other things that get R&R'd which aren't needed to do the heads...
If someone has a good writeup on a Head Swap only that'd be really useful...
Also when i pull the heads and intake - what other things am I going to need? Other gaskets or anything?
-Dan
Pro
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 623
Likes: 11
From: Ankeny IA
Personally I'd just use the instructions on LS1HowTo.com and omit any instructions not directed at the heads. Heads are pretty straightforward though, here's a brief rundown.
1. Drain the coolant.
2. Remove the intake, injectors and other related hardware.
3. Remove the belt, alternator and alternator bracket (royal pain)
4. Remove the coils and their brackets.
5. Remove the temp sensor from the DR head.
6. Remove the plugs and plug wires
7. Remove the valvecovers
8. Remove the rocker arms and pushrods
9. Remove the manifolds/headers
10. Remove the heads.
11. Remove coolant plug on old PS head - move to new head
Clean the block and reinstall. You'll need head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, anti seize and some RTV. As far as your head porting choice, unless the shop mentioned has a lot of experience with LSx heads you would be much better off sending these to a sponsor shop (like TEA) to get your work done. Flow numbers aren't the end all to a good head. There's much more to it.
1. Drain the coolant.
2. Remove the intake, injectors and other related hardware.
3. Remove the belt, alternator and alternator bracket (royal pain)
4. Remove the coils and their brackets.
5. Remove the temp sensor from the DR head.
6. Remove the plugs and plug wires
7. Remove the valvecovers
8. Remove the rocker arms and pushrods
9. Remove the manifolds/headers
10. Remove the heads.
11. Remove coolant plug on old PS head - move to new head
Clean the block and reinstall. You'll need head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, anti seize and some RTV. As far as your head porting choice, unless the shop mentioned has a lot of experience with LSx heads you would be much better off sending these to a sponsor shop (like TEA) to get your work done. Flow numbers aren't the end all to a good head. There's much more to it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,298
Likes: 4
From: American Canyon Lethal Injection
I suggest using the ARP head bolts instad of the OEM head bolts, also use a ARP crank bolt..replace the oil pump and timing chain with LS6 oil pump and timing chain. Install a under drive pulley for a little more HP.
Have your LS6 intake ported to the heads you installing.
Good luck
Have your LS6 intake ported to the heads you installing.
Good luck
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
I suggest using the ARP head bolts instad of the OEM head bolts, also use a ARP crank bolt..replace the oil pump and timing chain with LS6 oil pump and timing chain. Install a under drive pulley for a little more HP.
Have your LS6 intake ported to the heads you installing.
Good luck
Have your LS6 intake ported to the heads you installing.
Good luck
At this point I just want to toss on the heads & Intake real quick - just cause i can do that pretty easily in my own garage... i'm trying to keep the cost down - i don't need the best of the best, just OEM quality is fine w/ me...
It was my understanding that porting the LS6 intake was kind of pointless? Am i wrong? Is there an actual gain with a Ported LS6 intake manifold?
-Dan
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,375
Likes: 2
From: Austin Texas
Please tell me there is some way around dropping the WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM out of the car to get the heads off?
From what I can tell, there are bracket bolts that are behind the power steering pump pulley, so the pulley has to come off to get the bolts out, which means you have to have room to pull the pulley, which means the brake modulation dingus has to come off, which means the radiator needs to come out. Not seeing an end here. Say it ain't so.
From what I can tell, there are bracket bolts that are behind the power steering pump pulley, so the pulley has to come off to get the bolts out, which means you have to have room to pull the pulley, which means the brake modulation dingus has to come off, which means the radiator needs to come out. Not seeing an end here. Say it ain't so.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Please tell me there is some way around dropping the WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM out of the car to get the heads off?
From what I can tell, there are bracket bolts that are behind the power steering pump pulley, so the pulley has to come off to get the bolts out, which means you have to have room to pull the pulley, which means the brake modulation dingus has to come off, which means the radiator needs to come out. Not seeing an end here. Say it ain't so.
From what I can tell, there are bracket bolts that are behind the power steering pump pulley, so the pulley has to come off to get the bolts out, which means you have to have room to pull the pulley, which means the brake modulation dingus has to come off, which means the radiator needs to come out. Not seeing an end here. Say it ain't so.
Remove the 4 bolts holding the alternator bracket to the head, and push it forward, away from the head.
It is easier to remove the water pump to get to the bottom 2 alt bracket bolts. But you don't need to touch the pulley, the pump, or any steering components to do this job.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,298
Likes: 4
From: American Canyon Lethal Injection
I'm gonna hold off on the Timing Chain, Oil Pump, etc etc... till i do the Cam swap - I'll probably have it down in Tom Wong's shop for all that.
At this point I just want to toss on the heads & Intake real quick - just cause i can do that pretty easily in my own garage... i'm trying to keep the cost down - i don't need the best of the best, just OEM quality is fine w/ me...
It was my understanding that porting the LS6 intake was kind of pointless? Am i wrong? Is there an actual gain with a Ported LS6 intake manifold?
-Dan
At this point I just want to toss on the heads & Intake real quick - just cause i can do that pretty easily in my own garage... i'm trying to keep the cost down - i don't need the best of the best, just OEM quality is fine w/ me...
It was my understanding that porting the LS6 intake was kind of pointless? Am i wrong? Is there an actual gain with a Ported LS6 intake manifold?
-Dan
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...intake+porting
If you plan to R&R the heads, I would really think about the ARP head bolts, because these are easier to torque and can be reused. There is the ARP bolt kit that comes with not only bolts but with studs to make R&R heads faster. The OEM bolts are "stretch bolts" and can be only used ONCE.
My $.02
Last edited by SLPRC5; Jul 25, 2007 at 12:12 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 21,473
Likes: 356
From: Palmdale, Ca----- 2009 Cyber Gray 4LT A6 F55 452 RWHP 422 RWTQ- RIP 1998 C5 734 RWHP & 585 RWTQ-----
This might help!:
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=1
There is a host of other things to see on this site as well! So check'em out
Thanks,Matt
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=1
There is a host of other things to see on this site as well! So check'em out
Thanks,Matt
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,983
Likes: 6
From: Redondo Beach Ca
Read this thread by a local tuner about LS6 porting:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...intake+porting
If you plan to R&R the heads, I would really think about the ARP head bolts, because these are easier to torque and can be reused. There is the ARP bolt kit that comes with not only bolts but with studs to make R&R heads faster. The OEM bolts are "stretch bolts" and can be only used ONCE.
My $.02
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...intake+porting
If you plan to R&R the heads, I would really think about the ARP head bolts, because these are easier to torque and can be reused. There is the ARP bolt kit that comes with not only bolts but with studs to make R&R heads faster. The OEM bolts are "stretch bolts" and can be only used ONCE.
My $.02
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,298
Likes: 4
From: American Canyon Lethal Injection
But in Roberts thread he mentioned the HP gain between the porting of a LS6 and a LS2 intake and the LS6 gained more HP...
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,375
Likes: 2
From: Austin Texas
Yeah, there's a much easier way.
Remove the 4 bolts holding the alternator bracket to the head, and push it forward, away from the head.
It is easier to remove the water pump to get to the bottom 2 alt bracket bolts. But you don't need to touch the pulley, the pump, or any steering components to do this job.
Remove the 4 bolts holding the alternator bracket to the head, and push it forward, away from the head.
It is easier to remove the water pump to get to the bottom 2 alt bracket bolts. But you don't need to touch the pulley, the pump, or any steering components to do this job.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 25
From: Tacoma WA
Should I toss in new lifters too, or are the stockers fine? (I'll be doing a cam swap in addition to the head after about a month...)
I have the stock lifters still and about 78k Miles on the engine... is it worth it to throw in some new lifters? Again this is a budget build, so OEM quality is fine w/ me... i think GM LS7 style lifters are $135 from Texas-Speed....
-Dan
I have the stock lifters still and about 78k Miles on the engine... is it worth it to throw in some new lifters? Again this is a budget build, so OEM quality is fine w/ me... i think GM LS7 style lifters are $135 from Texas-Speed....
-Dan
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 16,477
Likes: 26
From: Gone
CI 6-7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
With that mileage, I would definitely put in new lifters, and new guides (lifter trays) as well (the plastic pieces that hold the lifters and keep them aligned).
The LS7 lifters (p/n 12499225) are $99/set from SDPC, and the guides (p/n 12551162) are $4 ea (you'll need 4) also availabe from SDPC too.
http://www.sdparts.com/catalog/lsgen...IILifters.aspx
The LS7 lifters (p/n 12499225) are $99/set from SDPC, and the guides (p/n 12551162) are $4 ea (you'll need 4) also availabe from SDPC too.
http://www.sdparts.com/catalog/lsgen...IILifters.aspx
