The Perfect Heads & Cam Setup
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
The Perfect Heads & Cam Setup
I have these cam/mods in my 2001 Z06
-231/243 .617.623 118+4
-K&N CAI
-BBK UD Pulley 25%
-1 7/8 Headers, 3'' Non-Catted X-Pipe
-Ported TB
-160 T-Stat
I want to buy a set of cnc ported heads. There are so many to choose from & I dont want to go out there and just buy the biggest heads for my motor.
What I want is to MAXIMIZE this camshafts/Mods performance in my 5.7 Ls6.
I need some advice from you head Guru's on what would be the "Best" performing heads for this setup?
How big/small runners do I need to run?
What cc should I run?
Also my #1 goal is to increase my TQ under the Peak Power Range. So I need a set of heads that will dramatically improve the TQ thru out the power band.
-231/243 .617.623 118+4
-K&N CAI
-BBK UD Pulley 25%
-1 7/8 Headers, 3'' Non-Catted X-Pipe
-Ported TB
-160 T-Stat
I want to buy a set of cnc ported heads. There are so many to choose from & I dont want to go out there and just buy the biggest heads for my motor.
What I want is to MAXIMIZE this camshafts/Mods performance in my 5.7 Ls6.
I need some advice from you head Guru's on what would be the "Best" performing heads for this setup?
How big/small runners do I need to run?
What cc should I run?
Also my #1 goal is to increase my TQ under the Peak Power Range. So I need a set of heads that will dramatically improve the TQ thru out the power band.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
TQ under the curve?
I have polished but not ported 243 heads, milled to about 62 +/-
run a 224/224 581/581 112+4 cam
running a bit more HP and tq then yours, low 400s
for more tq may want to consider a smaller cam, much smaller with a tighter LSA.
and the stock size LS6 can work very well with 205, 210 or 215 runners. Getting bigger then that almost defeats the purpose.
do not be stuck on one cam, ask yourself what you want your engine to do? Drag race, Road race . road track days, or great weekend cruzer with occational roll races.or ??
it is the whole package that makes the power, not part A from bin A and Part B from bin B. then cobbled together and HOPE it works.
Good Luck
Tony Mamo of AFR with his AFR 205 heads and the 224/228 581/588 113+0 cam ( IIRC ) plus fast 90/90 was pushing will into the mid 400 hp and tq yet very reliable.
LG with his GX3 cam on 243 heads, Fast 90/90 was also well into the mid 400s
LPE Speed World GT 243 heads 60.5 and the GM cup cam is into the low 500s, but reliability is measured in hours of use. the GM cup cam is a 20 year old cam but still beats up on many new designs
I have polished but not ported 243 heads, milled to about 62 +/-
run a 224/224 581/581 112+4 cam
running a bit more HP and tq then yours, low 400s
for more tq may want to consider a smaller cam, much smaller with a tighter LSA.
and the stock size LS6 can work very well with 205, 210 or 215 runners. Getting bigger then that almost defeats the purpose.
do not be stuck on one cam, ask yourself what you want your engine to do? Drag race, Road race . road track days, or great weekend cruzer with occational roll races.or ??
it is the whole package that makes the power, not part A from bin A and Part B from bin B. then cobbled together and HOPE it works.
Good Luck
Tony Mamo of AFR with his AFR 205 heads and the 224/228 581/588 113+0 cam ( IIRC ) plus fast 90/90 was pushing will into the mid 400 hp and tq yet very reliable.
LG with his GX3 cam on 243 heads, Fast 90/90 was also well into the mid 400s
LPE Speed World GT 243 heads 60.5 and the GM cup cam is into the low 500s, but reliability is measured in hours of use. the GM cup cam is a 20 year old cam but still beats up on many new designs
Last edited by AU N EGL; Jul 9, 2011 at 06:46 AM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
I was thinking of going with a heads that flows around 320cfm at .600 lift. Which in most cases is stage 3 head.
I want to boost compression and run a 59-62cc head.
I was just kicking this idea around.
I want to make around 440hp/420tq with a head swap... Is this even possible?
Whats a realistic number I would see with my current mods by doing a set of cnc heads that flow 320cfm or better and milled to 11:1:1 compression ratio?
I want to boost compression and run a 59-62cc head.
I was just kicking this idea around.
I want to make around 440hp/420tq with a head swap... Is this even possible?
Whats a realistic number I would see with my current mods by doing a set of cnc heads that flow 320cfm or better and milled to 11:1:1 compression ratio?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
Tony Mamo of AFR with his AFR 205 heads and the 224/228 581/588 113+0 cam ( IIRC ) plus fast 90/90 was pushing will into the mid 400 hp and tq yet very reliable.
LG with his GX3 cam on 243 heads, Fast 90/90 was also well into the mid 400s
LPE Speed World GT 243 heads 60.5 and the GM cup cam is into the low 500s, but reliability is measured in hours of use. the GM cup cam is a 20 year old cam but still beats up on many new designs
It was very difficult to get my car at a consistent 402hp. as a matter of fact it made a reliable 390hp to the wheels, 402hp was the max it would run, but not reliable.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,011
Likes: 9
From: Dublin GA
I was thinking of going with a heads that flows around 320cfm at .600 lift. Which in most cases is stage 3 head.
I want to boost compression and run a 59-62cc head.
I was just kicking this idea around.
I want to make around 440hp/420tq with a head swap... Is this even possible?
Whats a realistic number I would see with my current mods by doing a set of cnc heads that flow 320cfm or better and milled to 11:1:1 compression ratio?
I want to boost compression and run a 59-62cc head.
I was just kicking this idea around.
I want to make around 440hp/420tq with a head swap... Is this even possible?
Whats a realistic number I would see with my current mods by doing a set of cnc heads that flow 320cfm or better and milled to 11:1:1 compression ratio?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
Likes: 33
From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
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
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,060
Likes: 291
From: Pasco WA
Get Trickflow 215 heads directly from TEA, and have them milled to 59cc, and you will meet or exceed your goals. That cam you have is a pretty high RPM cam, so increasing the CR will help TQ. I'd have gone smaller, myself. The valve angle of TF heads is 13.5* instead of 15, so you have a little more room for the big valves. I think they come with 2.04s.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Tyler Texas
I can tell you this and I dont know everything but its not all about flow numbers. Look at LG's website. AFR 205 heads, there Gx3 cam=480 something horses. I would really like to see the same car with the TFS 215's on it........
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
From: Tyler Texas
Check this out. Not sure I believe this since its on a Mustang Dyno and they always read LOW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrB2lzQl66M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrB2lzQl66M
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Some of these numbers may be doctored a little
Tony Mamo of AFR with his AFR 205 heads and the 224/228 581/588 113+0 cam ( IIRC ) plus fast 90/90
Dont need those gargantuan cams to make good power.
imo most LSx cars out there are overcammed.
http://www.youtube.com/user/jerami2#p/a/u/0/209aBeeUfU4
Last edited by cv67; Jul 14, 2011 at 08:58 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
Yea my car may be over cammed with these stock heads on them. I bet a set of ported heads will wake her up.
I have been tossing the idea of cnc porting the 243 heads that are already on the car. Down time is around one week and cost is half of what those exotic really expensive heads cost. I am at 402hp/369tq right now.
I have been working with a cnc porter and we have come up with a set of CNC's heads and they(243)flow between 300-315@ .600 lift. The exhaust flow was north of 250cfm. This is with stock 2.00/1.55 valves too. I am going to go with my 243's being CNC'd and see how it works out for me...
If I dont like it, to the exotic heads I go and I will just put the 243's on a motor I build or something. I figure if I can get the same or close to the same performance of those name brand heads with these 243's then.
I have been tossing the idea of cnc porting the 243 heads that are already on the car. Down time is around one week and cost is half of what those exotic really expensive heads cost. I am at 402hp/369tq right now.
I have been working with a cnc porter and we have come up with a set of CNC's heads and they(243)flow between 300-315@ .600 lift. The exhaust flow was north of 250cfm. This is with stock 2.00/1.55 valves too. I am going to go with my 243's being CNC'd and see how it works out for me...
If I dont like it, to the exotic heads I go and I will just put the 243's on a motor I build or something. I figure if I can get the same or close to the same performance of those name brand heads with these 243's then
.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
I have a set of 317 that we ported that flow 307cfm@.600 lift with stock valves etc milled .025. was thinking about putting those on but I am going to put them on a Iron 6.0 that I am building. I think those would do better on a 4.00 bore.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 599
Likes: 39
From: citrus heights ca
couple things to think about.
first,in your thread over in the z06 section you talk about adding a supercharger.if you do that you actually will want to lower your compression to around 9-9.5:1
second,your cam is not a very good cam to make torque down low.you would have better results if you sell that cam,buy a set of heads done for how you want the car to be.then have a custom cam speced for your setup.with a set of stage 3 heads and your cam,you'll make great peak hp/tq but won't have much off idle-4000 rpm.
first,in your thread over in the z06 section you talk about adding a supercharger.if you do that you actually will want to lower your compression to around 9-9.5:1
second,your cam is not a very good cam to make torque down low.you would have better results if you sell that cam,buy a set of heads done for how you want the car to be.then have a custom cam speced for your setup.with a set of stage 3 heads and your cam,you'll make great peak hp/tq but won't have much off idle-4000 rpm.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
Why must the compression be lowered when doing a blower setup? I know it's whats suppose to be done, but what is the mechanical reasons?
My cam is setup for a blower... N/A Power in lower RPM's is not very good. Peak is where the powers at with the car is still N/A. I spoke to another mechanic and he was suggesting this cam would be good for a LS3 or bigger cubed motor with rectangle port heads. But that, in a Ls6 powered car with the cathedral port heads, .600lift & below would maximize the performance.
Basically my cam is too much for my motor. And I have everyone telling me that...
My cam is setup for a blower... N/A Power in lower RPM's is not very good. Peak is where the powers at with the car is still N/A. I spoke to another mechanic and he was suggesting this cam would be good for a LS3 or bigger cubed motor with rectangle port heads. But that, in a Ls6 powered car with the cathedral port heads, .600lift & below would maximize the performance.
Basically my cam is too much for my motor. And I have everyone telling me that...
