Ls6 heads? Worth it?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Ls6 heads? Worth it?
I am all stock right now and looking to pick up a few more ponies. A guy has a set of LS6 Heads stock for $400 is it worth it or could i find more power else where at a better price?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 5
From: Loveland CO
I dont think you will gain much from swapping your heads ( iirc 241 casting) for the Z06 243 castings with no other mods. money is probably better spent on other things.. Now i dont know if thats a good deal or not for 243 heads (sounds decent) but might be worth picking up and porting later on down the road... but you will be probably looking at about a Grand for porting.. then you will be in it for 1400 plus install. I would well look at a Cold Air Intake and Headers 1st then a Tune (mail order or custom).
S
S
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,312
Likes: 8
From: Frisco Texas
What I would do is take a step back and think, how much do I want to spend and how much power. Before buying random stuff get all those numbers. For example I wanted 600RWHP on a $10,000 budget (including other things of course.) I then decided against doing head work etc and just went for an A&A Supercharger. There is always more than one way to skin a cat but sometimes you waste money doing things and end up having to redo them! Enjoy more p0w4!!!!
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 16,028
Likes: 170
From: oregon
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,977
Likes: 256
From: St. Louis Missouri
The amount of effort and/or cost to install the heads is generally prohibitive until you've done the basics first. Most of the basics provide the best bang for the buck.
$400 is an average price. New LS6 valve springs are relatively inexpensive and should be factored into the equation if you continue down this path.
$400 is an average price. New LS6 valve springs are relatively inexpensive and should be factored into the equation if you continue down this path.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Look at Texas Speed PRC Performance and get their heads. They will be ported, bigger valves, new springs and Ti retainers and 11.5:1 Compression!
http://texas-speed.com/p-4-prc-stage...ted-heads.aspx
Those heads, a decent cam, better injectors, headers, ported manifold and a professional PCM Tune and you will easily hit 450 RWHP. Ask me how I know!
There’s always a WEAK LINK when you start modding engines. If you install performance heads, your weak link in getting the most out of the engine will be the CAM! New cam and heads, it will be the stock exhaust manifolds and system......
Your LS1 Cam is dinky and will limit performance.
Haaa,, Once you build the engine and increase power,, EMPTY your wallet for drive train mods for reliability and traction!
It’s a damn sickness I tell ya!!!....
http://texas-speed.com/p-4-prc-stage...ted-heads.aspx
Those heads, a decent cam, better injectors, headers, ported manifold and a professional PCM Tune and you will easily hit 450 RWHP. Ask me how I know!
There’s always a WEAK LINK when you start modding engines. If you install performance heads, your weak link in getting the most out of the engine will be the CAM! New cam and heads, it will be the stock exhaust manifolds and system......
Your LS1 Cam is dinky and will limit performance.
Haaa,, Once you build the engine and increase power,, EMPTY your wallet for drive train mods for reliability and traction!
It’s a damn sickness I tell ya!!!....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,312
Likes: 8
From: Frisco Texas
Look at Texas Speed PRC Performance and get their heads. They will be ported, bigger valves, new springs and Ti retainers and 11.5:1 Compression!
http://texas-speed.com/p-4-prc-stage...ted-heads.aspx
Those heads, a decent cam, better injectors, headers, ported manifold and a professional PCM Tune and you will easily hit 450 RWHP. Ask me how I know!
There’s always a WEAK LINK when you start modding engines. If you install performance heads, your weak link in getting the most out of the engine will be the CAM! New cam and heads, it will be the stock exhaust manifolds and system......
Your LS1 Cam is dinky and will limit performance.
Haaa,, Once you build the engine and increase power,, EMPTY your wallet for drive train mods for reliability and traction!
It’s a damn sickness I tell ya!!!....
http://texas-speed.com/p-4-prc-stage...ted-heads.aspx
Those heads, a decent cam, better injectors, headers, ported manifold and a professional PCM Tune and you will easily hit 450 RWHP. Ask me how I know!
There’s always a WEAK LINK when you start modding engines. If you install performance heads, your weak link in getting the most out of the engine will be the CAM! New cam and heads, it will be the stock exhaust manifolds and system......
Your LS1 Cam is dinky and will limit performance.
Haaa,, Once you build the engine and increase power,, EMPTY your wallet for drive train mods for reliability and traction!
It’s a damn sickness I tell ya!!!....
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 5
From: Loveland CO
From what im reading, LS6 heads on a stock LS1 will get you ~15-20hp maybe a little more with a tune (25ish).. Cost per HP gain isnt there yet. like stated above if you do heads then its time for Cam, exhaust, Intake, Intake Manifold, Headers..............
Here is what i have kinda gathered from reading around on differnt mods that have dyno results:
Cold Air Intake= 5-10hp/TQ
Catback (replacing Non-Z06 mufflers)= 10HP (replacing Z06 mufflers are no gains... untill you are boosted or making 450-500+ WHP)
Tune= 10-15hp/TQ
LT headers w/ X-pipe= 20-30HP/TQ
CAM= 30-60HP (depending on what cam profiles obviously Mild to Wild)
Heads...... 20hp+.....all depends on what other mods are done and what heads you go with along with what cam.... Heads and cam should be decided together and should have the other mods done 1st.
What year is the car and is it a Auto or 6spd?
S
Here is what i have kinda gathered from reading around on differnt mods that have dyno results:
Cold Air Intake= 5-10hp/TQ
Catback (replacing Non-Z06 mufflers)= 10HP (replacing Z06 mufflers are no gains... untill you are boosted or making 450-500+ WHP)
Tune= 10-15hp/TQ
LT headers w/ X-pipe= 20-30HP/TQ
CAM= 30-60HP (depending on what cam profiles obviously Mild to Wild)
Heads...... 20hp+.....all depends on what other mods are done and what heads you go with along with what cam.... Heads and cam should be decided together and should have the other mods done 1st.
What year is the car and is it a Auto or 6spd?
S
Last edited by RedZMonte; Oct 10, 2013 at 03:03 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
From: Bristol CT
considering the heads are off the car it wouldn't take much effort to clean up the casting ridges in the bowl areas and and remove a little material on the short side of the runners right before it reaches the bowl area. Also if you went ahead and port matched the runners and maybe threw out a little more and had some valve work done for around 600-700 bucks you could have a nice set of ported ls6 heads that would give you a pretty nice gain.