I was interested in taking my stock LS-2 up a level or too. I have been putting aside various parts and plan to do a complete install of everything before spring. I am replacing the heads, and a cam that leans more towards wild than mild (as much as I can get away with considering a stock bottom end). I have port matched a stock LS-2 intake to match the new heads as well. I have a custom built FTI converter rated to stall to 3800. I have a Vararam air intake. I am getting long tube headers and electrically operated dumps. I plan to use stock mufflers to keep it quite. The dumps should give plenty of good air flow when needed.

After doing some research on the heads and making several phone calls to all my pals in the racing industry, and cam design business, I decided to give the Procomp heads a shot. http://store.procompelectronics.com/c-115-bare.aspx

I got the exact heads that were used in this shoot out. http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...t/viewall.html

And I got the heads bare with the CNC porting. See pics.













The CNC work looked real good, and the combustion chambers looked like they were opened up real well too.

I like this bare head option because it allowed me to chose my own valve train. This also allowed me to polish out the exhaust ports and combustion chambers. I have ported many sets of heads back in my racing days. So polishing a set up after the CNC work is a piece of cake.

I took the heads to a local friend (Al Weiss) that I used to do some drag racing with in my younger days. He used to let me be part of his comp team back then. I think he set four NHRA records in a comp class. Two of them I was a part of. Al was also a former crew chief for Eddie Hill in his final year of competing in top fuel. Al has ported tons of racing heads for years, and is well known for his port work. So Al knows heads.

See info on Al and the Auto Shop here: http://www.facebook.com/AutoShopRacing?fref=ts

I was just going to have Al do the valve work and get his recommendations on value types. Al looked the heads over very closely and thought that the intakes looked real good, but he felt like they were leaving a little performance on the table in the exhaust ports. Al said these LS motors really like to breath and opening the exhaust up a little more would really help. Looking at the posted flow numbers in the head shoot out showed these heads were down a little in that department, and they still made more power (very slightly) than any of the other heads tested in that shoot out. Maybe these things can get even better still.

So I let Al do some work on the heads. He opened up the exhaust some more. He polished the exhaust ports, and polished the combustion chambers. Al installed some nice Fearra racing values and did a nice valve job on them. Some dual springs were used rated for a cam up to .650 lift. And Titanium retainers were selected.... All finished up, polished and and ready to install, I have $1,732 in them total. Not too bad.

Completed pics:













The ends of the heads do not have any decorative advertising engraved into them. So they will look like a stock head on the car. I like that.

I look forward to getting these installed with everything else, and I will let you guys know how they turn out.

What do you guys think about new head gaskets? I hear that the stock head gaskets can or are often reused on these, but I have never reused a head gasket before. With this combustion chamber size I am going to have the same compression ration as stock (10.9 to 1).

And the motor currently has 35,000 miles on it.

Reuse the stock lifters or replace them?

Any other suggestions or advise is welcome.

 

Finally got time to make all the upgrades.

So far so good. The heads worked out real well.





I also ported the intake to match the heads. That worked out real well too. The new heads had ports much bigger than the stock heads and it just didn't make any sense to not open up the intake to match them. While I was at it I painted the intake to match the car.



There were a few other mods too.



Phadt racing headers with 4 into 2 into 1 design, and a wide band sensor.



Dumps from Badlandz.





I figured nothing is quieter than the factory mufflers and nothing flows better than open exhaust. Talk about mild to wild...



Vararam air cleaner too.



Still looks stock on the outside.



And a new torque converter from FTI.

Now for more data logging and tune file changes to get it all tweaked out.

 

Impressive build Danny. Looking forward to some numbers on your new combination.
Mike B.
Acme Audio Labs

 

Mike Brinkman?

 

Correct. I took the user name when I started on the Camaro and LS motor forums. Last car was a Z28 Will you be putting your vette on the rollers?

 

Looks like we have more in common than being in the audio industry.

I will eventually see what it will do either on the dyno or at a local track. I have been around drag racing since I was old enough to drive. Without question I have been at this for a while now. So I have a good idea what it should produce power wise. I am guessing at least 470 to the wheels. Just enough to have some fun without breaking too much stuff.

 

Silly question, the pricing on their site is for a single head correct?

 

Yes, that is correct.

 

If any of you guys are interested in any of the factory parts that came off of my car please let me know.

I have them listed here: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-p...post1585015943