nightman06

I know this has been covered time and time again, but I am trying to gather all the info I have been reading and put it all together. Basically, Im tryin to decide on which set of heads I want to throw my cash at. I dont have the funds, nor the real need, for AFR, TrickFlow, Darts, etc. I am trying to compare PRC, Patriot, Livernois, etc. Im trying to get in the neighborhood of 450-460rwhp. Id like to do the heads/cam at the same time. Id like to run a cam in the high 230's on a 112lsa to push the powerband down a little. I would like the majority of my power in the low/mid range as this is essentially a daily driver. The biggest problem Im having is trying to figure out which style and how large I should go with. I have a '97 so I know I am kind of limited with the bolt setup. I dont mind purchasing the new parts to make the heads fit, if it would benefit me to go that route. Can I still run a set of 5.3 heads with an aggressive cam? I like the idea of bumping the compression but Im not sure if the flow numbers would match up....? Also, if you can compare apples to apples, is there a significant difference between brands. I know they all start with the same casting, but are people noticing really differences from one to the other. Thanks in advance for the help.

02gt350

if you want 460 rwhp...you are gonna need the good heads. TFS 235's will do the job, and more. you will also need a FAST intake and a good 23x/23x cam

nickolbag

Have you considered porting stock heads from Cartek? I know their setups can get you where you want to be without a problem. Just not sure if they are in your budget.

nightman06

You're telling me that a set of 243's ported, a high 230's cam, headers, and a full support of bolt-ons is not going to get 450rwhp.....?

I havent really looked into Cartek much. How much do a set of theirs run?? Ballpark...

Billdog350

IF you have the heads milled a bit, it should bump up the hp/tq in addition to the porting and aggressive cam. I agree you'll need some real good supporting mods (ported FAST 90/90) if you're aiming for 450rw since I recently did PRC 243's, a "mild" 228/232 with under 600's lift, LS6 intake, stock tb, airbridge and maf, Vararam, and LG Streets and made 412/394. With a more aggressive cam I'm sure i'd be in the 420's to 430 but that's a far cry from 450 to 460.

nightman06

Thats true. Maybe my goals are a little inflated. To be honest, the numbers are not nearly as important to me as the SOTP. If I could get good low/mid range power and be in the neighborhood of 420rwhp that would make me more than happy.

That being said, Im still curious as to who has the set of heads that will get this request fulfilled....?

Billdog350

Most tuners will promote whatever they produce or are affiliated with. I have seen people put down good numbers with ALL of the above heads so it really becomes an issue of what your tuner is dealing with (unless you're doing all the work yourself). You'll still need the PCM tuned and I know some tuners prefer one brand over another for drivability.

Making sure to properly match your cam and heads is almost more important than going for "peak" statistics. Also, the chamber size will affect compression and thus hp and tq.

I wanted big sotp increase but still very drivable so I went with a "torque" cam (similar to G5X1) which has a nice hp/tq improvement with gains from idle. I can break the tires loose in 1st at any rpm and almost any rpm above 3000 in 2nd.....thats plenty of fun for me.

At some point the question becomes "How fast do you want to spin the tires" since traction starts becoming a big issue after 400hp/tq.

nickolbag

Well their cam specs are not disclosed but they have made over 500rwhp a couple of times with ported 243s and their 4X cam and all the bolt ons. I know they have made over 450 with their 2X cam(what I have) which is around 224/228 .590. A very mild cam and great for a street driven car. Plus their 500rwhp cars have run into the 10.3s@130+ so those dyno numbers are "real".

Not sure about prices but I know they aren't cheap. It all depends on how much port work you want to do. Best bet is to call them and tell them what you want.

I made 430rwhp on heavy Ruff racing 20" rims and a bad ls1 bottom end with ported ls1 heads and 4.10s. Your goals can easily be met. Just do a lot of homework and call around.

02gt350

i had 243's ported with a 59CC and a 224/224 cam. made 411.

I guess your 460 depends on a mustang dyno (real) or 460 on a dynojet (fake)

if you go to a dyno jet with 243's ported, a big cam, a FAST with LT headers...you might make it..

vsocks1

I believe Cartek heads are over $2,000 also. You mentioned low to mid range torque being important. A lot of combos will get you to where you want in peak HP, but with more power in the top end.

vettenuts

You are really better off talking to the guys who do the heads. I would contact Tony Mamo at AFR or Julio at Cartek for example and discuss your goals and what you want from the car. What some people consider streetable, others would not. I intentionally went with a smaller cam to increase mid-range response rather than the donkey dick type of cam.

9secondflat

i would check the sale section, there was a set of cartek heads going for less than 1k a week or so ago. if you can get them, jump on them that is a steal.

ROADAPPLE

If you want the best SOTP, change your rear gears

algZO6

i would also throe TEA in the mix. i put down 445 rwhp and 408 rwtq through 3:90s. this is without a fast or ewp. my cam is a 232/236 580/580 on a 112.

black98c5

I hear really good things about Livernois heads. You will need a cam like a G5X3 or G5X4 with some decent heads and a ported Fast 90/90 setup to get around the 440rwhp range. If your looking to get the most out of your setup, then some TrickFlow/AFR/Cartek/TEA heads are in order for sure.

Max@Cartek

Thanks for the plug guys.

Your goals are completely attainable. We've done what you are looking for many times. Feel free to give us a call to discuss your options.

Max
908.317.4496

Trevor @ Texas Speed

Our Precision Race Components cylinder heads will certainly achieve the goal of 450+ RWHP in a six-speed vehicle! Both our LS6 and 5.3L cylinder heads are more than proven, and we have MANY setups in customers' hands make 450-465 RWHP with our MS3 and MS4 camshafts in six-speed manual vehicles. We can build our PRC stage 2.5 5.3L cylinder heads to fit with as large as an MS3 camshaft without having to fly-cut the pistons. You must specify this when placing the order, but it can easily be done. If you are looking at our PRC LS6 cylinder heads, you would need to go with the stage 1.0 cylinder heads that use the factory valves. It is not possible to attain enough piston-to-valve clearance with the larger 2.02"/1.575" valves in the LS6 cylinder heads and our Magic Stick line of camshafts. No matter which cylinder heads you go with, you will add right at 100 RWHP fully tuned so long as you have long tube headers, induction mods, and at least an LS6 intake manifold.

As an added bonus, we are running an additional $100 off any PRC cylinder heads through the end of this month! This will include our heads/cam packages, too. Feel free to give us a call or PM me with any questions or concerns. You will not be disappointed with the setup!



Trevor
Texas Speed & Performance

Mike94ZLT1

I have to say that Trevor was more than helpful when I wanted to build my engine. I bought a short block assembly from them, along with a camshaft, PRC heads, a ported oil pump, gaskets, bolts, etc and have been more than satisfied with my purchase (Thanks to Trevor, specifically for his help ) I have more than 10,000 trouble free miles on my setup. I have purchased from them since then and will continue to purchase from them in the future. Trevor - I will be calling you in the next few weeks, I want to change my valve springs but I don't need the whole kit with retainers and everything, just seats, springs, and seals! THANK YOU!

nightman06

Thanks a lot for all the replies. Ill be making some phone calls in the near future. I guess its going to come down to making the correct match. I am happy to hear that the goals are attainable. To be honest though, it probably will come down to an issue of traction more than anything else. I do have the heavy 20" RR wheels as well thats why I really want to get my power up because I will def be sacrificing with those on.

nickolbag

I have 20" rims as well. Forget about traction cause it will be a thing of the past.