spbz06

Definitely speak with Kevin or Josh at Horsepower Addicts. I just had heads, cam, intake, LT headers and tuning done there and they were great to work with. Very reasonably priced and they do NOT push you to buy any unnecessary services of parts.

I also like that Josh took the time to listen to my goals (including driveability concerns) and recommended a cam with specs that met those goals rather than just grab a "make 600 HP" cam that would be a dyno queen, but miserable to live with on a daily basis.

And another thing that was important to me (and I assume would be to you with such a low mileage Z) is that they treated the car like it was their own... it came back to me in the same condition as when I dropped it off. No scratches, grease or oil spills under the hood, etc.

RobsVette04

$2,000 is average.

Pchild

I'm going to be purchasing a C6 Z06 in the next few weeks. This has consumed my mind, what to do, how to do it, and how much to budget.

Subscribed.

Mr. Jean

Try to get one with a GMPP. They're out there, I got my 09Z06 last Sept. with one. Good luck and happy hunting.

ATC399

Nailed it

GTJim

Posted a question in HPA's head rebuild thread so I'll see what they recommend.

American Heritage

We charge $2,600 (plus tax on parts) to R&R the heads in our shop. This is including all the parts and labor (package 4 heads, arp bolts, head gaskets, exh gaskets, plugs wires, oil and fluids). If new pushrods are used to achieve desired preload then it would be an additional $120.

If you were to bring heads into a shop and ask to have them installed then expect to pay between $800-$1,400 (depending on the the parts of the country you live in, the shop doing the work, ect...)

OP any questions feel free to shoot us an email
HP@americanheritageperformance.com

phosho

I am looking at an 06 with 50k miles. Already has a cam and new valve springs. If I'm only looking to fix the issue and not more power, is pulling the heads and replacing the guides all you need to do?

dmuellenberg

I don't think anyone really knows for sure, but obviously you don't want to replace the guides with OEM guides otherwise the problem will just show up again later. I think most shops recommend that you also replace your valves and possibly the springs as well for the 'fix'.

phosho

Correct. I'd use bronze valves. Just wondered if any machine work was needed.

I talked to a local shop and they quoted me ~$1000 to do a valve job, replace the guides and springs, and machine the heads i think they said? That doesn't include labor.

fueledpassion

I'm getting ready to do:

Head fix with bronze guides, SS valves, 3-angle valve job, milled, etc etc

Cam upgrade

CAI

Labor + Dyno tuning for around $4,000 total. Just shop around and be willing to travel a few hours in any direction to get what you need.

fueledpassion

and possibly a different set of valves. But guides for sure.

Labor to pull and re-install heads is between $900 - $1500 and fixing bronze guides and new valves will run together around $600-800 I bet.

fueledpassion

Buy one already fixed. Be willing to pay an extra $2K for a set of fixed/modded heads. You won't get it done any cheaper by yourself unless you actually do the labor.

badass7

Where are the hundreds of American Heritage Performance guys??
Go look at their website. Package #4 $1308 is all you need!!

American Heritage

We offer our MoldStar90 Valve guide that we feel is far superior to bronze in every way. We feel it is superior to any valve guide currently on the Market. MoldStar90 has been heavily tested and proven in high end race applications for years (F1, Indy, Ect...).







http://www.americanheritageperformance.com/Contact.html

GTJim

Do we know exactly what the problem is and are we certain that redoing the heads will fix it??? I've read multiple articles about the issue and one that stuck in my mind is from Superchevy I believe where it was mentioned the issue was a machining problem with the heads. A well known forum vendor, who shall remain nameless, recommends using TI intake valves, the stock exhaust valves, bronze guides and beehive springs. Then another vendor has their own take on what the "fix" is. Then another has a slightly different opinion on how to correct it. I guess my main concern is that if the money is spent to redo the heads what reassurance do we have that the problem is "fixed". It's bad enough that the owners have to pay to fix the problem but also have to sort through different takes on what the "fix" is and hope they choose the right one. Sorry, rant over.

Michael_D

Every vendor or cylinder head specialist will have what they consider "the fix". They all vary to some degree. In the end though, there are no mysterious qualities with these heads over any other pushrod activated V8 cylinder heads. Just stick to the basics. Good machine work, good geometry, and the right materials. This isn't rocket science, despite keyboard mechanics trying to make it so. I put this thread together to describe what causes guide wear at the base level. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...uide-wear.html

I would resist the temptation to install a larger camshaft, or headers, or anything else. Just keep the damn thing stock. Once you start down that road, you'll just keep walking.....and will not have time to drive the car.

GTJim

If I do the heads I'd get the fix done and have them ported and polished for a little bit more power. Other than that the car would be left stock. No headers, cams or any other mods.