big dave

There are so many heads on the market these days that advertise great flow #s on the intake side, but only average on teh exhaust. My question is... it you found a head that gives up a little flow on the intake side over brand x, but flows quite a bit better on the exhaust side, which one would you choose?

Rise of the Phoenix

iTrader: (27)

A cam can be custom spec'd/ground based on the intake and exhaust flow of a given set of heads. Take for instance AFR heads. The intake and exhaust both flow great, so in theory, a 4 degree or less split cam generally does very well and produces great numbers. If I were you, I wouldn't get so caught up on the flow numbers. Whatever head(s) you're looking at, search for some "real world" results like dyno numbers and track times. Take a look at the entire combination too and see how a given cam performs with the heads. If you're in the market for aftermarket castings, then take a look at AFR, TFS, PRC, PI, etc. Even ported stock casting LS2 heads do great. Some of the best porters out there are Advanced Indcution, Livernois, TEA, Flowtech Indcution, etc. It really depends on how much you want to spend and what your goals are.

big dave

Thank you very much for your response. I have looked at almost all of the companies you listed. This is where the confusion lies. My head is just spinning in circles. How do you choose? This is why I started this thread. Do I just go for the best "advertised" flowing head? What should I be looking for? Peak numbers? Mid and low lift flow numbers? How critical is exhaust flow? I'm looking for a powerful, streetable setup. A nasty cam sounds great, but driveability is very important since my car is a street car.

Rise of the Phoenix

iTrader: (27)

If I were you, I'd make a list of exactly what you want to spend and what you are looking for out of the car. Is it going to be a strictly street/weekend warrior car, or will it be more of a track car. Are you looking to set a dyno record or are you looking for useable/under the curve power. If you can answer those questions, that will help you decide on a set of heads. Always get the heads first and then pick out a cam to complement the heads. If you can find a good used set of AFR, TFS, PRC heads, then that is going to be your best bet. I picked up a great set of AFR heads for less than what I would have had to pay to get a set of 243/799 heads ported.