Elysian

Does anyone make 4-valve heads for the GEN 1 smallblock? I heard it rumored that such a thing existed, and that it was being considered for LS1's as well. Anyone know anything about this? Website? Other info?

maddboost

iTrader: (11)

At this time no one has any plans for a multivalve setup for LS1s that the public knows about. AFR is just now coming out with the first aftermarket heads so a multivalve offering would be even a few more years away. Anyways one cam is all you need.

BigPlanTransAm

someone does make them for the Gen 1 but they are extreemly expensive. like 4-4.5k if i remember correctly. i didnt keep the link but maybe someone still has it and will post it up for you.
as for LS1's, there was a big thread about someone wanting ot know if we wanted hemi or 4-valve heads. i dont know what exactly became of that thread but someone was considering it.
sorry i couldnt provide too many details but thats all i know.

383LQ4SS

iTrader: (33)

http://www.araoengineering.com/

Elysian

Excellent. Thanks for the link & info all.

Elysian

In regard to the above link, this is probably remote, but has anyone ever seen these converted to reverse cooling (LT1/LT4 style) ??? I'm thinking about it for my next batch of upgrades . . . I have to belive it would make some kickass power with OBDII fuel injection.

70 TA

I was just looking over the website.

Those heads make some serious power looking at those dyno graphs.

http://www.araoengineering.com/dnochrts/dyno_sheets.htm

And with fairly mild cam.

I'm also wondering how they would do in an EFI setup.

BadAndy

Damn, it looked like they were flowing ~315 on the intake at just .500! I guess that was an LT1 casting too. Like to see some LS1 flow numbers.

Elysian

I wonder if these heads mate with an LT1/LT4 intake manifold? According to some guys on CZ28.com, these heads require quite a bit of modification to get them to work. Still . . . if they did, it would be kickass.

2edybrd

They were first designed for the standard SBC. Then they came out for the LT-1. GMHTP did a blurb on them from the SEMA show about six years ago. They were set up with an LT-1 carbeurated intake. Arao engineering has told me when I asked, that these heads would work fine with an LT-1 intake. There is a guy over on CamaroZ28 that has them running on his car. There is also a guy around here who never got them to work on his car. They just sit in his garage. I wouldn't take his experience as standard however. Sometimes the mouth can't keep up with the skill.

Abidar

I can only imagine revving an ls1 to 9000 rmps!!! That'd be freakin sweet. I know I know, we only need one cam, but I have no clue how DOHC work. Pushrods? How would you convert from pushrods to DOHC? Is it a direct bolt on replacement... you just leave out the pushrods? Sorry for jacking the thread.

2edybrd

It doesn't switch to DOHC. it uses the same cam and pushrod setup. It's just that thier are now a forked arm set up that lets the intake rod activate two valves and the exhaust activates two valves as well.

Aren't there heads on the market now that flow within 5 - 10 cfm across the rpm range for about half the price?

Abidar

thanks, lol, now i feel dumb

Abidar

Will those heads that flow close to the 4 valves allow for 9000 rpms revs?

2edybrd

I don't think that the Arao heads rev to 9000 rpm. I have the brochure and some other stuff from them laying around here somewhere. I just moved and everything is still packed up. Even if they do rev to 9000 your going to have to do some significant amount of other work to the internals to handle that kind of momentum. Can a 4L60E even handle those kinds of RPMs without breaking?

O.K. there are three levels of porting for these heads. The LS-1 and the LT-1 can easily accept the first stage. Second stage requires major block modification and forget about stage three (it's designed for big block applications, although stage three heads flow over 400 cfm.) This is all from memory, so I could just be blowing smoke out my tail pipe

No matter what some block work is required to fit the heads. Also, you will have to have Hooker d-port block hugger headers or something like that.

If you can fit the heads and everything works out even with a mild cam the heads were peaking at around 480 rwhp.

I did some research on these things way back when. Five years ago there wasn't much out for the LS-1 yet so these heads looked really good. If you want bragging rights these things are definately the way to go. Just imagine what they could do with a blower on the car as well as the 4-valve heads

Abidar

Check the website. It says 9000 rpms without exotic valvetrain parts...

2edybrd

I am sure you are correct. Like I said, my memory is sketchy. But I'm not just talking about valvetrain components. Lightweight pistons, bearings that can handle that amount of spin; new drivetrain components, drive shaft (some stock driveshafts have been known to fail at even the regular redline.) Will the intake manifold support the amount of air needed to make power at that RPM? Remember, all the figures they give were achieved with a carbeurated engine.

I'm not dissing the product. I'm just saying that there is no way this is a simple bolt on. And for the amount of money you would eventually have to put into the car to make it work, you could most definately go in another direction.

Hell, if you want to get freaky with the car, destroke it to a 302, rev it to 75-7800 rpm and make about five hundred horsepower.

I agree with you guys though. The unique factor is definately a major attraction.

Elysian

How "mild" of a cam are we talking here? 220* duration? 230* ? More? I couldn't care less about the "unique" factor, I just want some heads that compete with LSx's. These look like they would. For the price, though, I'd probably be better off scrapping my puny little smallblock and putting a big block in. Cubic inches or cubic $$$.

BigPlanTransAm

woah i didnt think they were that expensive!

Camaroholic

iTrader: (1)

This is an LT1 at my buddy's shop. An ATI blower is going to be bolted on to the front of it too...