osuhog

iTrader: (16)

I'm in the process of accumulating all the parts needed for a head/cam swap on my 130k mile WS6. As the title says, I want to make sure I've got everything pretty well covered before I actually start the install.

I have read & I have searched a bunch. I basically just want a little piece of mind about everything that I've come up with from all my reading & searching.

Here's what I have coming/plan on ordering soon...

2005 GTO 243 heads with Patriot Gold dual springs & titanium retainers installed
Texas Speed 228R cam
SLP underdrive pulley
Texas Speed chromoly hardened pushrods
LS7 lifters
ported LS6 oil pump
LS2 timing chain & gears
new head gaskets
new front engine seal
new head bolts
new crank bolt
oil, filter, & coolant
rtv, anti sieze, torque wrench, rags, & other obvious misc. tools & stuff.
& a new dyno tune after it's all installed.

I've done a bunch of reading over here the last few months, & this is what I have pretty much come up with. Am I missing anything obvious or is there anything else I might as well go ahead & replace while I'm in there? Are there any other gaskets that I should just go ahead & order?

Also, any recommendations on which head gaskets to use? I won't ever be doing spray & my car is a daily driver, so should I do a thinner gasket to up the compression a bit? Also, what bore on the head gaskets? I believe I need 3.91 since my engine has never been bored or anything, but I just want to make sure.

Thanks in advance! Also, feel free to throw out any other advice you may have. I've already read over the head/cam tutorials about 5 times each, & I will read them a few more times before getting this show on the road.

flintwrench69

iTrader: (11)

I would go with GM MLS head gaskets. You could go with the Cometics to bump the CR but theyre triple the price. Either way MLS gaskets are real easy to clean up behind if you ever have to do it again later. Also, get the ARP head bolts & crank pulley bolt. Theyre more than the GM bolts but you can torque them in 3 easy steps to 75 ft lbs. They dont need angle torquing like the stock bolts do, IMO that alone makes it much easier to torque them down & theyre better bolts. I just installed my heads a few days ago & I went with the ARP bolts & GM MLS gaskets. The ARP crank pulley bolt is longer than the stock bolt so you can use it to install the crank pulley. You could get away with just getting the LS2 chain without the gears if theyre in good shape.

osuhog

iTrader: (16)

Thanks for the advice. That's exactly the way I was leaning on the gaskets & bolts before I started thinking about the cometics. I'm gonna think about it a little more over the weekend & make a decision Monday on exactly what to order.

Thanks again man.