trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

Hi guys, I just bought a set of Ported 853 casting LS1 Heads that I took to get Milled 0.030 inches (the head porting place said this was a nice insurance to avoid gasket sealing problems and to raise compression to a 10:9:1 I believe). My engine is a stock 346 LS1 only thing it has are headers and a TNT nitrous system. The heads are equipped with dual springs ( dont know what brand they are, but would be nice to know) and the valves are larger than the ones on my stock heads. However I dont know the exact sizes.

My questions are:

1. What type of gasket should I use? A friend recommended the 2002 and Newer LS1 / LS6 Head Gasket Kit Part Number: 12498544 which I believe it says that the approximate compressed thickness is 0.060" ( I dont know what that means or if it alters anything). Would this be a good gasket for this setup?

2. Can I reuse the stock pushrods or which ones do you guys recommend?

3. Finally what camshaft do you guys recommend for this setup, I have heard piston to valve clearance problems along with other problems. I want a nice camshaft that would take advantage of this heads and make decent power for my car but at the same time to not cause any havoc to the heads or engine. How can I determine what cam doesnt cause any damage. Is there any number I should go by, duration, lift ,LSA.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I did search but couldnt find an answer. I dont know much about heads or cams, so any input is highly valuable. Thanks

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

1. MLS gaskets or Cometics will work great for this application.
2.Any cam you select you are going to want springs and pushrods for right off the bat. You might want to test the springs before using them if they are not new.
3. You will have to search out what you want with the cam portion. We can sit here all day and recommend cams for you, but when it comes down to it you will have to pick in the end. You also need to let us know what kind of driving you are doing with this setup.

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

orangeapeel , I appreciate you writing back, thanks for your time. This car is my daily driver, I would like a cam that makes decent power but yet is streetable with good manners. I however would like for people to hear that the car has a camshaft anice aggressive tone would be nice. My concern is choosing one that has these characteristics but that it wont hurt my heads or engine. Excuse my lack of knowledge, but which ones are the MLS gaskets, what do these do? I am familiar with cometic gaskets. The shop said the dual springs had good pressure. The pushrods I dont even know where or what length to buy.

Once again, Thanks

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

Well, you might end up going with a shorter pushrod like a 7.350 to compensate for the heads being milled .030 thousandths.

Multi-Layered Steel gaskets.

A 227-23x's would be a good place to start. Do you have gears for a bigger cam yet?
I would suggest atleast a 3.73 unless you want to step up into the 230-240 ranged cams then go with the 4.10-4.56 if you think you need that much gear.
Get a grind on a 112-114 and find out if it will perform with what you got. To tell if it will sound choppy or not you can find a cam that has a higher overlap.

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

orangeapeel , I currently have the 3:42 gears but if need be I can get the 3:73 gears. Where can I buy the MLS gaskets? Thanks so much for your replies. Any other ones also welcome.

Thanks to orangeapeel

Tri5Nerd

iTrader: (3)

Your setup will be almost exactly like mine will be. I'll be installing the same heads with CNC work done and bigger valves.
My heads were milled to 60CC chamber and SCR will be around 11.05:1 with a DCR at 8.53 using a cometic .040" gasket. I'll be using a Torquer v2 cam on the 112 lobe with all the supporting mods. Hopefully this will get me some good RWHP and TQ.

Note: You will have to notch your pistions if you use this combo.

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

Tri5Nerd, you also had your heads milled to 0.030 in? I am hoping that I dont have to notch the pistons. SO I am going to try and find a cam that allows me the most power but yet wont hit the pistons or valves. Best of luck with your setup. Thanks

The Alchemist

iTrader: (19)

With stock gears or even 3.73s, I'd recommend something like the TR 224/224 on a 112lsa. It is streetable, but has enough lope to know that a cam is in the car. My heads are milled 0.030" as well, and I'm switching to a thinner gasket to get a better quench which will more low end torque and drivability to the car.

Tri5Nerd

iTrader: (3)

I had my heads milled down to get me to 60CC chamber, they had to take more than .030" off them because they were not the same thickness. I went this way because I wanted the SCR and DCR to compliment the cam I'm going to use, plus this will give me good quench, I've heard all the guys say that quench is one of the most important part of having the correct combo.
If you don't want to flycut then I would suggest getting a smaller cam in the 224/224 duration range.

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

I would seriously consider flycutting.

Im running 7.400 pushrods on .060 gaskets and heads milled .040 and a 1.450 base circle. I probably would have liked to run the 6.0L truck gaskets which are .054 for a better quench.

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

Thanks gentlema for the suggestions. Please keep em coming.

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

Do you guys know which casting of the LS1 heads flows better numbers. Is there even such a thing. The 853 or the 241.

PLease any more suggestions on the setup I want to do, would be most welcome.

Also how much would u guys pay for a pair of these heads, just want to check if I got a good deal on them.
The heads are Nicely Ported and Polished 853 casting LS1 Heads that I took to get Milled
0.030 inches and are equipped with dual springs ( dont know what brand
they are, but would be nice to know) and the valves are larger than the
ones on my stock heads. Thanks

8GTOKLR

iTrader: (6)

853 heads take the older head gaskets, the 241's take the 01 newer gaskets

If you put 241 gaskets on the 853's they'll leak. scroggin dickey has a great writeup in their catalog


853 vs 241=same flow valves etc..one is sand casted and the other well isnt

Ksett

Be wary of Cometics mine leaked. They are great gaskets if you get a set that don't leak but it's a gamble. Many people on this forum have had the leaking issues including myself. Not worth the risk in my opinion.

Viper

iTrader: (6)

Ksett

It's all in the setup of the Cometics and how well the surface is prepped. Mine don't leak.

For Trans Am 31

A TR224 with those heads is nice with no flycutting required.

You can always go custom too.

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

Guys thanks a lot for your responses.

8GTOKLR , Luckily for me I have the 853 pair that didnt get the infamous notch. I believe its a late 1999 casting.

Ksett, So this means that I am going to go with the new 02 style head gaskets.

Viper, Thanks for the heads up on the cometics. I really appreciate your input on the cam and its info on the flycutting.

Thanks guys!! Anyone else have any suggestions? Keep em coming!!

Ksett

I agree, they should be setup properly, that's a given. My mechanic has set these up many times with success, but there have been about 10% of these that have failed, that have nothing to do with prep or install.

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

Guys, is there any way I can get away with using a 224/230 cam or even a
231/237 cam ?

I dont really want to flycut the pistons, but will seriously
consider it with the 231/237 cam. I am hoping maybe if I put in a thicker
gasket. I dont know, I am a little confused. Any sguggestions would be
helpful.

Ksett, thanks for the info. I appreciate it.

Thanks

trans_am_31

iTrader: (51)

Could anyone shed some light on this issue? Thanks, guy s

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

Youd be better off with a smaller cam and a thinner gasket to keep up compression and a tighter quench.