Finally have some track results for my Ai 200cc heads/cam combo
I don't want to give them the satisfaction, or my money.
--Alan
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
I got a story to tell!
I went to Bert after hearing he was a great cam guy for LT1s. I told him my goals and that the car was a daily driver that saw some track time and some long trips now and then and what not. The cam I was given was 224/232 .605/.605 107.5 LSA cam. I had just put all kinds of money into my LPE heads having them freshened with new valves, springs retainers, valve job, couple new seats and guide liners etc. I also freshened my stock short block with a hone, moly rings, Clevite H bearings, etc
Put the motor together with proper length pushrods and set the springs where old Bert told me to set them. It lasted almost 1,400 miles 9600 of which was my one way trip to PA from NC) before dropping the intake valve on the #1 cylinder. It took a real big toll on my Lingenfelter cylinder heads and also destroyed one piston and rod. When I took it apart and tested the springs most only had 80-90lbs of pressure at the installed height they were set in at. The pressure was 135lbs when the heads were assembled 1,400 miles earlier.
I had to put nearly $1,000 in my heads to have them fixed CORRECTLY after the damage. This included welding in several areas, surfacing, new springs again, a few guides, a few guide liners, retainers, seals, locks, and locators. That cam really took a toll on my heads. All I reused was the castings. If anyone wonders why I spent so much to fix them instead of scrapping them, it was because I already had so much in them and couldn't afford to get a set of AI heads at the time.
It was a pretty bad experience for me. I had just got done building a motor, it lasted 1,400 miles and then had to build another one? Nope, my money was gone. My car was down for 7-8 months due to this.
Notice Lloyd Elliot no longer uses the self proclaimed valvetrain guru's cams. The guy didn't know what he was doing. He was using us for guinea pigs and some **** ran and some didn't. Worse yet some broke like mine. Needless to say I never have any good to say about that guy.
I got a story to tell!
I went to Bert after hearing he was a great cam guy for LT1s. I told him my goals and that the car was a daily driver that saw some track time and some long trips now and then and what not. The cam I was given was 224/232 .605/.605 107.5 LSA cam. I had just put all kinds of money into my LPE heads having them freshened with new valves, springs retainers, valve job, couple new seats and guide liners etc. I also freshened my stock short block with a hone, moly rings, Clevite H bearings, etc
Put the motor together with proper length pushrods and set the springs where old Bert told me to set them. It lasted almost 1,400 miles 9600 of which was my one way trip to PA from NC) before dropping the intake valve on the #1 cylinder. It took a real big toll on my Lingenfelter cylinder heads and also destroyed one piston and rod. When I took it apart and tested the springs most only had 80-90lbs of pressure at the installed height they were set in at. The pressure was 135lbs when the heads were assembled 1,400 miles earlier.
I had to put nearly $1,000 in my heads to have them fixed CORRECTLY after the damage. This included welding in several areas, surfacing, new springs again, a few guides, a few guide liners, retainers, seals, locks, and locators. That cam really took a toll on my heads. All I reused was the castings. If anyone wonders why I spent so much to fix them instead of scrapping them, it was because I already had so much in them and couldn't afford to get a set of AI heads at the time.
It was a pretty bad experience for me. I had just got done building a motor, it lasted 1,400 miles and then had to build another one? Nope, my money was gone. My car was down for 7-8 months due to this.
Notice Lloyd Elliot no longer uses the self proclaimed valvetrain guru's cams. The guy didn't know what he was doing. He was using us for guinea pigs and some **** ran and some didn't. Worse yet some broke like mine. Needless to say I never have any good to say about that guy.
And if you must know, I'm running AI's 200cc package, along with the ported intake on a forged 383, 12.5:1 compression, with LPP long tubes, CPT 4L60E transmission, 4000 Yank, with a Wolfe cage, all BMR suspension on top of Weld Prostars, all through a Ford 9".
Capiche?
Sorry for calling it like it is. Results don't lie.
And I find it amusing for folks to bash either one. Both companies are providing services to the LT1 crowd that didn't exist 5 years ago. Both provide comparable gains at comparable price tags, and have comparable customer service. Sure, there's going to be all kinds of competition between the two, but everyone forgets the similarities.
I, personally, am going with AI.
And if you must know, I'm running AI's 200cc package, along with the ported intake on a forged 383, 12.5:1 compression, with LPP long tubes, CPT 4L60E transmission, 4000 Yank, with a Wolfe cage, all BMR suspension on top of Weld Prostars, all through a Ford 9".
Capiche?








