slp1300

iTrader: (8)

im starting a new project and picked up a iron headed 6.0, what do you guys think about porting does iron heads? i heard that they are the same as aluminum 317 but iron. Any ideas would be appreciated!! thanks

topbrent

iTrader: (1)

Don't waste your time or money on those iron anchors. Take 'em to the scrap yard.

A set of used 243 cathedral, or used L92/ls3 heads can be had complete for well under 500 bucks.

I am all for saving money, but investing in the iron heads is just plain silliness.

Paul57

I don't know if a porter would want to use their cutters on iron?? At least, I don't think I would want to dull them up more/faster for one set of heads.

3pedals

iTrader: (3)

that iron head'd engine you have also has a .4" longer crank flange - something to be aware of

Pocket

iTrader: (22)

Same thing, different material. As common as the alum heads are, dont waste your time



Thats a good one

slp1300

iTrader: (8)

can you please explain in what way i have to be aware of this?

Paul57

I suspect you don't believe this is a very valid point??

slp1300

iTrader: (8)

instead of porting this heads would be better just to bolt a set of stock 243??

SATAN

iTrader: (2)

You can port out Iron heads just fine. Cast iron is actually pretty soft. Nowhere near as soft as aluminum of course, but a tungsten carbide bit should not have a problem.

I have both the Iron heads and the 317 aluminum heads. The cast iron heads LITERALLY weigh 30lbs a piece MORE than the 317 heads. That is each one! so 60lbs total just by switching heads. These were weighed on a shipping scale, not a bathroom scale.

The .4" longer crank may cause you to run into problems depending on what tranny combo you want to run. For example, you cannot run the T56 with that crank. The bell housing won't reach the block before the input shaft bottoms out. From what I understand, you can run any auto though. You also have to be aware of this for what flex plate you run too. I currently am battling this dilemma myself.

The newer cranks have a spacer you can actually pull off, but the truck engines that came with the iron heads don't have a spacer. The crank is actually longer. The length difference is where the flex plate/flywheel bolts to the crank. This is why you have to be conscious of the difference when buying your flexplate.

If the iron heads are the same as the 317 aluminum heads.... The 317's flow the same as the 243's, but the 243's will raise your compression ratio.

Pocket

iTrader: (22)

Early 6.0's were only offered in front of the 4L80E which uses the old SBC style case/converter. This put a .4" gap between the crank flange and converter nub. Those older cranks had the flange cast into the end to account for the difference where later cranks used a separate adapter. This way GM can use the same crank for 5.3/5.7/6.0 and not have an individual 6.0 crank

NemeSS

iTrader: (127)

I like that long flange 6.0 crank
Engine I built with it still runs 9s on spray with it in a swapped 3rd gen.
I kept the old iron 6.0 heads, but later sold em to a guy who used them on a 5.3. And ran em for a long time with a mpt70. Never came apart or any issues, and he used stock new TTY bolts and the old grafoil 5.7 ls1 heads. Iirc saw up to 15psig all the time.
I did take a carbide burr to em and cut out the flash, smoothed the chamber to smooth shiny finish and exhaust port also.
Ran fine, maybe the extra weight kept the heads from lifting with those junk gaskets and bolts

1badeagle

iTrader: (9)

I would scrap the iron heads and try to find a l92 set up. Its the "new" cool thing to do. Mine will make somewhere in the neighbor hood of 500-525 whp with ls3 heads and custom cam.

slp1300

iTrader: (8)

I Will be using the stock botton end and i already got an edelbrock cam # 2216 , i Will try to find some 243 or 799 heads instead of the iron ones

NemeSS

iTrader: (127)

Yea,go with a 243/799 heads
I may have a set of 799 heads fs here soon if ur interested

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (25)

Iron heads are good for one thing, dirt track where a iron head is required.

driver56

Bingo..... Please don't take them to a scrap yard, you can sell them to the right people if you look in the right places. Scrap yards pay by the ton, you're not gonna get jack s**t for 70lbs worth of heads.

93Z2871805

iTrader: (5)

What setup are you running for 500-525 to the wheels?

Prorac1

iTrader: (4)

His post says LS3 heads. Those are the rectangular port ones. Eric L

93Z2871805

iTrader: (5)

I understand that (I'm using LS3 heads), I was wondering what setup he is running to put 500-525 to the WHEELS.