427 block that will respond best to boost?
How does the C5R block work with boost? I noticed someone has a f-1 with a C5R with cats, does anyone have any info on that setup?
Thanks for your help guys
iron block
darton resleved ls1 alumin block
C5R aluminum block
if no cost was a concern id go with the C5r but the bare block is $5k
darton if your concerned about weight.
iron block if price is a concern.
for as what will hold up better dont really know, therotically the iron block will be stronger, not sure if anyone has gotten to the limit of the darton sleved block yet, the C5R's are pretty strong too.

I'd do a Darton MID (wet sleeve) it's sleeves are MUCH thicker than the C5R liners/sleeves. As long as the MID block is done correctly it is STRONGER than the C5R block for 1/2 the price.

I'd do a Darton MID (wet sleeve) it's sleeves are MUCH thicker than the C5R liners/sleeves. As long as the MID block is done correctly it is STRONGER than the C5R block for 1/2 the price.
I never heard of anyone lifting their heads on a iron block. Do u know any case? I would like to see how much boost it took to lift the heads on the iron block.
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1.) You never really "lift the heads" per say. The cylinder head structure and head gasket design dictate how much and where the clamp load provided by the head bolts is distributed between the block and head. This "sealing pressure" provided by the system has to be greater than the applied forces its trying to contain. Once you start to boost an engine, you have significanty increased the combustion pressure its trying to contain in addition to adding a counter force onto the head surface itself (pushing againt it)to the allready deficient cylinder head.
2.) LS1/LS6 heads inhearantly have issues distributing ample load thru the coolant windows due to the lack of structure/material. Increasing the bolt load only adds local load at the base of each fastener (not at the combustion chamber). The head just continues to deflect (bend) with the increased load as the maximum load carrying capabilites have been met and exceeded.
3.) The worse heads are the 97/98 followed by early 99. Next would be revised mid year 99 and up ls1. LS6 are slight better than final revision LS1 heads. The best heads for structure are actually the 6.0 truck. With the hogged out bores which removed a lot of the head structure, GM significantly revised the struture inside the head to support the floating combusion chamber. You can actually feel the ribs/tie bars in the floor of the head if you probe inside the coolant passage.
4.) The block material has no impact on weather of not the head will seal for a givin condition on LSXs.
Hope this helps
Dave
Here's some info from Steve (co-inventor of the Darton MID setup):
A block with MID sleeves and steel caps - studs, is more than equivalent in strength to the C5R block. Do not confuse the MID kit with a thin wall dry sleeve. The MID sleeves are almost a quarter inch thick at 4.125" bore.
The MID sleeves are considerably stronger than the sleeves in a C5R block. Same 130,000 psi tensile ductile iron as used by almost every top fuel and funny car team - Darton supplies most all the top runners. The only advantages the C5R block has over a standard block with MID sleeves are the steel main caps and studs. You can add these to any LS1 or LS6 block (not really necessary except for the highest out put engines). You will find that you can build two really strong MID blocks for the price of one C5R and have money left over.
99fbody, i totally agree with you: the heads kinda deform between the head bolts/studs, i guess a better head design would be the older small block chevy where you had 5 bolts per piston instead of the ls1's 4.
another thing you might look into that contributes to "lifting" the heads is the length of the bolts being used, the longer they are the "easier" they are to stretch because of different circumstances (i.e. load, thermal expansion etc.) thats why i think gm revised the 2004 blocks to only use "short" bolts/studs ( like the ones on either end of block) instead of the long ones, even though they where praising the benefits of using deeper bolt holes to reduce bore deformation.
Here's some info from Steve (co-inventor of the Darton MID setup):
A block with MID sleeves and steel caps - studs, is more than equivalent in strength to the C5R block. Do not confuse the MID kit with a thin wall dry sleeve. The MID sleeves are almost a quarter inch thick at 4.125" bore.
The MID sleeves are considerably stronger than the sleeves in a C5R block. Same 130,000 psi tensile ductile iron as used by almost every top fuel and funny car team - Darton supplies most all the top runners. The only advantages the C5R block has over a standard block with MID sleeves are the steel main caps and studs. You can add these to any LS1 or LS6 block (not really necessary except for the highest out put engines). You will find that you can build two really strong MID blocks for the price of one C5R and have money left over.
The same would hold true of the C5R heads. Does someone want to say the street heads are just as good? I don't think so. Now the problem with the race heads are that the "cheap" intakes available for the production LS family of production engines will not fit these heads.
The same would hold true of the C5R heads. Does someone want to say the street heads are just as good? I don't think so. Now the problem with the race heads are that the "cheap" intakes available for the production LS family of production engines will not fit these heads.
Also the blocks aren't expensive from GM because it isn't mass produced (they make about 150-200 a year FWIW). It is because the block is entirely outsourced. Every one has to get his cut including GM which is passed onto the consumer.
Answer me this, If the MID design is better why isn't the GM factory C5R Corvettes using them?
Last edited by BigD; Sep 2, 2004 at 06:47 AM.



