i've been doing a lot of research into what heads/cam setup i want to go for, but i thought i'd make a thread to get some knowledgeable input on where i'm thinking of going with this.

i have to pass california emissions and so i have to keep the stock exhaust manifolds/cats. i have the LS6 intake manifold, but its easy to throw the original 99 LS1 intake back on if i need to. i'm not worried about the visual inspection for the heads as long as the setup passes the sniffer.
i have a 3600 stall and plan on continuing to use a 125-150 shot of nitrous or switch to a supercharger setup in the future (realistically it would happen in 1-2 years if it does).

with all of the above in mind, i originally was thinking of going with the thunder racing CheaTR heads/cam package which comes with 214/230 .601/.575 117 LSA cam and smog legal afr 205 heads. thing is.. it goes for over $2,700 and i'm not too into having to change the springs as a maintenence thing every year or so.

so... unless anyone else thinks its worth it to go with the CheaTR heads/cam package, i'm most likely going to go with a tr224 cam (224/224 .563/.563 112 LSA) or mti c2 (pretty much same specs) or even texas speed's 224R cam with 112 LSA. if i went with texas speed, i'd just go with a set of PRC stage 1 LS6 heads, throw in all the bells and whistles (comp cams beehive springs, rollmaster timing chain, pushrods) and save $1k.

i'm hoping for 380rwhp through my unlocked 3600 stall 2.5str torque converter and to break 500rwhp with the nitrous. is that possible with the setup i have in mind?

would the afr205 heads make that much of a difference over the PRC stage 1 LS6 heads if i'm on stock manifolds/catted-y and a 224r cam?

any and all advice is really appreciated!

 

you should consider the 114 lsa instead. 112 will be hard to get by the sniffer

 

i was thinking 114 for the same reason and that the torque loss would just be a pound or two (?). would it change the sound much?

also looking for more cost effective options if anyone has any suggestions. however, i'm mostly concerned with making that 380rwhp reliably.

 

i doubt that the cheatR is REALLY going to have problems with springs... i think people with the smaller cams love to pull that card though.. probems come along with really agressive ramp rates. you'll be fine with the baby cams.

honestly though, with either h/c (i?), you're gonna gain alot, either combo is great and proven. i think the best thing you can do is try and find some kind of smog legal headers. the power you're gonna gain is well worth the little bit of coin you'll spend.

 

224 on 114... i've heard of 228's with a great tune...

 

The 224R camshaft & PRC Stage 2.5 5.3l heads have passed the emissions tests in CA many times before. I can provide you with engine dyno data comparing several different cylinder heads with a very similar camshaft to what your considering.

If your looking for a aftermarket casting cylinder head the PRC 215 head has been dyno tested to make a sizeable power gain over the other two heads we're discussing, but for the money the PRC Stage 2.5 5.3l head will make great power.

Give us a call & we can discuss these setups with you.

 

TR224 on a 114, with some good heads can be very potent! go with that. sniffer shouldnt be a problem either

 

thanks for the responses!
i'll go for the 224 on 114, but regarding the heads...

i would love to go with the prc stage 2.5 5.3L heads, but i only have 91 octane pump gas available here in CA. what kind of fuel would i have to run on a 125shot?

 

You should have no problem with the 91 octane with the 125 shot.
It is imperative that you get a good tune or you will be spending more than you want on replacement parts.

 

so for heads:
PRC 220cc 5.3L Stage 2.5 CNC Ported Heads (with PRC dual valve springs, titanium retainers and TSP hardened pushrods)

and for cam, i'm still up in the air between the TSP 224/224XE (224/224, .566"/.566" 114)
and the TSP 224R (224/224 .581/.581 114).
is the difference between the .566 and .581 lift going to be that dramatic?
would going with the 224/224XE save any considerable wear on the springs?

7.4 length pushrods? any recommendations on the gasket (thickness)?

 

GM MLS gaskets should do just fine. I sprayed a 150 on 91 and was fine. Where are you at in cali? im in San Diego

 

i think i saw you on the 8 a few months back? if that was you, you said you had a little cam, but i still remember how sweet that sounded.

 

You're getting some good advice in here, the 224 in most of its iterations has passed sniffer tests with a good tune. Going true smog limits you to shorties (like JBA), the AFR205s (which would be my first choice), and cam like the LPE GT2-3 or LS6. You need to figure out how strict the visual inspection will be, the sniffer will not change.
Given your requirements, I would get:
shorties with an OE number
AFR205s (they have an OE# but use blank head plates if the AFR logo will cause issues)
a ported FAST, sanded and painted flat black
a plain or black anodized 90/92 TB
the LS6 cam

This should get you close to your rwhp goal, though you may need to max the bolt ons (pulley, EWP, etc) since you're through an auto and stock exhaust.

That allows everything to be "stock" or have the proper OE number, and with a good tune, will run cleaner than stock. The 224 will pass too, in most cases, but will only net you MAYBE 10 rwhp over the LS6 cam with your exhaust restrictions. As a bonus, the LS6 or LPE cams sometimes pass with no/gutted cats with a good tune. If you're really after the results, the ported AFRs and ported FAST will be worthwhile if you have the budget. Check out PatG's "no compromises" build for reference.

If you follow this, I bet you kiss 11s with good tires, suspension, and tune.

 

I just pulled a LS6 Cam out of my 10,000 mile 03 Z06! It was in great condition...pulled it out to put a bigger one in which now requires piston fly cutting.

Anyway, let me know if interested in the cam!

 

Haha, yep, that was me. i knew that was you. Its not too small, but smaller than alot. its a TR230/224. my 3rd gear was gone at that time too . Im gonna have to watch out for you, looks like you could be a real handful next time. Maybe when i get back from deployment you can give me a ride so i can decide wether i want a NANO kit or not. lol. nice vert man!

 

The guy that had my car before me lived in california and had to pass somg. He put an SLP LS6 intake on it. They make one that has provisions for EGR, unlike stock LS6 intakes. He had that and an MTI B1 221/221 cam in it, running through a 2800 Vig. If you are interested in any of it, PM me, I'm sure it's lying around my garage somewhere.

 

i might go with shorties if i can find used ones in good condition.

yeah, i could tell you were cammed and my bottle was empty, so i wasn't going to mess around too much.

when you're back in town, pm me and i could easily swap my bottle with the nano into your car so you can feel the difference. THANKS

 

Does the 224R work well with stock exhaust like the Cheatr supposedly does. I am in Cali as well and looking to upgrade my cam and heads but need to keep the stock exhaust.

 

just for reference guys... I have the 224R cam in mine... dyno video in sig... but idle videos here....

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/C...WS6_210465.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9ty1vRR1LM

 

I know this is old thread but I've been searching for an answer for awhile. Have you or anyone else here herd anybody passing California's state referee with the PRC stg 2.5 5.3l also how bout PRC STG 1.0 LS6 heads With 224R/114 cam????????? thats the only thing Im just worried about. Cause I know I'll get state reff over my exhaust

to be on the safe side should I go with AFR heads then since its got that CARB stamp? Idkkkk...... which heads to go with