Is this really the price range im looking at ???
Staging Lane
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Tucson, AZ
just looking to make 400+ rwhp not looking to go crazy i dont take it to tracks or street race just want a nice sounding car and something fun to play with . I just like the way the ms4 cam sounds and the throw out bearing needs to be replaced so while im in there im doin the clutch and figured the ls7 would hold more power and still feel stock the car has 160k so making it sound nice and having more power i dont wanna blow it up so just see what i should get to make it all work longer
Don't put bone stock ls6 heads on the car...not cost effective, send your heads off for porting or leave them alone IMO
You don't "need" ARP head studs or bolts for what you're doing and unless you plan pulling the heads more than 3-4 times just get stock bolts for $40
ls2 timing chain is around $40, not $125
just looked, you can get an ls6 or ported ls6 oil pump for $70-90 on ebay
$100 to port a throttle body is high, surely you can find a ported tb for $50-75 in the classifieds, if not leave the stock tb alone it's not worth much anyway (or buy a dremel and port yourself)
dual springs $220: http://www.briantooleyracing.com/660...retainers.html
$500 for tune is on the high side...should be able to get a good tune for closer to $400
You can make every shortcut I mentioned and save yourself a lot of money, and you might miss out on 15-20rwhp from the ls6 heads.
Oh and if you want an off the shelf grind anyway, I bet you can dig through the classifieds for less than a month and come up with a brand new in box never ran cam for $300
You don't "need" ARP head studs or bolts for what you're doing and unless you plan pulling the heads more than 3-4 times just get stock bolts for $40
ls2 timing chain is around $40, not $125
just looked, you can get an ls6 or ported ls6 oil pump for $70-90 on ebay
$100 to port a throttle body is high, surely you can find a ported tb for $50-75 in the classifieds, if not leave the stock tb alone it's not worth much anyway (or buy a dremel and port yourself)
dual springs $220: http://www.briantooleyracing.com/660...retainers.html
$500 for tune is on the high side...should be able to get a good tune for closer to $400
You can make every shortcut I mentioned and save yourself a lot of money, and you might miss out on 15-20rwhp from the ls6 heads.
Oh and if you want an off the shelf grind anyway, I bet you can dig through the classifieds for less than a month and come up with a brand new in box never ran cam for $300
Sounds like you've picked out a lot of mismatched parts that are either unnecessary, overpriced, or not suited to your needs. If you're only looking for 400rwhp and don't plan on racing you do not need an MS4 cam period, especially since you're going to LS6 heads. That is a max effort cam that is not going to be the best street cam. Picking your cam based on sound alone is a terrible idea. You can get a nice midsize cam that will also chop fairly hard and have much better street manners.
I'm also in the process right now of gathering parts for a H/C build on my car and some of the prices you listed are pretty far off. I picked up a set of 243 heads for $400, not $500. Ported throttle bodies can be had for less than $100. If your car is not a '98 you shouldn't have to do rod bolts. Other people listed things also overpriced, timing chain, oil pump, springs, etc.
That being said, yes it is expensive... but I have a hard time believing the folks who claim FI is only slightly more expensive than doing heads and cam. Yes the gains are far greater but I doubt many boosted guys are running bone stock engines and bone stock drivetrains. Most guys with a blower or turbo setup have done everything you've listed for your H/C build plus far more... fuel system, cooling system, built motor, built trans, built rear, full suspension, roll bar, and on and on.
Also I am assuming when you say "ls6" heads you mean 243s with sodium filled valves which cost more.
If you are dead set on swapping heads for other stock castings, you should easily be able to find some stock 243s without the sodium valves or some 799 castings (same as 243) for $300 plus shipping. Hell the LKQ junkyards around here will sell them for $150 each last I checked.
I would still only swap stock 243 or 799s on if you absolutely have to pull the heads. And I would still run a slightly smaller cam and mill the heads. It will make for more midrange power that makes the car fun to drive.
If you are dead set on swapping heads for other stock castings, you should easily be able to find some stock 243s without the sodium valves or some 799 castings (same as 243) for $300 plus shipping. Hell the LKQ junkyards around here will sell them for $150 each last I checked.
I would still only swap stock 243 or 799s on if you absolutely have to pull the heads. And I would still run a slightly smaller cam and mill the heads. It will make for more midrange power that makes the car fun to drive.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
Likes: 89
From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
Yep, MS4 for sound is dumb. It has super aggressive lobes, a barely usable powerband for a street car, loves too much rpm, and is generally not that street friendly. You can get a cam to sound just as good and perform way better in your average street car. I questioned the LS7 clutch because I got a buddy who is running one, wanted to tame his car down a bit. It hasn't been great. Well he strapped on some ET radials and went to the track and said it was a no go. It was hating life. It is a street only clutch that will act up with abuse. Sorry but I prefer to overbuild if at all possible. For heads, if you arent porting dont bother with the hassle and expense. Just lots of ??? when I read your post. We are trying to help you here 
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