Regarding longevity of NA heads & cam engines vs Forced induction, various friends with turbos and superchargers have destroyed probably a dozen LSx engines over the last 14 years my TA has had its stock bottom end LS1 with heads and an XER cam. My TA has 153,000 miles on it and 131,000 of those miles with the heads and cam package. The two friends that did the install was a SAM graduate, had worked for MTI and worked as professional engine builder for a Busch NASCAR supplier. Getting an expert install by two professionals was the best decision I made regarding modding the TA.

DYI is fantastic if you have knowledge, skills or support for the install. I think longevity for God's LSx engines is defined by quality install, workmanship, parts quality, maintenance and common sense use.

 

Oh so what you are saying is, its fine to do the work if you have somebody do it that knows what they are doing? Funny how that works!

 

I did full H/C/I on my old car when it had 146k miles on it. If the shortblock is healthy, it's healthy. Crosshatching and all still looked great.

 

Hate to break it to you but your friends don't know what they're doing. There are hundreds if not thousands of stock motor boosted engines living years without blowing up so this post is useless. You can screw up a heads/cam motor just as easily as a boosted one if you don't install and tune it right.