The impossible cam/heads question... again!
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TECH Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 369
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From: Copenhagen
The impossible cam/heads question... again! ok this question has been asked a million times, and it has no answer.. but please try!
first the car: its a 1980 malibu 2dr, with global west/currie arms del-alum bushings front and rear. 1.25&1 inch sway bars, tall ATS aluminum spindles, bilsteins, GW springs, 12:1 steering every chassis brace available, boxed frame rails and solid bodymounts. 18X9 inch BOZE wheels and soft rubber..
needless to say this project havent been free, and ive decided to buy and install a good 35.000 miles 2001 ls1/4l60e combo and a twist mashine paddle shifter (shrifter)
my question is what cam do i install?? i will weld up a set of manifolds and install a pair of TB04´s within the next year.. possibly some heads if that proves to be viable..
so could i mount a turbo friendly ex: 225/220 114LS cam and have any benefit running stock compression and NA? and what heads should i upgrade to.. there are some 225cc DART's on ebay for 1300 assembled.. any good?? what pistons should i get?? 1000 dollar mahles or are there any cheaper brand that is any good??
how much boost/power will stoch rods take? what other mods are a must... id like to keep the price as low as possible!! so no "forged everything + aftermarket block" suggestions please lets keep it real..
sorry for all the questions, but im new to gen III and need input
first the car: its a 1980 malibu 2dr, with global west/currie arms del-alum bushings front and rear. 1.25&1 inch sway bars, tall ATS aluminum spindles, bilsteins, GW springs, 12:1 steering every chassis brace available, boxed frame rails and solid bodymounts. 18X9 inch BOZE wheels and soft rubber..
needless to say this project havent been free, and ive decided to buy and install a good 35.000 miles 2001 ls1/4l60e combo and a twist mashine paddle shifter (shrifter)
my question is what cam do i install?? i will weld up a set of manifolds and install a pair of TB04´s within the next year.. possibly some heads if that proves to be viable..
so could i mount a turbo friendly ex: 225/220 114LS cam and have any benefit running stock compression and NA? and what heads should i upgrade to.. there are some 225cc DART's on ebay for 1300 assembled.. any good?? what pistons should i get?? 1000 dollar mahles or are there any cheaper brand that is any good??
how much boost/power will stoch rods take? what other mods are a must... id like to keep the price as low as possible!! so no "forged everything + aftermarket block" suggestions please lets keep it real..
sorry for all the questions, but im new to gen III and need input
How much power do you want to make N/A?
How much are you willing to change it for turbo(s) later?
How much power do you want to make under boost?
If you don't have any specific goals N/A, then I would start optimizing for boost now, and keep all your work external later. Get some good quality forged pistons and rods, enough dish in the pistons to get compression down to 9-9.3:1. Then get a set of Ported and Polished heads of your choice, or have your 241 LS1 heads done by someone who has built some boosted engines. Seek advice from sponsors who have built these right and have them select you a custom grind that will work to reach your performance goals with the turbo(s) you mentioned, or others if required.
Depending on what remains in your budget, the sky is really the limit to what you can do with properly setup turbos on an LS1. Expect 550hp on up, and that bottom end should be good for nearly 800hp - more if you can swing a better crank.
Cool Project and Good Luck! I had a bruizer back in the day, and it was a fun ride!
How much are you willing to change it for turbo(s) later?
How much power do you want to make under boost?
If you don't have any specific goals N/A, then I would start optimizing for boost now, and keep all your work external later. Get some good quality forged pistons and rods, enough dish in the pistons to get compression down to 9-9.3:1. Then get a set of Ported and Polished heads of your choice, or have your 241 LS1 heads done by someone who has built some boosted engines. Seek advice from sponsors who have built these right and have them select you a custom grind that will work to reach your performance goals with the turbo(s) you mentioned, or others if required.
Depending on what remains in your budget, the sky is really the limit to what you can do with properly setup turbos on an LS1. Expect 550hp on up, and that bottom end should be good for nearly 800hp - more if you can swing a better crank.
Cool Project and Good Luck! I had a bruizer back in the day, and it was a fun ride!
