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Launch is running a set of GM #17802752 heads. GM built these for a Daytona Prototype racing program. Quite a few of these pop up for sale on FleaBay and there’s another set currently for sale there by a business that ive bought a lot of stuff from. I can’t post a link. PM me if you want the link. Designed for small bore, high rpm race apps, about the only thing these heads have in common with an LS7 casting is the intake manifold mounting flange. Not a bad deal for the money. They come fitted with Ti intakes and exhaust valves, currently selling for $2k. I think Launch paid $1500 if I’m not mistaken? I’ve had some parts of these DP engines come through my shop, most of it hurt pretty bad.
Correct, and they fit 4.000" bore and all LS7 intakes bolt straight on. A few things.... the intake ports on the heads are raised about 1/8" at the bottom from the oe plastic ls7 intake. And the valves are inline like all typical LS heads but both intake & exhaust valves are splayed 5 degrees, towards the center of the bores for extra valve clearance / shrouding. I had no p/v issues with off the shelf JE FSR pistons, valve lift is .660 and cam is 243/250 108 with 30 degrees overlap.
The only small issues i had from memory is that all the bolt threads in the heads are imperial not metric like all LS heads. Even on the front of the heads for the accessories they are imperial, so i had to source the correct bolts so everything bolts up, including even the valve cover bolts. Even the header bolts are imperial.
The steam vents were also a different thread to typical LS, i had to source them from hydraulic fittings.
The heads also have o-rings on the intake ports as seen below, i left them in there and i'm running an OE plastic ls7 intake with factory green gaskets also, and it has sealed properly. If i had removed the o-rings i think it might have possibly leaked from the groove cut around the ports. With the o-rings still in place the factory green intake gaskets which are also wider than the o-ring, they squash down on and around the o-rings and it worked.
And you need tall valve covers. My proform covers literally just clear the rockers, and i mean just, i had to even push them upwards towards the intake when bolting them down or they'd hit the rockers. The heads also have hardened washers pressed in them for the head bolts which is a neat bonus. Here's an old pic when it was in set up stage
And in the car running..
How does it run? It feels like it's boosted compared to the previous cammed 5.7 i had in the car. I haven't got around to getting it down the track or dyno yet.
Yep T&D steel shaft mount. I bought the heads back in 2016 and the seller had a full set of rockers with shafts to suit the heads listed separately for $500 so i grabbed them. If he didn't have rockers at the time i probably wouldn't have bought these heads. My set of rockers were also brand new never used. I only ever saw 3 maybe 4 sets of T&D rockers for sale for these heads and they all sold. Some were 1.7 ratio and some 1.8. Mine are 1.8. But a lot more than 3 or 4 sets of the heads have come up for sale and sold.
I thought i was going to need spring oiler valve covers for them at one point because the DP engines had spring oilers, and i thought the rockers themselves didn't have oiling to the valve tip but they do. There's a small hole drilled in each adjuster so they oil through the pushrod like a standard LS and the rocker bodies are designed so the oil runs down the rocker and oils the springs and valve tips by splash. That saved a lot of headache and i already had the Proform tall covers which fit.
I'm also running lash caps on all the valves and 1/2" nascar pushrods in it which are .165 thick and ridiculous overkill. I bought the pushrods after i had measured the correct length i needed and i could get a 1/2" thick tube down there and there was a cheap new set on ebay the correct length, but i wasn't 100% sure they'd clear when it was all assembled. When they arrived they're like baseball bats and heavy so i thought i think i should buy another set of lighter 3/8 or 7/16 pushrods. But i asked and was told by several race engine builders that weight on the pushrod side won't effect rpm potential and the firmer the pushrod is the better, so i thought why not. The pushrod holes in these heads were already big enough to just clear the 1/2 pushrods by like literally nothing, i couldn't even get paper in there but i used a torch and i could just see a light gap clearance so i called it good.
The engine spins to 8k rpm effortlessly and doesn't even feel like it drops off power there but i don't want to take it to 8k often as it has stock gen4 rods in it. 7800 shifts feels plenty. I can't feel any torque loss anywhere with the 8" 5500 converter as the rpm is just up there soon as you hit the throttle. But even light part throttle is just effortless. It even drives around like a normal car still after i spent hours tuning the idle and part throttles, SD tuned. But for whatver reason it eats gas like no other LS i've ever had even though it's not running rich. When i first got it running i thought i'd never get it to idle properly or have power brakes and i'd overdone it with the camshaft but its surprising what the old 24x 0411 pcm can do. Bumped up the timing for idle and light part throttle to a lot more than i've ever needed to run before even brought back enough vacuum for the brakes without needing to do anything else or go to manual brakes.
Not so fast. I’ve been playing with this for a little while now. LS7 head will FIT on a 4” bore, just have to move the head laterally. I’ve done it and have .016” between the exhaust valve and cylinder. Offset dowels. I’m not sure yet when I’ll have this experiment running, so I can’t say yet that it’s a complete success, but the head does fit on a 4” bore Ls2.
It leaves a nasty shoulder up on the top of the cylinder on each side of the chamber. This is why I want to run this combo before I say it works. Yes the head will fit, but will it work and what will this do with performance? Intake valve shrouding is negligible as the LS7 intake is purposely moved out toward the center for flow. Exhaust valve shrouding shouldn’t be an issue since piston is doing the work and would push the spent gasses through any window provided. Again…I need to run this on a dyno and do some testing before you’ll hear me say it’s a go.
At the end of the day, because of chamber sizing, I’d bet $10 that the LS3 head outperforms the LS7 head on a 4” bore, without any chamber work being done to the LS7 casting. More to come…
I Disagree 100% with Both and plan on testing it another reason to purchase the Low Ram as, it'll do Double duty Ls3 & 7 heads.
The port and the sizing is what leads me on the decision. The CFM numbers only made it Worst for the Ls3.
😂🤣 it's gonna out perform a Ls7 head ...reason U should have not moved the Head to save the Exhaust you placed the Damn Intake valve and How we get HP in the line of Fire being closer to the bore wall.
Reason for Shrinking the exhaust?
Halstan and myself will be testing a bigger and smaller intake valve using a 4.030 bore.
2.20 now but 2.210 - 2.250 <- (if it fits which I think it may) also 2.195 to 2.190 cause I don't wanna change intake seats, but rather sink the valve if it shows better in testing.
Chris Bennett and the guys @ SAM had done this yrs ago in moving the dowels, then seen ER using a 4.070 bore lq4. You don't wanna do Anything to Hurt the Intake charge just cause it's better and may fit.
Your defeating the purpose of the Change.
Now you need to consider Shrinking the Intake valve cause you placed it near the Wall.
I took these 2 reads after getting with Eric and ran with it...besides the ProComp heads in the Ls7 head test..🤔
There CNC machine work did great vs.... So if I buy them as Cast @ $300 bucks I can out think the cost and or the exhaust Valve while having Darin do the work.
No Brainer 🤣
To cut out all the Hear say and bs chatter. You can buy a head from the aftermarket
4.070 will take a factory Ls7 head
Under that shrink the exhaust seats and valves.
you can also move the dowels ...
Knowledge is better than.
Tell you what if the ebay seller had more rocker sets available for these 'hearsay and bs chatter' daytona heads, they are DONE and ready to kick *** on a 4" bore for someone that wants small bore LS7's. They bolt straight on and work, after sorting out the small differences. No bs moving valves around required, the multi-million dollar budget ECR engine shop did it for me.
If we weren't locked down constantly where i live i would have done suspension and raced the car by now. It is fast and fun. And honestly i don't give a sh*t to prove anything with cars anymore as the turbo scene about ruined the game. Someone is always faster than you. Run a 9 someones running 8's. Run a 7 someones running 6's. etc. There's no end. I bought these for myself only and to have something different, and just so i can have LS7 heads on cheaper commonly available blocks where i live.
That nascar guy on ebay is asking 2k for a pair now without rockers. For that price and given there's no rockers anywhere, i would defintely go new aftermarket. When i bought mine I paid him 1.5k heads + 500 rockers and some shipping. Ended up 3k in my money at the time with shipping which was cheap for where i live, given they have all titanium valves, psi springs and new T&D rockers and the heads were perfect i didn't have to spend anything on them. I would have barely gotten a good ported set of new aftermarket cathedrals for that price, without rockers.
Tell you what if the ebay seller had more rocker sets available for these 'hearsay and bs chatter' daytona heads, they are DONE and ready to kick *** on a 4" bore for someone that wants small bore LS7's. They bolt straight on and work, after sorting out the small differences. No bs moving valves around required, the multi-million dollar budget ECR engine shop did it for me.
If we weren't locked down constantly where i live i would have done suspension and raced the car by now. It is fast and fun. And honestly i don't give a sh*t to prove anything with cars anymore as the turbo scene about ruined the game. Someone is always faster than you. Run a 9 someones running 8's. Run a 7 someones running 6's. etc. There's no end. I bought these for myself only and to have something different, and just so i can have LS7 heads on cheaper commonly available blocks where i live.
Go check and see how many are available....is and was the point. What's talked about is known from guys who haven't even did it...ole YB? Coleblaster Thread?
A troll ran u off YB. Missing in action, Now back posting on ls1 tech 🤣😂
Lol no i left YB because i have an alternative forum where the troll can't speak, and because YB died anyway. And there was only so much stuck in the 12's built 6.0 LS's threads i could handle . I ran low 12's cam-only 5.7 back in 2003 in a 3700lb car. That guy is convinced LS is the problem when his knowledge or parts are. And then there's the hardcore Phord fanatics on there who think Henry designed everything including the LS and then they call the LS junk every day. The troll did me a favor
If you can't find the rockers Brother Launch, out think the problem? You saved on the heads and maybe some parts.
Call Jesel or T&D... Can't win them all. But you really did in getting Ls7 heads already Ready 🤫
It's not dead you just ran out of Ls builds...😉
You know I'm no one Brand guy, reasons I'll never leave plus the Builders. Speed Talk isn't so bad, but Boring! Good place for Knowledge from 90% of the same guys who post on YB...
Btw this is what you do to a troll or the guy who's always with the BS Launch...besides going off on them. People know Who not to 🖕 with. He didn't but did learn.
I like to fight.. Please bring it. Reference me saying Ed Curtis and all the Punk Azz Crying lines when the whining starts 2 Anyone (started on the AFR was Sold thread in the NA section started by Ed). Go on there thread and bring it back to life with BS... I was being Nice cause he was only joking with trolling me with 2 post. I gave him 3.
I Disagree 100% with Both and plan on testing it another reason to purchase the Low Ram as, it'll do Double duty Ls3 & 7 heads.
The port and the sizing is what leads me on the decision. The CFM numbers only made it Worst for the Ls3.
😂🤣 it's gonna out perform a Ls7 head ...reason U should have not moved the Head to save the Exhaust you placed the Damn Intake valve and How we get HP in the line of Fire being closer to the bore wall.
Reason for Shrinking the exhaust?
Halstan and myself will be testing a bigger and smaller intake valve using a 4.030 bore.
2.20 now but 2.210 - 2.250 <- (if it fits which I think it may) also 2.195 to 2.190 cause I don't wanna change intake seats, but rather sink the valve if it shows better in testing.
Chris Bennett and the guys @ SAM had done this yrs ago in moving the dowels, then seen ER using a 4.070 bore lq4. You don't wanna do Anything to Hurt the Intake charge just cause it's better and may fit.
Your defeating the purpose of the Change.
Now you need to consider Shrinking the Intake valve cause you placed it near the Wall.
Yeah it's gonna look Worst vs....
Where's the Common sense?
Wut???
Zero common sense here Andre. All I’m doing for this experiment is putting a set of LS7 heads on a 4.00” bore engine. Not a 4.30 or a 4.65 bore. All in the name of research. I want data numbers or myself.
Wut???
Zero common sense here Andre. All I’m doing for this experiment is putting a set of LS7 heads on a 4.00” bore engine. Not a 4.30 or a 4.65 bore. All in the name of research. I want data numbers or myself.
Your testing For reference if or when it maybe used.... I can go test your theory also and have...
If you test the heads moving the dowels. The Head should also not be Moved Using a smaller Exhaust valve in the name of research... as when the head is moved the way you've done or thinking of and we are using Common sense, it places the Intake valve closer to the wall aka Shrouding of the intake Charge.
Testing is no fun if there's only 1 way for NO Comparison.. Common sense ...🤣 We both are using it Lol.
Trust me the intake doesn't want to be closer to the wall but right over the piston...
I liked my own post, based on let's all say it common sense.👍
Here's what gave it away when I was looking into the thought.
prc small bore uses a 1.59 exhaust valve and requires a 4.065 bore. Shrinkage 👍 cause they didn't move the heads and a 1.6 valve fits as is on a .065 overbore. Smaller 1.59 inch valve is Insurance with clearance.
The way your doing it Will work but @ a Compromise of the intake Charge.
I understand what your doing and saying...just giving it to you like it was given to me.... you can shrink the intake valve also with your idea to help with the move.
Your testing For reference if or when it maybe used.... I can go test your theory also and have...
If you test the heads moving the dowels. The Head should also not be Moved Using a smaller Exhaust valve in the name of research... as when the head is moved the way you've done or thinking of and we are using Common sense, it places the Intake valve closer to the wall aka Shrouding of the intake Charge.
Testing is no fun if there's only 1 way for NO Comparison.. Common sense ...🤣 We both are using it Lol.
Trust me the intake doesn't want to be closer to the wall but right over the piston...
I liked my own post, based on let's all say it common sense.👍
Here's what gave it away when I was looking into the thought.
prc small bore uses a 1.59 exhaust valve and requires a 4.065 bore. Shrinkage 👍 cause they didn't move the heads and a 1.6 valve fits as is on a .065 overbore. Smaller 1.59 inch valve is Insurance with clearance.
The way your doing it Will work but @ a Compromise of the intake Charge.
I understand what your doing and saying...just giving it to you like it was given to me.... you can shrink the intake valve also with your idea to help with the move.
I don’t have to trust you here Andre. Everything you posted here I already know. Sure it’s going to hurt the intake charge…that’s why I’m doing this. To figure out how much. Oh and because everyone has said for 15 years that it can’t be done.
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daytona heads, they are DONE and ready to kick *** on a 4" bore for someone that wants small bore LS7's. They bolt straight on and work, after sorting out the small differences. No bs moving valves around required, the multi-million dollar budget ECR engine shop did it for me.
. I ran low 12's cam-only 5.7 back in 2003 in a 3700lb car. That guy is convinced LS is the problem when his knowledge or parts are. And then there's the hardcore Phord fanatics on there who think Henry designed everything including the LS and then they call the LS junk every day. The troll did me a favor 
