Guys with Ai(advanced induction) heads please state your....
#42
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IMO I think AI heads are a great value, I have a set of 200cc heads right now and the machining and over all quality is very high.
From my understanding AI doesn't use HAAS, which is an entry level economical machining center compared to many other very high end machines out there and doesn't have a very powerful 5 axis product line like many other manufacturers do. A high end 5 axis machining center tooled up with fixtures is at least 300K if not more depending on work envelop and options. Not to mention the software used to develop a 5 axis program, as I highly doubt anyone is setting at that machine punching in M & G code by hand for a 5 axis program. Also consider the other equipment needed to do a quality valve job and other secondary operations on the head.
With the overhead of many pieces of quality equipment, a facility to work out of, R&D invested and employees I think they are a great value for the price.
From my understanding AI doesn't use HAAS, which is an entry level economical machining center compared to many other very high end machines out there and doesn't have a very powerful 5 axis product line like many other manufacturers do. A high end 5 axis machining center tooled up with fixtures is at least 300K if not more depending on work envelop and options. Not to mention the software used to develop a 5 axis program, as I highly doubt anyone is setting at that machine punching in M & G code by hand for a 5 axis program. Also consider the other equipment needed to do a quality valve job and other secondary operations on the head.
With the overhead of many pieces of quality equipment, a facility to work out of, R&D invested and employees I think they are a great value for the price.
#43
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i am sure that was a very condensed video. iirc most heads take 3 to 4 hrs each depending on the complexity of the work. also keep in mind the time to develop a port then get into cad/cam files. them add the fact the machine cost is probably over 250k then tooling. **** adds up real fast. hell just the tooling will make you cry. i bought a 3" face mill off ebay for $80. when i looked up what it cost new it was a $700 piece with no arbor or carbide.
#44
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Please state your...
1. LT1 Engine size? 385 ci
2. Which Ai Heads(gm 200, trickflow, etc) AI 200cc GM Castings
3. Solid or Hydraulic cam? AI hydraulic roller
4. Size cam? 22x/23x .6xx/.6xx
5. Peak power is where? 6500
6. Which intake(Stock, ported stock, single plane, etc) AI ported stock
7. Rwhp(sae or std) What tranny and rear end was this through? not dynoed with the th400
8. 1/8th mile time 6.28@110
9. 1/4 mile time 9.91@133
10. 60 ft. 1.37
11. Estimated weight of car with driver? 4200lbs
1. LT1 Engine size? 385 ci
2. Which Ai Heads(gm 200, trickflow, etc) AI 200cc GM Castings
3. Solid or Hydraulic cam? AI hydraulic roller
4. Size cam? 22x/23x .6xx/.6xx
5. Peak power is where? 6500
6. Which intake(Stock, ported stock, single plane, etc) AI ported stock
7. Rwhp(sae or std) What tranny and rear end was this through? not dynoed with the th400
8. 1/8th mile time 6.28@110
9. 1/4 mile time 9.91@133
10. 60 ft. 1.37
11. Estimated weight of car with driver? 4200lbs
Last edited by hvyss; 03-04-2013 at 08:12 PM.
#45
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Hi all I am just here to learn. all of you in thread are running very similar stuff and running VERY fast. hats off. I see most if not all are running the 200cc stock casting AI head. my car which I just bought and are new to the F body LT1 scene. my set up is very different. I have a 383 forged internals with 11.1 CR. however I have LT1 Hotcam (I know dont laugh I didn't build it) I have what the previous owner/ builder told me was a stock ported and polished intake, I can actually see the AFR180 heads. (well told they were 180's) I also have a 52MM TB. so the big difference I see here is cam. so could I get away with a AI Cam and get close to what this group is getting? if my heads are not enough would it just make sense to have them worked. I hate to buy new heads. do I send out my heads with intake to heve port matched. if they are not already? what cam do I get? can you guys steer me in the most cost effective direction? my plans are mostly a track car but still street legal. a little more details on car. M6, LT's 3" catless exhaust, spec stg2 clutch, 4.10 10 bolt Auburn Posi.I would like to be low 11's 1/4 car has drag suspension, back seat pulled, hvac delete, wiper delete, radio delete pro stars 255 dr rear and skinnys on front.
Last edited by 97lt1stroker; 04-05-2015 at 03:44 PM.
#46
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Buying someone else's mistakes is frustrating. 11:1 is a problem and frankly makes the quality of the whole build suspect as does a HOT cam in a 383.
You can probably find someone to work the AFRs but I would have a good look at the whole motor. With the low compression and bad cam choice for the displacement you might find bad news like cast crank, cheap pistons etc.
Another thing is in NJ emissions legal NA low 11s isn't going to happen.
There is a guy here with the AI 200cc heads on a 383 that in NJ has run high 10s, probably should have bought that car, it was for sale for about $10K and it cost a LOT more than that to go that fast from scratch. If you find any bad news in your shortblock you could get there in a hurry cost wise.
Hopefully it has a stupidly thick head gasket on it and you can get some compression that way, would be cheap and fairly easy and then a cam swap could help a bit. Again though if you want to pass a sniffer and visual, this wont happen NA and you will be looking at nitrous for low 11s.
You can probably find someone to work the AFRs but I would have a good look at the whole motor. With the low compression and bad cam choice for the displacement you might find bad news like cast crank, cheap pistons etc.
Another thing is in NJ emissions legal NA low 11s isn't going to happen.
There is a guy here with the AI 200cc heads on a 383 that in NJ has run high 10s, probably should have bought that car, it was for sale for about $10K and it cost a LOT more than that to go that fast from scratch. If you find any bad news in your shortblock you could get there in a hurry cost wise.
Hopefully it has a stupidly thick head gasket on it and you can get some compression that way, would be cheap and fairly easy and then a cam swap could help a bit. Again though if you want to pass a sniffer and visual, this wont happen NA and you will be looking at nitrous for low 11s.
#47
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Buying someone else's mistakes is frustrating. 11:1 is a problem and frankly makes the quality of the whole build suspect as does a HOT cam in a 383.
You can probably find someone to work the AFRs but I would have a good look at the whole motor. With the low compression and bad cam choice for the displacement you might find bad news like cast crank, cheap pistons etc.
Another thing is in NJ emissions legal NA low 11s isn't going to happen.
There is a guy here with the AI 200cc heads on a 383 that in NJ has run high 10s, probably should have bought that car, it was for sale for about $10K and it cost a LOT more than that to go that fast from scratch. If you find any bad news in your shortblock you could get there in a hurry cost wise.
Hopefully it has a stupidly thick head gasket on it and you can get some compression that way, would be cheap and fairly easy and then a cam swap could help a bit. Again though if you want to pass a sniffer and visual, this wont happen NA and you will be looking at nitrous for low 11s.
You can probably find someone to work the AFRs but I would have a good look at the whole motor. With the low compression and bad cam choice for the displacement you might find bad news like cast crank, cheap pistons etc.
Another thing is in NJ emissions legal NA low 11s isn't going to happen.
There is a guy here with the AI 200cc heads on a 383 that in NJ has run high 10s, probably should have bought that car, it was for sale for about $10K and it cost a LOT more than that to go that fast from scratch. If you find any bad news in your shortblock you could get there in a hurry cost wise.
Hopefully it has a stupidly thick head gasket on it and you can get some compression that way, would be cheap and fairly easy and then a cam swap could help a bit. Again though if you want to pass a sniffer and visual, this wont happen NA and you will be looking at nitrous for low 11s.
#48
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Depending on the cam guys have gone 12.5:1 with pump gas LT1s.
I am not a fan of AFR, and even those who are don't generally like the small heads like those.
If they are the 65cc chamber then I would replace them with a head with a smaller chamber to get compression up I really like the AI 200cc heads. If they are the smaller chamber hopefully some milling and a thinner head gasket can do the trick depending on deck height and such. If you determine that they can be used and still get some compression out of it then find someone good to port them.
I am not a fan of AFR, and even those who are don't generally like the small heads like those.
If they are the 65cc chamber then I would replace them with a head with a smaller chamber to get compression up I really like the AI 200cc heads. If they are the smaller chamber hopefully some milling and a thinner head gasket can do the trick depending on deck height and such. If you determine that they can be used and still get some compression out of it then find someone good to port them.
#51
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#52
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64cc
Just got an email back from AFR and all the heads have 64cc stamped on end of head even if they were machined by them. the only way to tell is to pull head and it will be stamped on deck.
#56
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My next build it down the road but I'm considering having Ai spec me a cam for the next build. Sitting on a 396 with ported AFR 195s and a 238/242 .582/.582. The heads were hand ported locally but weren't opened up much. Gonna have them ported again and bump the compression from 11.5 to around 12.0-12.5.
I had one of their cams in an otherwise stock motor and made 363rwhp. surprised a lot of people.
I had one of their cams in an otherwise stock motor and made 363rwhp. surprised a lot of people.
#57
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Hi all I am just here to learn. all of you in thread are running very similar stuff and running VERY fast. hats off. I see most if not all are running the 200cc stock casting AI head. my car which I just bought and are new to the F body LT1 scene. my set up is very different. I have a 383 forged internals with 11.1 CR. however I have LT1 Hotcam (I know dont laugh I didn't build it) I have what the previous owner/ builder told me was a stock ported and polished intake, I can actually see the AFR180 heads. (well told they were 180's) I also have a 52MM TB. so the big difference I see here is cam. so could I get away with a AI Cam and get close to what this group is getting? if my heads are not enough would it just make sense to have them worked. I hate to buy new heads. do I send out my heads with intake to heve port matched. if they are not already? what cam do I get? can you guys steer me in the most cost effective direction? my plans are mostly a track car but still street legal. a little more details on car. M6, LT's 3" catless exhaust, spec stg2 clutch, 4.10 10 bolt Auburn Posi.I would like to be low 11's 1/4 car has drag suspension, back seat pulled, hvac delete, wiper delete, radio delete pro stars 255 dr rear and skinnys on front.
Attachment 494535
Do you have any receipts or proof of what you have for exactly what you have for heads, compression and displacement? I'd be hesitant about going with a cam that some of these posters are running before you know what you have for certain