best way to build a lt1
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best way to build a lt1 best way to build a carb'd lt1 i know im going to here it on the carb'd part but its in a 89 camaro so go easy
suggestions ive got it runnin in the car with tfs heads 64cc and stock pistons and head gaskets lt4 hot cam and 1.6 rockers
suggestions on bigger cams and compression advice
suggestions ive got it runnin in the car with tfs heads 64cc and stock pistons and head gaskets lt4 hot cam and 1.6 rockers
suggestions on bigger cams and compression advice
What trans are you running? What rear gears? Is it a full weight daily driver, or a lightened track-oriented car?
Assuming those TFS heads are out-of-the-box as cast, then you've lost performance with the increased chamber volume compared to stock heads. You'd be money and performance ahead by running a set of ported stockers. Or if you have really big plans for the car, check with Advanced Induction to see if your TFS castings are the ones they port.
If you're intent on using them, the first thing I would do is mill them to about a 54cc chamber. The Hotcam will like the increased compression. Index the cam to about a 106 ICL as opposed to the "straight-up" 109 ICL. I wouldn't go with a bigger cam until I got some really good heads on it.
Edit: to go simple and cheap for now, instead of milling the heads, install .015" shim head gaskets. That would bring your quench clearance down to a better value too. Still, index the cam.
Assuming those TFS heads are out-of-the-box as cast, then you've lost performance with the increased chamber volume compared to stock heads. You'd be money and performance ahead by running a set of ported stockers. Or if you have really big plans for the car, check with Advanced Induction to see if your TFS castings are the ones they port.
If you're intent on using them, the first thing I would do is mill them to about a 54cc chamber. The Hotcam will like the increased compression. Index the cam to about a 106 ICL as opposed to the "straight-up" 109 ICL. I wouldn't go with a bigger cam until I got some really good heads on it.
Edit: to go simple and cheap for now, instead of milling the heads, install .015" shim head gaskets. That would bring your quench clearance down to a better value too. Still, index the cam.
Did you use the stock Camaro head gaskets?? If so you probably dropped compression a full point down to about 9.4:1. To put that in perspective the stock b-bodies were 10:1 with iron heads and 87 octane was fine.
You really should be running at least 11:1 for a performance NA LT1.
Both Pat and I run the same -ported heads and cam, his car is more strip mine more street, look at our signatures. We both run ported GM heads from www.advancedinduction.com and cams spec'd by them.
I know it sucks to be told get rid of just about everything you have and start over but to make those Trickflows really work you are looking at needing to add displacement and have them ported. The available carbed intake is dual plane, not appropriate for performance so you really should look at converting a gen 1 intake to fit the LT1 heads.
You really should be running at least 11:1 for a performance NA LT1.
Both Pat and I run the same -ported heads and cam, his car is more strip mine more street, look at our signatures. We both run ported GM heads from www.advancedinduction.com and cams spec'd by them.
I know it sucks to be told get rid of just about everything you have and start over but to make those Trickflows really work you are looking at needing to add displacement and have them ported. The available carbed intake is dual plane, not appropriate for performance so you really should look at converting a gen 1 intake to fit the LT1 heads.
best way to build a carb'd lt1 i know im going to here it on the carb'd part but its in a 89 camaro so go easy
suggestions ive got it runnin in the car with tfs heads 64cc and stock pistons and head gaskets lt4 hot cam and 1.6 rockers
suggestions on bigger cams and compression advice
suggestions ive got it runnin in the car with tfs heads 64cc and stock pistons and head gaskets lt4 hot cam and 1.6 rockers
suggestions on bigger cams and compression advice
You will need more cam and more compression.
Aftermarket heads are not needed for a street build, and your money would be better spent on having the stockers ported and a custom cam ground from them. LE and AI are two popular vendors that can get the job done, but there are many others as well.
It all depends on your goals and how much you want to spend.
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Joined: Oct 2007
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Sounds like you have the same heads as me. The TFS 195cc heads are actually 62cc unless you have some converted sbc pair or something. They kill compression on an LT1, ask me how I know, lol. They are a good head to add a little boost or to send off for some port work. Not optimal at all to run out of the box, but they can make some power if you are stuck using them. It just sucks to know that you left something on the table by running them the way they are.
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