97 Trans Am WS6
Im just looking for different opinions on the best way to achieve 400rwhp. (without nitrous!!!). I have LT headers, 3" exhaust(working on true duals), cc306, and TFS 195cc heads, dual roller timming chain. None of which has not been installed yet. I plan on getting a tune once I have the setup up and running. Anymore suggestions? This is my very first build so give me many pointers as possible. Thanks a lot!!!!!

 

You should be pretty damn close once that combo is lined out if you have a t56.

 

The combo you have is probably good for around 380-390. Send your heads to LE for porting and you'll probably be good for 410 or so.

 

I do have a T56. So i hope that I am close. The tuner at PurPerformance (St. Louis) said he could guarantee me between 30-50hp with there tunes. Seems a little outrageous, but I'll take it! What about a TB? Most guys on here say its a waste. Any thoughts?

 

at most id get the vette throttle body or whatever it is where its 54mm instead of 58? Correct me if im wrong, the only reason i got the 58mm throttle body i have is because i broke the old on trying to disassemble it and clean it up haha

 

400rwhp w/ a 306 is attainable if those heads are any good.

 

TFS seems to be great heads for an affordable price. I was about to get some AFR's, but they seem to lack a little on torque. But they produce slightly better hp numbers than than TFS. For an extra $250 you would only get 6hp at the most from the research I've done. So i stuck with TFS 195cc!!!!!

 

All twin port throttle bodies that GM has ever made are 48mm.

I recommend a 52mm TB. If you decide to open up the inlets on your intake, then a 58mm TB makes sense. But......ask your tuner what he recommends. Some tuners find it easier to nail a tune with smaller TB's.

Also.....if you send the heads out for port work, have them mill the heads for about a 50cc combustion chamber.....and then use head gaskets with a compressed thickness of .026" to .030".

This will bump up compression a bit to the range that's more optimal for the cam.

KW

 

the 195 cc heads only come with a 64cc chamber I believe. With a stock short block and .026 head gaskets your static compression will be right at 10:1, almost half a point lower than stock. I doubt you could shave enough off the heads to get the chambers down to 50cc or even 54, Advanced induction claims to be able to get them down to 58 which will bring your compression up to 10.74:1 with the .026 gasket.

 

Best cheap free bump right there. Im thinking of doing this on my stock heads just to get that little extra bit. I wouldnt get too crazy if youre on 91 pump though.

 

Mmmmm......I guess I was wrong for assuming that the Trick Flow heads would be a 'meaty' as AFR's.....

KW

 

Dollar for dollar, I don't think any off the shelf heads beat a set of ported stockers. The research you found was probably from a magazine or tv show, read around on here a bit more before dropping dollars.

 

A heads/cam car should not be run on a stock tune BUT if you were a raging idiot and dyno'd it like that and then if it survived did a full tune I fully believe you could see a 50rwhp gain.

As has already basically been said WTF come here and ask after you already chose all the parts that you could have done differently and better and would have been the important parts. If you want to put it together like this, do so and then later when you want to do it right maybe we can help.

Your plan isn't terrible but it is not great, as said it is a magazine build, that is not a compliment.............

 

I'm not 100% sure on this but I THINK I read once that the as cast trickflows are not the ones AI has a program for, I believe pillarpod saw that info a while back and went WTF.

 

Actually I found the research off AFR website, TFS website and two engine builder who did flow and HP comparison. So you probably read that a set of stock heads flow as good as a set of aftermarket heads. IMO that doesnt make sense. I talked to Loyd about it and he said that aftermarket heads on any given day of the week flow better and produce more hp than a set of ported stockers. I want that ish that ur smokin. . . . . .

 

I said dollar for dollar captain. Yea ported aftermarkets will outflow ported stockers, but your spending alot more money. LE2s outflow as cast trickflows, otherwise you'd see alot more people running as cast trickflows over the very popular LE2 or AI 200.

 

Well what do you suggest then Mr. 96capricemgr? Since its not great. I didnt get anything from a magazine. I just did a simple combo that i thought would work. I got some support from different builders and they said I was going the right direction. . . . . . . If I have asked questions before and no one answered them, im not gonna wait til hell freezes over for a simple educated response.

 

I understand. Are you suggestion that I get them ported by LE?

 

If you didn't want advice why post? If you are so sure you have the right parts go ahead with your stock compression, dyno queen cam and as cast heads and be happy with your high 11 second car that drives like ****.

Sure, get em ported by LE for max flow, but you still need to deal with your low compression.

 

ok then. . . . . if you were doing this build, what would you do differently so i can see where i am going wrong. what will raise my compression? i mean want advice, but dont butcher me for the parts i bought. . . . . hint hint 1st build! thats y im asking questions. what setup do you have? how much rwhp does your car make?