V8 bolt on help desk! Now available!!

[thahemp]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

So guys, I'm looking at some heads for my next mod. Why heads and not a cam? Well, because I'm pretty sure I can do a head swap with little to no fuss in my apartment parking lot. A cam, not soo much...I'd probably get kicked out. I'm currently looking at the PRC head porting. If I go this route, I will be sending my heads in to get ported. What I want to know is...are there any good write ups for a head swap? I've looked but can't seem to find any. Also, do you think the gains from a ported head are worthwhile vs spending the extra money on some aftermarket castings? I've seen the flow numbers and aftermarket castings definitely flow more. But it doesn't seem like they flow that much more to make any significant improvement over ported heads. Lastly, how hard of a job would you say it is? I'm fully confident that I can do it but its always good to check in and see what you're getting in to before starting a project.

BTW, after I do the heads I will be getting a mild cam...followed by a centri blower. Any recommendations on heads that will optimize my future goals? Thanks.

Hrmm.. definitely a backwards way of doing things. Aside from that... not too hard. Remove the intake manifold, drain the coolant and vacuum out as much as you can, then pull the heads off. You need all new head bolts and head gaskets. I think ARP makes reusable head bolts, so if you pull them again you won't have to keep replacing the bolts.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by thahemp

Hrmm.. definitely a backwards way of doing things. Aside from that... not too hard. Remove the intake manifold, drain the coolant and vacuum out as much as you can, then pull the heads off. You need all new head bolts and head gaskets. I think ARP makes reusable head bolts, so if you pull them again you won't have to keep replacing the bolts.

Yea see the reason for doing it backwards is because I want to do the heads myself but I know I won't be able to do the cam install. And I don't want to pay for a cam install with tune, just to do the heads afterwards and need a re-tune. I'd be paying for two dyno tunes instead of one. See my point?

Yea I'm sure the ARP bolts are not TTY so I can re-use them. But I doubt I'll ever take them off again. Will I need to remove the front accessories? Any recommendations on other ported heads or aftermarket heads? I don't want anything over the top or race oriented. Thanks man!

[thahemp]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Yea see the reason for doing it backwards is because I want to do the heads myself but I know I won't be able to do the cam install. And I don't want to pay for a cam install with tune, just to do the heads afterwards and need a re-tune. I'd be paying for two dyno tunes instead of one. See my point?

Sorta. I'm not sure why you don't think you can do the cam install? It's not a whole lot more work if you would do that at the same time as the heads. You'll have the cam in and still be waiting on the heads to be finished.

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Yea I'm sure the ARP bolts are not TTY so I can re-use them. But I doubt I'll ever take them off again. Will I need to remove the front accessories? Any recommendations on other ported heads or aftermarket heads? I don't want anything over the top or race oriented. Thanks man!

You ought to plan on taking the heads off again someday... like when you break something with that blower! Kidding I hope ! Plan for the worst, hope for the best. You'll have to pull the power steering pump. It is mounted to the driver's side head. I also left off removing the coil brackets and valve covers. I'd just go with the ported heads unless you're wanting to spend a bunch of money. Not sure what price range you're looking at.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by thahemp

Sorta. I'm not sure why you don't think you can do the cam install? It's not a whole lot more work if you would do that at the same time as the heads. You'll have the cam in and still be waiting on the heads to be finished.



You ought to plan on taking the heads off again someday... like when you break something with that blower! Kidding I hope ! Plan for the worst, hope for the best. You'll have to pull the power steering pump. It is mounted to the driver's side head. I also left off removing the coil brackets and valve covers. I'd just go with the ported heads unless you're wanting to spend a bunch of money. Not sure what price range you're looking at.

I can do the cam as far as the work itself is concerned. But I can't do it in my parking lot. If the maintenance crew sees my car with the front bumper off and the engine all apart they will flip. They don't really like people doing any work at all but they allow me to work on my cars because I'm cool with all of them and I keep things neat. I just don't wanna push it. Doing the heads might be a bit messy but I can shut the hood and they'll never know I was working on it.

Price range wise, I really don't have a range. I don't wanna toss over 2 Gs on a set because I won't be needing anything extreme. I saw the PRC port jobs for like $900 on TSP website. Other sites have port jobs for a bit more money but the flow numbers are similar. The aftermarket castings REALLY flow good numbers tho. But I think I'll wait to go aftermarket in the future when I build an engine. $900 for a set of ported heads sounds like a great deal. I can't get ported heads for my 03 GT for less than $1300 and they flow like crap.

[litle88]

Blak it is messy, and very easy.

That site Ls1howto.com is pretty much the same thing.
Put lots of diapers underneath take lots of pics and BE ORGANIZED. Get a VERY GOOD torque wrench, it is critical. Also YOU MUST YOU MUST blow out all of the bolt holes in the block. Make sure they are dry use brake cleaner IDGAF lol but if they are not you will CRACK that block. Be patient bro. I also suggest getting ARP bolts not studs. The bolting prosecute is Soooooo much easier. You don't need an angle/degree wheel to torque another xxx degrees. With ARP you just torque in 3 different sequences and that's all BUT for a few more dollars you can use them over and over again lol. Just get them you cheap AZz!!!

TSP's Cnc program is good and so is LPE's they have a sale right now too.

[thahemp]

Ah gotcha. You have mentioned the parking lot nazis before.

[litle88]

Let us know when your ready and ill pm you my number and you can also make a thread so we can subscribe and help ya out!

[thahemp]

I think I finally found someone with a takeoff phaser gear. I might buy a TSP VVT3 off of Bplumcrazy pretty cheap. That leaves some tools and the rest of the valvetrain parts. And an L99 oil pump. Anyone have an L99 pump laying around?

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by litle88

Let us know when your ready and ill pm you my number and you can also make a thread so we can subscribe and help ya out!

Sure thing mang, thanks! It won't be for about a month or two. I just wanted to get some basic info first...and who better to ask than you guys eh?! I'm looking forward to the whole project. I will def get the ARP bolts. The torque wrench I have now is pretty good but I've been meaning to get a new on (as well as some new tools) anyway.

COuple questions for ya about the bolt holes. Should I use any type of grease? I forget the name of this one particular grease but it was red and I had to use it on the head bolts back when I built an engine for my GT.

As far as blowing out the bolt holes...am I looking to blow oil out of there? Will I need a compressor with a small air nozzle/gun? What about it causes the block to crack? Thanks again dude!!

[Nightmare2012]

Originally Posted by thahemp

I think I finally found someone with a takeoff phaser gear. I might buy a TSP VVT3 off of Bplumcrazy pretty cheap. That leaves some tools and the rest of the valvetrain parts. And an L99 oil pump. Anyone have an L99 pump laying around?

I thought you had a melling bud?

[thahemp]

Originally Posted by Nightmare2012

I thought you had a melling bud?

I did, but I sold it to a local guy here so I could put in an L99 pump. I bet the Melling would have been fine for VVT, but technically you're supposed to use a 10295 or stock L99.

[thahemp]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Sure thing mang, thanks! It won't be for about a month or two. I just wanted to get some basic info first...and who better to ask than you guys eh?! I'm looking forward to the whole project. I will def get the ARP bolts. The torque wrench I have now is pretty good but I've been meaning to get a new on (as well as some new tools) anyway.

COuple questions for ya about the bolt holes. Should I use any type of grease? I forget the name of this one particular grease but it was red and I had to use it on the head bolts back when I built an engine for my GT.

As far as blowing out the bolt holes...am I looking to blow oil out of there? Will I need a compressor with a small air nozzle/gun? What about it causes the block to crack? Thanks again dude!!

The head bolts go into blind holes, which means there is only 1 way in and 1 way out. So if you have liquid in the holes, as you go to torque the bolts down, you'll compress that liquid and the force has to go somewhere. You just need to make sure the holes are completely empty of anything that won't fit once you start torquing the bolts down.

[litle88]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Sure thing mang, thanks! It won't be for about a month or two. I just wanted to get some basic info first...and who better to ask than you guys eh?! I'm looking forward to the whole project. I will def get the ARP bolts. The torque wrench I have now is pretty good but I've been meaning to get a new on (as well as some new tools) anyway.

COuple questions for ya about the bolt holes. Should I use any type of grease? I forget the name of this one particular grease but it was red and I had to use it on the head bolts back when I built an engine for my GT.

As far as blowing out the bolt holes...am I looking to blow oil out of there? Will I need a compressor with a small air nozzle/gun? What about it causes the block to crack? Thanks again dude!!

Originally Posted by thahemp

The head bolts go into blind holes, which means there is only 1 way in and 1 way out. So if you have liquid in the holes, as you go to torque the bolts down, you'll compress that liquid and the force has to go somewhere. You just need to make sure the holes are completely empty of anything that won't fit once you start torquing the bolts down.

This blak! What he said.
Yes use the ARP lube for proper torquing. Not a lot just a good dab and under the washers too.

[litle88]

A nozzle with air would be a good idea. I roll up some thick shop paper towels and shove them in bolt holes to make sure they are dry.