I just caught wiff that George Baxter is running Brodix heads on his lt1. How in the heck can you convert to run brodix or other aftermarket heads on an lt1 block? I know everyone dreams about the dominion heads but wouldn't this be much more feasable for us lt1 guys?

 

I posted this same question about a month ago and I guess no one knew the answer. It would be a worthwhile deal in my opinion too. If anyone knows please chime in, thanks

 

Last I "heard" he wont be running an LT1 block anymore.

I'm sure SBC heads could be adapted to work on the LT1 however anyone who's done it sure isnt talking.

 

Yup, I've heard George, sadly, will no longer be running an LT1. He ran heavily worked over Canfields on his LT1.

 

Not an LT1. Dart Gen 1 SBC Iron Eagle. He didn't think the LT1 block would go much more than the 1,125HP it was making last year.

PHOTO

 

www.cfmperformance.com quoted me a price of $250 to do the conversion. there was a board member that had his converted there but i can't remember his name.

 

Yeah (some) non LT1 heads (23 degree SBC heads) can be converted to be used on LT1's.

Ed Ventura had a set of Pro Action's converted to be used on his LT1...not sure where he stands with that project though...

A couple others have done it as well.

Jason

 

Now that is what i wanted to hear!

So here is the next dilema, will a lt1 intake manifold fit? What would i have to use if it doesn't? Custom made Hogan?

 

The problem with converting is...

why spend the $ to run a set of 23deg sbc heads when you can get a casting thats just as good from AFR thats already machined to work with the LT1 as-is?

If youre gonna do it.. youmight as well go 18deg.. but then youre talking $ with valvetrain/intake/etc.

 

I have done the Brodix conversion myself. It isn't that hard really just need the right machining tools and such.

I am currently do the conversion to a set of SB2's off of Tony Stewarts car that are going on my 410ci LT1

I am looking to sell the Brodix heads. Here are the specs

-10
fully ported
2.08 intake
1.60 exhaust
spread port exhaust
Brand new guides, seats, valves, springs, retainers ect..
The only thing that isn't new is the aluminum castings themselves
they flow around 335/240 @ .700 lift

Make me a offer on them if you want them

Thanks
Darren

 

I agree with Phil... if a 23 deg head is what you want, you've got plenty of that from the AFR lineup..... RR, 227 etc..
If I were gonna go the 'head-swap' route it'd only be to take advantage of a real head.... something more along the lines of a Pro Action 14 deg, SB2.2 or (on a more modest budget) someone's 'old' 18 deg heads.
Then you open the proverbial 'can of worms' cause you're gonna need alot of hardware to make the swap work.... not to mention, a computer that can keep up with the rev potential....... especially if you stayed with a 350ish displacement.... screamer!

-Mindgame

 

Kevin, the shop that is going to re-work my 383 (DRE) made a conversion on a set of Edelbrock heads for an LT1. Peter hand ported and did the conversion on these heads to flow 300cfm. They installed these heads on a lower compresiion 355CID LT1 and run 12.7 N/A uphere. (6000') that's about 11.6 at sea-level. They'll be working on a couple LT1's using Dart heads, and he's going to do the conversion as well. You may want to give them a call. 303-438-1571.
PS: They used a cam 236-242 duration, custom ground.

 

Did that edelbrock car happen to be a red z28? If so i saw that car run against a ls1 over the summer. The guy said it had edelbrock heads but i didn't believe him. Perhaps i was wrong?

 

Brian Bieller's 396 with heavily worked AFR 220cc heads? 597 NA horsepower. My 396 with converted AFR 215cc raised runner heads? 647+ NA horsepower.

Our cams are almost identical, and our short blocks are very similar, so the major difference is my top end. While the Hogan's intake wasn't cheap, obviously, if I'd had the hood clearance, we could just as easily have used a converted SBC intake for far less money. The heads themselves (besides the Titanium valves) weren't any more expensive than what you'd pay for a heavily worked set of 220cc AFRs, if you couldn't do the porting yourself.

Was it worth it to gain that extra 50+ horsepower on pump gas? I don't know. But if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would have started with an SBC aftermarket block and bought "off-the-shelf" 18 or 14-degree heads. At the time, I was trying to avoid custom headers and a few other things, and when I first started the project, locked myself into using an LT1 because of the clearance in height and at the rear of the engine because of the front mount distributor (over an LS1). If I'd know we were going to end up pitching the opti-spark and using a FAST eDist for ignition and having a custom intake built, there would have been no reason to use an LT1 block. Lessons learned.

I'd agree, though, that anyone who was looking to save a buck would be better served by using any of the as-cast LT1 heads available. Some of the other costs associated with my choice of using converted heads were special offset lifters and intake rockers and perimeter bolt valve covers, because the 215cc RR heads aren't available in center bolt pattern. If you want a set of heads converted for the LT1, then consider all the other parts you might have to replace as part of the conversion.

 

No, this one I'm talking about, is a yellow 1994 Z28.