Fastbird93

Given all the troubles I've been dealing with on my 355 setup, I'm highly considering poop-canning the entire motor and starting fresh.

What I'm looking at is a Golen 396 Shortblock, Trick Flow Heads, Custom Cam, and DFI Gen VII. I'd be starting out with a 93 LT1 intake (spare, NOT the one I'm running right now) and a 58mm TB for the induction.

My question mainly lies in the matching of the heads to the motor. The TFS heads are 195CC on the intake runners with a 64CC Combustion chamber. I know I can use the pistons to compensate for the larger combustion chamber, but what I'm wondering is if the heads will be enough for a 396 to breathe upwards of 6500 RPM.

I'm not planning on converting to a solid roller setup (not ruling it out though), as I want to keep the car streetable with a more broad powerband than a solid roller would offer. What I'm looking to do is a fairly big hydraulic roller that will get me the power on the top end but offer more under the curve power and driveability. This is all subject though. Driveability to me means putting up with a bit of cam surge and not driving below 1800-2000 RPM.

Mainly, how good of a match do you guys think the TFS heads would be to a 396 shortblock?? Any suggestion, opinions, ideas for me?? Thanks.

z96

chad did my 383 couple of months ago. he is a great guy i call him every other day about things i am installing on engine. he always answers questions and wants to be on phone with me when i start it for the first time. any i have the trick flow heads. he sent them to loyyd and he ported them chad said they flowed just shy of 300 cfm after he was done. i thing thats plenty for a 396

Fastbird93

I've been working with him for some time now on my current setup and he's been nothing but great.

As for the heads, flow numbers are one thing. I'm more worried about the port volumes being enough (after porting of course) to support a 396 up high without choking the motor of air. And when I say up high I'm speaking of 6500+ RPM.

SStrokerAce

The TFS heads are fine for a 396. I have a ported set here that moves 300cfm and is 212cc. Should be one hell of a setup when it's done. The porting just has to be done to support the cubes and the RPM, talk to Lloyd about a set of heads and you should be set.

Bret

Fastbird93

Bret,

Do you possibly see any issues with using the pistons to bring the compression back up and leaving the heads/combustion chambers alone??? I've heard of guys angle milling these down to about 58CC to bring the compression up, but I kind of want to shy away from doing that.

I haven't made up my mind who's going to do the heads, but right now I'm leaning towards E&B Porting (place that does Joe O's heads) since what I'm hoping to have done is Joe O spec out a cam for it and also install a DFI Gen VII and tune it on site.

Still don't know if I'm going to go solid or hydraulic roller yet. I like the extra power you can eek out of a SR, but the driveability of a HR is also very appealing.

One thing IS for certain. I'm doing the heads first, then having the cam specced out and ground, and then having it ALL assembled with the shortblock, and broken in on an engine dyno. No jacking around like with this 355 for two + years.

What about intake manifold?? Stock 93 unit be sufficient, worked over a little bit of course.

Thanks guys!!!

cehan

I'm just finishing up my Golen 383 with Lloyd's LE1 head/cam package (Comp Cam spec'ed out by Bret). I couldn't be happier with the advice that I've received from both Lloyd and Chad (they keep me from doing dumb things, and Lloyd even corrected one dumb thing that I managed to accomplish in spite of them). You can't go wrong working with these two.

Chris

OldSStroker

Hey Gaspasser,

I'm surprised you asked Bret for advice when you're having Joe O. do the cam, etc.

A long time ago, I used to fill up behind KC-135s. Anyone still use the basket? Truth be told, we thought more of the Boomers than the KC airplane drivers. If we ever meet, I'm buying.

Jon

SStrokerAce

ditto the old man..... Joe and Eric would be the guys to ask if you are working with them. I have to draw the line someplace, and it's not like those two are dumb they know what they are doing.

Bret

Fastbird93

Seemed like a logical choice as Bret always has good advice to give. Besides, I'm not 100% on who I'm going to go with for the cam yet, but I know I want to talk to Joe O about the DFI/Tuning. I see where you're coming from with that though. My bad.

As for the gas passing......I've only got a little 135 experience, that being training back in 97. Yes, the basket is still in prolific use. And yes, the drivers can be bad at time too. I get to see a lot of the tail end of a 135 now being in the KC-10, as we're the little fuel consolidation b*tches out in deployed locations. We show up and the KC-135 calls up saying "We have xxx amount of fuel to consolidate into the KC-10." They go home and we stay up burning holes for 10 hours. But, when you've got a boom and three baskets for use, can you blame them for keeping the 10 around instead of the 135?

1racerdude

Ya might want to reconsider making the chambers smaller. Ya need to do some figuring but they may work just right with a set of flattops and 4CC valve reliefs depending on cam. An intake closing around 75* and a .039 gasket would work out fine on pump gas.

Boost It!

IMO; run the solid roller. I have some expierence with bigger engines (7 liter) going from hydro to solid and keeping the same rpm (6700 max I believe).

The difference is astounding. Tamer. More torque. More power. Flatter curve.

Solid roller is where its at. Steep ramp rates are a big advantage.

As far as chambers;
Keep in mind smaller chambers inhibit knock.