What would be the better choice for performance vs. cost?
[list=1][*]Have Phil Odom port a spare set of stock LT-1 heads that I already have.[*]Buy new LT4 heads and have them ported[*]Buy AFR heads and have them ported[*]Other, please explain.[/list=1]

I am slowly starting to build up a stock pile of parts for a forced induction setup. I am still tossing around the idea of turbo or blower & N2O (already have).

I have a set of Modern Musclecar (Ron Sharp @ Advanced Airflow Engineering) ported heads that don't flow very well. I am only trapping 111.90 with a CC306 cam.

I plan on building a fully forged 383 with probably 9:1 compression. If I do the blower I will use Rich's highly recommended 224/236 cam, if I do a turbo, it will probably be a custom cam.

I am open to all opinions, constructive or critical.

Thanks.

 

A potential problem with LT1 heads on a blower motor is getting the CR low enough. Even with a big dish piston like the JE -31CC that I like so much you will still be ~9.3:1. That's ok though, unless you plan to run high boost on pump gas. To get a lower CR the only practical solution are AFR's with their large chambers. AFR's are going to cost you, they will also need to be ported and you have to buy the cores.

A nitrous motor will not need low compression, so the most cost effective route will be ported stock heads.

I would not buy LT4 castings. Essentially the same price as AFR's and not as much potential with less flexibility in terms of CR. In fully ported form, the LT4 and LT1 castings don't differ much anyway.

Rich Krause

 

Thanks for the reply Rich, how do I determine which size of AFR's to get (i.e. 195, 215, or 220)?

The car will mainly be a street car running on 94 octane pump gas, with a few occasional trips to the track.

 

Ported 195's, IMHO. That's what I got for a similar use.

Rich Krause

 

I am running a set of ported Ron Sharpe heads and am making over 700 rwhp with my setup.

 

The new trickflow heads may be worth looking into with their larger comb. chamber volume.

 

Do you have a link or anything?