Hey guys, this is my first post on here, hopefully to be a good one. I have used the search bar and gone through posts to scramble any information, I can find towards this topic. I have a 1995 Chevy Impala and I am swapping it out with a LQ4 motor. Supposedly it is the same as a LQ9 and LS2 minus Aluminum block and lower compression. Since the motor is out, I'm looking for what heads and cam setups I can run on this car that will get me into the 450-500 rwhp range N/A. I am also looking for other little mods like pulleys and places to get them. I am coming from the LT1 game and this LS motor is foreign to me. I am not asking you guys to build my car for me but point me to the right direction. I am in the direction of getting a L76 intake with L92 heads. I am leaning this way so it will clear the stock hood since the truck manifold won't. I would like to know if there are any companies that sell a head and cam package for what I'm looking for? Thanks


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First things first:

The L92 rectangle port heads have nearly the same combustion chamber size as the LQ9 heads.... around 70cc vs 71-72cc, which means that you'll be below 10:1 on that motor....which isn't a great idea for making a ton of NA power.

You can get away with putting some .040" Cometics on it, and milling the heads down to raise compression if you don't plan on building the bottom end, but an LS2 motor with flat-tops would be a better starting platform.

The L92/L76 stuff loves big duration and big lift. I'd put a Thunder Racing T-Rex, sTRoker cam, or Futral Motorsports F15 or their stroker cam in it.

Mike

 

I was told that they flow better. I have posted this exact same post on the Silverado SS and Trailblazer SS forum to see what different people think should be the route I should go. As for bang for my buck, I see L76/L92 but I hoping there is something cheaper and quicker to do. I dont know how to chose a cam, so I would like to find a cam that would be alright with the LQ4 heads and still shine with the L92 heads when or if I get them. The reason I didn't chose LS2 was because they're expensive and if I do want to have a bigger bore I have to have the walls re-sleeved and with aluminum I don't have to.

 

It depends on what year LQ4 heads you have. The 99-00 heads were IRON....(you can look at the casting numbers.. if they are 874, the are iron and aren't worth their weight in dog****). The 317 are the commonly-known aluminum 6.0L heads. They flow more than the LS1 heads on PAPER (although I'd question their port velocity, turbulence, and ability to flow over .550 lift), however, I'm sure they are flowed on a 4.0" bore as opposed to a 3.9" bore like the LS1 heads. Regardless, you can make good power with them cam-only (especially if you mill them .030"), but probably not the kind of power you want to make.

The LS2 is an aluminum block and can go up to a 414ci motor (4.010 x 4.100), although it's undersquared. Most people go with a 4.00" x 4.00" square 402ci LS2 or a 4.010 x 4.00" oversquared 404ci LS2. There's no need to resleeve it if you don't plan on going any bigger than that.

As far as choosing a cam that will work well with both...well... that's probably not going to happen like you want it to. The L92 stuff flows nearly 100 more peak cfm than the LQ stuff does and acts completely different, so choosing a cam suited for both means running a big cam that is questionable for the LQ in preparation for converting to the L92/L76.

Mike