Quick question, I am putting a new custom grind cam in my 383 from Lloyd Elliott in the next month or so. I currently am running 10.5 or 11:1 comp ratio (checking this weeked) and Lloyd said I'd be fine but he wish I had a higher comp ratio. Question is, during the install the AFR heads might have to come off (if the lifters don't come out easily - replacing with LS7 lifters) and if so should I go with a thinner gasket at that time (currently have .041 on there) or mill the heads a little to bump the compression or is it not really worth it? Here are some specs on my motor so you know what I have for the current comp ratio:

383 - bored 4.030
3.75 stroke
SRP flat tops (-5cc)
Deck height/Piston to deck (unknown as it's been 9 years and my builder can't remember)
AFR 190 heads (never been milled)
Felpro 1004 gasket (.041 thick and 4.190 bore)

If a new thinner gasket what would you recc?

Spec on the cam is 230/23? at 108 LSA.

 

A Victor Reinz (.026) or Imp SS (.029) head gasket will give you ~1/2pt more compression.

 

Do you know the CC of the heads? In all honesty if you're between the compression ratios you stated, you should be fine. More may have been better, but you won't tell that much difference.

 

No way in the world that removing the heads has to be done to remove the lifters. It's not an LSx engine.

 

unless your going to go to 12.1 or 12.5.1 I dont think your going to see that much of a gain. But since your going to tear into in already why the hell not?

I would get the heads milled a little bit and run a little thinner gasket. Shoot for 11.8.1-12.1, any higher and you may run into issues with pump fuel.

 

Bryan over at Pavloc (in Tomball near Houston) told me that if the lifters are tough to get out then they might have to pull the heads to get a better angle. They have worked on many LT-1's in the past but specialize in LS these days. I'm just telling u what he told me as I know you should be able to get them out without any issues. If for some strange reason we do have to pull the heads I'm just looking for suggestions.