1 Nasty Bird

Ive been doing some research and i wanna bump my combo up a notch and im looking at the golens 396 shortblock and AFR competition ported heads. Would the 210s or 220s be a better choice. Also has anyone heard good or bad things about golens? I may be ordering the shortblock sometime next week. I was thinking about asking em if they could go with a more nitrous oriented piston cause ill be looking to hit em with a 200-300 HP shot of giggle gas. What about the plasma/moly rings, would the hellfires be a better choice? Im looking for the motor to last a couple seasons before having to be torn down and will put 12-15K miles a year on this motor.

rskrause

For best results, get your AFR heads unported and have a good porter go over them.

Rich

ABA383

Do a search under "golens"...I just did and there seems to be some negative feedback on them...Check with MTI they built GMHTPs yellow Formula some time ago. I forget the project's name (Thunder Chicken?) but they built a good daily driver 396. Not huge on power, but huge reliability. I think it was past editor Johnny Hunkins car...
--Alan

96TurboTA

I've got a golen shortblock, and haven't had any problems with it. It's got forged JE pistons, forged rods and cast crank. All of the negative comments about Golen's are something along the lines of a friend's friend told a friend of mine that he/she read on a messageboard <insert something negative here>. No real first hand experience.

mongse_1

When I was purchasing my heads, I was told that I could get the 210s or the 220s for the same price. However, remember that 220's require an offset lifter and shaft-mount rockers. Quite more expensive than a set of Pro Mags and Comp R lifters.

CoUnTryMuZiCZ28

I have a golen 383 short block. It was perfect when i got it! It hasnt really been drivin yet. Still putting her together peice by peice.. should be done tonight, im just adjusting my rocker arms and thats it. came on here and did a search for the comp R lifters because I forgot what to preload them with.. this thread came up. thought id answere. Ill let you know how the short block goes..

1 Nasty Bird

Mongose if thats true id almost deffinatly go with the 210s then, i really dont wanna spend another 1000 dollars on valvetrain if i really dont need to.

Countrymusic id love to hear how your setup turns out too keep me posted!

Spinner, ya i was wondering if i get the cheaper 210s and had AI go through em and do their full port job and got em to get a matching cam how that would turn out.


So does everyone agree if i put some AFR 210s in the hands of AI to do some of their best magic on i wont have any regrets? I just dont wanna go down the road 2 months after i buy everything and find out i lost 10-20 HP cause i didnt buy a so and so instead of a such and such, know what i mean? Just looking for some good advice. Im looking for 600 or so FWHP plus a 2-300 Shot on top of that.

rskrause

If you plan on using a large nitrous shot, then you definitely don't want factory ported AFR's. There are a number of aspects to head preparation for big nitrous use that differ from NA. The big one is that you want to make the exhaust valve larger relative to the intake than for an NA set of heads. Another is the exhaust valve. You need on designed for the very high temperatures a 300hp nitrous shot will generate.

If you are concerned about the last 10-20hp you should talk to the head porter before buying anything. It may be worth sutting a wider exhaust valve seat for better heat transfer, for example, even though this will slightly impede flow. They will have some input, I am sure. You will probably be best off getting bare heads.

I definitely wouldn't get my panties in a bunch over a 10cc difference in port size. they will be ported anyway and end up about the same, again, ask your head porter how to proceeed. The 227cc heads require special valve train parts, I don't think the 220cc heads do. There is a thread about this in "Advanced Tech" you may want to read.

Rich

CoUnTryMuZiCZ28

BA BA BA BA BA BAAADDDDD AASSSSSS OMFG.. WOW MAN. SMOOTH AS CAN BE.. CANT WAIT TO BREAK HER IN!!! ahhh!h!!!!

1 Nasty Bird

Could it take a 200 shot? Ive heard of people running 150-200 shots on stock LT1s. Id assume the AFRs could ake the same abuse if not a tad bit more?

Josh-'04 GTO

If you're going with forged shortblock components, a 200 shot (tuned properly ) will be no problem. In regards to the heads, AFR heads are "beefier" and have more material in them than standard LT1 heads, and are great for forced induction/nitrous motors.