Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

[jbmetal]

hey people, I need some help here. I want to do an upgrade to the heads and cam, but I need some suggestions on the combination I should use. I want to buy the Intense Racing Stage 4 heads with their Stage 3 Cam for Normal Aspirated engines, and CompCams OE R Series Lifters. Also, I want to buy some ported intake manifold (upper and lower) from Abbott Racing, and the 68mm throttle from ZZP. The thing is that I don't know which other parts would be the best for a great power output.

The setup must be a safe one for my pistons and crank, since I'm going to leave that completely stock. About rockers, pushrod style, dunno exactly which one to use.

Also, I was thinking that I should install bigger injectors, but I dunno, which ones would be better for a normal aspirated engine, with those heads and cams, if either 24# or 30#, and the head gasket style or any other thing that can give me great power output, with stock pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft.

please people, help me with this.

Thank you

[gotchocmilk39]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

Well there isn't alot of people running your set up but being different is good. Everyone mostly has all abbot's stuff. For injectors 24# should be good and of course you are going to need HP-Tuners with any heads cam set up. Rockers I would leave at stock and get harden pushrods. I dont think you will be able to use the 68mm throttle body well because I dont think I have ever seen someone using it. Your bottom end hould be fine the crank has never been broken because of pure power and the pistons/ rods should be good.

[RadRacer]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

don't worry about the TB. Our stock one flows fine and is plenty large enough for a N/A build. Abbott's intakes are matched to his heads, IIRC, so getting his heads may be a better idea than Intense's. Get some MLS gaskets and you can change the compression ratio by getting different thicknesses (for N/A, more CR=more power). Injectors are definitely going to be needed; I'd get a set of 36#'s from a GTP. I'm running 28 # LS1's and after fuel pressure differences, they're really around 26, and I'm not too far from maxing them :(. Pushrods and rockers should be fine leaving stock, but if you feel like it, get some hardened. DO NOT get lightweight rods; they've been bent/broken by numerous people.

[jbmetal]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

Well there isn't alot of people running your set up but being different is good. Everyone mostly has all abbot's stuff. For injectors 24# should be good and of course you are going to need HP-Tuners with any heads cam set up. Rockers I would leave at stock and get harden pushrods. I dont think you will be able to use the 68mm throttle body well because I dont think I have ever seen someone using it. Your bottom end hould be fine the crank has never been broken because of pure power and the pistons/ rods should be good.

ok....and that setup of mine, sounds good, or not good? about the pushrods, which pushrods would you recommend? for the rockers, I was thinking that 1.7:1 or 1.8:1 would be good, but don't know, I don't want to broke my engine. Remember I will be using stock pistons, crank, and else.

Other thing, valve locks, and valve seals are necessary or not?

[gotchocmilk39]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

well if im not mistaken that cam has a high lift no? then adding more lift with the rockers is asking for contact between the valve and piston. ZZP I think has harden push rods. And yes your set sounds good but its just not what everyone does but I would get the ARH heads and uim/lim. With the new cam you will need new valve spring maybe 105-130 and with that said you need new retainers aswell. Do not for get you need HP-tuners.

[jbmetal]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

well if im not mistaken that cam has a high lift no? then adding more lift with the rockers is asking for contact between the valve and piston. ZZP I think has harden push rods. And yes your set sounds good but its just not what everyone does but I would get the ARH heads and uim/lim. With the new cam you will need new valve spring maybe 105-130 and with that said you need new retainers aswell. Do not for get you need HP-tuners.

well, that was my first option, ARH heads and lim/uim, and the compcams ARH Naturally Aspirated cam they're offering...but I dont know how good that setup is...I wanted the stage 3 heads.

or maybe using the Comp Cams Xtreme Energy cam 2 would be better.

[IDoVoodoo]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

-those heads are not made for naturally aspirated engines
-that cam is pretty big if this is just a street car, would be harder to tune as well
-don't need the oe-r lifters or the ported TB

[jbmetal]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

-those heads are not made for naturally aspirated engines
-that cam is pretty big if this is just a street car, would be harder to tune as well
-don't need the oe-r lifters or the ported TB

which heads are not made for naturally aspirated??? and which cam is pretty big??? anyway I don't have a problem with big cams, but harder to tune, in what sense?

I talked with someone at Abbott Racing, and I ask them about their heads for a naturally aspirated engine, and they told me nothing wrong about using them. I don't know if you were talking about them or the Intense heads.

which would be your recommendation?

[gotchocmilk39]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

abbott heads, and search if you want to find out how good the ARH head/ cam combo is there are quite a few people with them. As for tuning you cant just slap heads a cam and have the engine run right. You tune the car to make it run right.

[IDoVoodoo]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

which heads are not made for naturally aspirated??? and which cam is pretty big??? anyway I don't have a problem with big cams, but harder to tune, in what sense?

I talked with someone at Abbott Racing, and I ask them about their heads for a naturally aspirated engine, and they told me nothing wrong about using them. I don't know if you were talking about them or the Intense heads.

which would be your recommendation?

The stuff you listed: Intense stage 4 heads are made for boost applications. They aren't going to have the velocity like you'd want for natural aspiration. Stage 3 n/a cam. With that much duration and a 110 LSA that will be a lot of overlap. Just tuning for it to idle right will take some time.

For us to give you recommendations let us know what your plans for the car are.

[jbmetal]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

The stuff you listed: Intense stage 4 heads are made for boost applications. They aren't going to have the velocity like you'd want for natural aspiration. Stage 3 n/a cam. With that much duration and a 110 LSA that will be a lot of overlap. Just tuning for it to idle right will take some time.

For us to give you recommendations let us know what your plans for the car are.

well...if I had the money, I would be thinking about installing a stroker kit with an entire valvetrain job done as well. But since that's not the case, a valvetrain job will be fine. It's for my 1997 Firebird. It's my daily driver, but I don't care about gas. I want a valvetrain setup that can give the best power output on that NA engine, and stock pistons/crank, since I don't want to break my engine. I'm opened to listen to any kind of suggestion.

[robmick33]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

i dunno if you already have done this but youll probably want to address your intake and exhaust first.all the head work and no headers or exhaust or intake will not bring out the full potential.

[IDoVoodoo]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

^yes, assuming you have full bolt-ons. I would suggest Abbott NA cam or zzp's GT2 cam and pick one of Abbott's heads or ZZP's stage 2 heads. Then get bigger injectors and tune it.

[jbmetal]

Re: Head/Cam Setup Suggestions

well...yeah, I have full bolt ons...headers, intake, my exhaust is just 2.5", not like people I've seen with 3" on a V6...a flowmaster, which I want to change for a Magnaflow.