3v Heads - Your experience

[MARKCORE]

Lets start a thread discussing your experience with aftermarket heads on your S197.

List what brand, specs, price, and how they performed. Might also be helpful to add your supporting too.

I thought this would be beneficial to all looking to purchase

 

[Jarrod@latemodelresto]

 

[radmustangs]

I'm tired of reading US-1's posts. I can't see anything of worth in most of his replies. Is there any way to hide everything from particular users? That would make the forum viewing a more pleasant experience I think

Are you serious? I am somewhat new and part time around here so i dont know, you guys might be buds. But I like his post. Its entertaining in whats otherwise a dead discussion, 3v s197s. I seems like his post come from a common frustration. I think you come to a point where you say fuck it.

To the op, though I was going to ignore this thread for a lot of reasons Ill respond and await the rebuttle counter rebuttle counter counter rebuttle.

I have livernois stage II heads. Purchased them last year, a year ago this month actually. Have 30,000 miles on them.

Run 127500 comp cams on them
Kooks catted x pipe kooks cat back
Steeda race plates
steeda pulleys
steeda cai with cf inlet elbow
stock clutch stock flyhweel
spydershaft
4.10s
18inch deep dish bullits with 275 nittos.

Those are the only things I can think of that would effect the dyno at all.

Here is a before and after dyno. Before I had NSR stage II cams on stock heads. So the bigger cams and heads added approximatley 38hp, lot of torq and then added about 3mph to my traps before changeing some other things. My traps were consistently 111 and 112 before and after the heads I have went to 114 and now 115 and 116 traps.

Customer service has been decent from livernois for me. I have broke 2 valve springs on two different occasions under normal driving conditions. I am still in the process of dealing with livernois on this issue. I am trying to decide whether I wanted to go with another set of livernois springs or upgrade. After considering everything and talking to people I think im going with livernois springs again. I am going to chalk that up to a bad batch of springs.

Good luck.

First spring to break on number 2 cylinder exhuast valve.

Second spring to break on number 6 cylinder exhuast valve. This happend about 2 or 3,000 miles after the first one.

Good luck.

 

[MexGT]

darn .... that sucks

 

[radmustangs]

darn .... that sucks

No, if it would have happened at 7,000 rpms and I bent a valve or smacked a piston, that would suck. I got lucky.........so far.

 

[psfracer]

I have stuck with the stock heads and cams for a few reasons:

1) I have a s/c, so I just run more boost (604rwhp @ 18psi--stock heads and cams)
2) I can't seem to justify the cost of heads / cams / springs for 30-50rwhp
3) Reliability. Stock heads and cams just don't break, only issue I have seen on some cars is the cam phasers.

Now, having said that, if your n/a and want to stay that way, aftermarket heads and cams for a serious effort is pretty much a requirement. I do not have any first hand experience, so I can't help. But what radmustangs posted above is great, specific information. We need to see more of that.

 

[Freaknazty]

Get some MMR ones they are great

 

[470 GT/CS]

Get some MMR ones they are great

I wonder how many people will believe this......

 

[SC boss]

Get some MMR ones they are great

+1 to that lol

 

[MARKCORE]

To the op, though I was going to ignore this thread for a lot of reasons Ill respond and await the rebuttle counter rebuttle counter counter rebuttle.

.

Figured the crowds of assholes would come in here and turn it into nothing also.

Thanks for your post though. Thats what I was hoping for from all who have aftermarket heads on their cars.

 

[MexGT]

No, if it would have happened at 7,000 rpms and I bent a valve or smacked a piston, that would suck. I got lucky.........so far.

Believe me I've been through the broken/bent valve situation and that blows for sure haha

Good it didnt make much damage

 

[danbogart]

So are the guys that are making 700+ whp using these bbr, livernois, foxlake stage 3 heads right out of the box or are they upgrading the valve train even further?

@PSfracer - Are your heads completely stock or have you upgraded the valve train at all?

 

[psfracer]

So are the guys that are making 700+ whp using these bbr, livernois, foxlake stage 3 heads right out of the box or are they upgrading the valve train even further?

@PSfracer - Are your heads completely stock or have you upgraded the valve train at all?

Good point, even with stock heads and cams, I have some good Ferrea race valves

 

[US-1]

nevermind

Too late.

I'm tired of reading US-1's posts. I can't see anything of worth in most of his replies. Is there any way to hide everything from particular users? That would make the forum viewing a more pleasant experience I think

Weenie. Below sums up my particular reason for posting the "here we go again" comment.......

I seems like his post come from a common frustration.

Yup. We have had these discussions on here many times before and each one ended up as a pissing match or a flame war. Vendors also don't like seeing things like that either.

To the op, though I was going to ignore this thread for a lot of reasons Ill respond and await the rebuttle counter rebuttle counter counter rebuttle.

I have livernois stage II heads. Purchased them last year, a year ago this month actually. Have 30,000 miles on them.

Run 127500 comp cams on them
Kooks catted x pipe kooks cat back
Steeda race plates
steeda pulleys
steeda cai with cf inlet elbow
stock clutch stock flyhweel
spydershaft
4.10s
18inch deep dish bullits with 275 nittos.

Those are the only things I can think of that would effect the dyno at all.

Here is a before and after dyno. Before I had NSR stage II cams on stock heads. So the bigger cams and heads added approximatley 38hp, lot of torq and then added about 3mph to my traps before changeing some other things. My traps were consistently 111 and 112 before and after the heads I have went to 114 and now 115 and 116 traps.

Customer service has been decent from livernois for me. I have broke 2 valve springs on two different occasions under normal driving conditions. I am still in the process of dealing with livernois on this issue. I am trying to decide whether I wanted to go with another set of livernois springs or upgrade. After considering everything and talking to people I think im going with livernois springs again. I am going to chalk that up to a bad batch of springs.

Good luck.

Good post.

 

[spyder7724]

I have a set of ported heads from Sutton hp. i got mine bare since i was going to have other stuff done anyway but so far everything is fine. the flow #'s were really good and they didn't lose any velocity to get great #'s. I did have my machine shop replace a couple guides and get everything straight since they were a set of used cores that were CNC'd. we used stock valves but i did have the heads machined for the comp duramax beehive springs then used titanium retainers and good locks. as far as the rest of the valve train stuff i have custom grind solid roller comp cams and solid lash adjusters using stock followers. jury still out on longevity since i've only got 100miles on it so far and it's not even fully tuned but as far as the heads themselves go i think they were really nice. whoever is doing the port work for sutton has a good handle on what to do. my heads flowed peak 280 cfm (.600" lift)Intake 200cfm exhaust @ 28" water using stock valves and the low lift #'s were excellent.
Isn't C&L going to make an aftermarket head soon? any word?

 

[white07]

so I have to ask because ive always heard dont use MMR but I read somewhere the other day and the guy was saying they have decent products its just that their customer service is complete shit. Just wondering if that guy had any idea of what he was talking about or not.

 

[ChevyKiller]

so I have to ask because ive always heard dont use MMR but I read somewhere the other day and the guy was saying they have decent products its just that their customer service is complete shit. Just wondering if that guy had any idea of what he was talking about or not.

Their customer service is a full service massage from Miss Korea compared to their products.

NOT that that there customer service is that good - it's because their products are that BAD...

 

[ZmanM3]

I have livernois stage 3 heads with comp cam stage 2 cams. Setup has worked great for me. To the OP, a search would be enlightening.

 

[james432]

yeah patriot perfomance are making the C&L heads......

 

[470 GT/CS]

yeah patriot perfomance are making the C&L heads......

I thought it was Trickflow who was making the C&L heads? :O