I'm installing an LT4 Hot Cam into my car and am giong to get some AFR heads but they are backed up 10 weeks. so I'm wanting put my stock heads on untill I get the AFR's in. what all needs to be done to the stock heads? just springs? thanks I did searches but dind't have much luck as to what I HAD to do.

thanks

Josh

 

Springs should be all that you need.
There is a set of used triple springs on Ebay. I think they are dual spring with a damper. I think I found them when I searched for LT1 or LT4.

 

i just ran into the same problem, people told me springs, screw in stud, i didnt realize the factor studs where pressed in, allso somone said something about machining the guide plates down ? im not real sure on that one ? , so now im thinking of just getting some trickflow heads, not sure what to do myself

 

well, screw in studs would be a good idea. You could also pin the stock ones. I prefer screw in. You will probable need to have the spring pockets machined for bigger springs. You wont need guide plates with self aligin rockers. If you use regular roller rockers, you will have to have the heads machined for guide plates.

I have looked into this and debated if I wanted to sink the money into stock heads or just hold out for a nice set of Dart heads.

 

well see I ordered some AFR heads, but they are backed up 10 weeks :-( soand I'd like to have the car running in teh next couple of weeks. so I was going to put the stock heads on. so do you think the push in studs will last a month or so? thanks

Josh

 

wanna see something wierd?? i thought i was the only one without t-tops.

 

Well, the studs should hold, maybe. But when you put bigger/stronger springs on, you may end up with problems. I dont think the LT4 hotcam would like the stock springs eiither. May end up breaking a spring or stud.

Now I dont know everything about the LT4 cam swap, as far as the springs go. This if just what I have researched. I know it is hard to have a car down. Just remember, you dont want to do anything that will damage you short block, like dropping a valve.

 

what if I do stiffer springs and pin the studs into the heads? anybody done this? work?

thanks

Josh

 

stock l98 heads are max lift at around .72 the hot cam with out 1.6 rockers has a lift of .510 with rockers .525 , do a shearch for vader, hes a member on this board and probally the best guy to follow advice from, the man know his stuff, one of his post he droped this link, these springs are supposed to drop right in and can take up to .600 lift, buuuuuttttt, you still need screw in studs, and again im not sure on the rockers, stock rockers i mean, if the guide plates need machined or not, im in the same boat, and i dont want to spend anymore money in my stock heads, and i sure as hell dont want to ruin the internal's of my 383 from doing so ? ,

if you dont mind how much do the 195 airflow heads cost, i was thinking of going with the 1.47 spring trickflows in summit, they are about a grand, and pretty comparable to the horse output to the afr, from what i seen on charts, the airflow heads cost 2k right ?

 

opps forgot the page here you go http://www.competitionproducts.com/page25.html

 

Hot cam with 1.5 rockers came to 492 with my calculations.

 

the AFR's i'm looking at are like $1250 from www.tenperf.com or tenacious performance. I have decided to pin the studs into the heads and run them w/ the stock 1.5 rockers. see if that works :-/ fingers crosse :-D

Josh

 

opps, .472

 

i'm using the competitors 2300 type spring from that link that was posted with my hot cam. so far so good. my heads are aluminum L98s so they already had screw in studs from the factory but i did get the guides milled .050

 

To bad cast iron is hard to weld. You could weld the studs in LOL. What are the lift specs on the hotcam???

 

.492/.492 with 1.5:1 and .525/.525 with 1.6

 

so your saying the stock l98 heads have pressed in studs, or not ? allso here is my problem i have my heads allready bolted on with gaskets and all, , how can i get around not taking them back off, , are the springs drop , no machineing required ? allso if i get 1.6 roller rockers self align ones do i still have to worry about the guide plates ?

 

Aluminum L98's have screw in studs and from what I was told came with guideplates from the factory.
The guy that works at one of our local machine shops used to work for Callaway a few years back and he was helping me with some spring info on the springs on my 94 Vette heads.
With SA rockers, guide plates aren't needed but using them shouldn't hurt.