Vortec 454 Heads and Cam

[xXxSilveradoxXx]

I'm looking for a good set of aluminum square-port heads and a cam for my Vortec 454 powered Silverado 1500. I was planning on just a K&N Intake, Hooker Headers with full exhaust, 0411, a shift kit and removing all of the emissions equipment but I have decided to throw on some heads and a cam too. I'm also planning on swapping out the intake manifold with something like an Edelbrock PRO-FLO XT that will flow better, place the throttle body in front of the engine (allowing for tall valve covers) and also bolt up to square-port heads. The truck is mainly a cruiser/weekend warrior and will rarely tow my WS.6. So, what would you guys suggest?

[V3NOM GTO]

I would not recommend rectangular port heads on something that was street driven, especially something that will tow anything ever.
If your staying with stock bottom end I'd recommend somthing with a small Combustion chamber. The AFR 265's flow very good and are about the same price as the edelbrock 60449's (small chamber head), these are both oval ports and flow better than some stock rec port heads.

Cam - The SS guys have had really good luck with the 264 HR cam from comp, but have it cut on a 114 LSA, it will give it much better street manners and tuning will be easier too. Should still tow really well too.

I have never heard anything bad about the pro flo setup from edelbrock, but I think you'd be able to do all you want with a TBI if you got a ported one and something to tune it with. EBL is great tuning software and you don't have to burn chips with it.

[xXxSilveradoxXx]

Why wouldn't I want rectangular port heads? I'm not trying to argue or anything, I'm just curious about the reasoning behind that. I am staying with the stock bottom end for now. However, someday (maybe five years from now) the plan is to forge the bottom end and either turbo or twin turbo the truck. Would I like to use these heads with my N/A setup and my turbo setup? Yes. Is it a deal breaker if I can't? No. I've already got EFI Live so tuning is covered. I'm down with a pretty aggressive setup (other than idle, a bit of lump is fine but not too much). I mentioned that I would rarely tow my WS.6 because I'd like to be able to tow it around the valley, if I was going across the country I have a Cummins Ram for that.

[1998454]

Rectangle port heads don't offer much in the lower rpm range. There are aftermarket oval ports that offer good port velocity for low end, yet flow enough for the top end too. rectangles would be great if you had a 3000+ rpm converter, 4.56 gears and was shifting at 7k. Your stock bottom end can't take advantage of heads like that. You will also want to stay around 100cc on the chambers to have some compression.

[Busted Knuckles]

One of the tricks to maximizing a combo is port velocity. The faster the air/fuel charge travels through the intake and head port runners, the better the cylinder fill. Square port heads don't really get with the program until the engine is spinning up pretty high, much higher than is needed for oval port heads.
One of the basic rules for engine building: Buy the heads for what you have NOW, not what you MIGHT build sometime in the future. Leave the L29's on there, add a pair of headers and a towing cam and you'll have a lot better engine. When you decide to add a turbo, you're still good with factory castings, find some 781 or 049 castings, they'll flow all you need. Also, PM me, I'll send a pic of the mods I did to the L29 intake, should make it just about perfect for something with a huffer or hairdryer.

[PonyKiller87]

One of the tricks to maximizing a combo is port velocity. The faster the air/fuel charge travels through the intake and head port runners, the better the cylinder fill. Square port heads don't really get with the program until the engine is spinning up pretty high, much higher than is needed for oval port heads.
One of the basic rules for engine building: Buy the heads for what you have NOW, not what you MIGHT build sometime in the future. Leave the L29's on there, add a pair of headers and a towing cam and you'll have a lot better engine. When you decide to add a turbo, you're still good with factory castings, find some 781 or 049 castings, they'll flow all you need. Also, PM me, I'll send a pic of the mods I did to the L29 intake, should make it just about perfect for something with a huffer or hairdryer.

Can you send me those pics of the intake? Ponykiller87@aol.com I have a spare intake that I started working on and I want to hog out the inside.

[xXxSilveradoxXx]

Rectangle port heads don't offer much in the lower rpm range. There are aftermarket oval ports that offer good port velocity for low end, yet flow enough for the top end too. rectangles would be great if you had a 3000+ rpm converter, 4.56 gears and was shifting at 7k. Your stock bottom end can't take advantage of heads like that. You will also want to stay around 100cc on the chambers to have some compression.

I see, that makes sence. I'm definitely not looking to spin my stock bottom end to 7k!!!


One of the tricks to maximizing a combo is port velocity. The faster the air/fuel charge travels through the intake and head port runners, the better the cylinder fill. Square port heads don't really get with the program until the engine is spinning up pretty high, much higher than is needed for oval port heads.
One of the basic rules for engine building: Buy the heads for what you have NOW, not what you MIGHT build sometime in the future. Leave the L29's on there, add a pair of headers and a towing cam and you'll have a lot better engine. When you decide to add a turbo, you're still good with factory castings, find some 781 or 049 castings, they'll flow all you need. Also, PM me, I'll send a pic of the mods I did to the L29 intake, should make it just about perfect for something with a huffer or hairdryer.

Reason I'm going with aftermarket heads is my dad needed a set of heads for his 2000 Vortec 454 so I told him that I would give him mine off the Vortec 454 in my '89 to help him out. IIRC, you were working on a spacer setup for the upper half of the intake manifold. Sending you a PM right after I post this.

So, the list so far of what I'm looking:
AFR 265cc Oval Ports (http://www.airflowresearch.com/index.php?cPath=68_111) all CNCed
Comp Cams Xtreme Energy XR264HR with Comp Cams Hydralic Roller Lifters (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/CCA-SK01-412-8/)
Comp Cams Ultra-Gold Aluminum Rocker Arms (http://www.compperformancegroupstores.com/store/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=CC&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=19021-16&Category_Code=BBCGOLD)

I've already got this:
Hooker Competition Headers (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HOK-2461HKR/?rtype=10)
0411 with EFI Live
Coil Pacs with a L21 Cam Sensor

Look like a decent total setup?

[V3NOM GTO]

That will make 500 hp with the right intake and TB. Def a good setup.