LS1GTO Forums banner

AI 243 build

7K views 70 replies 26 participants last post by  black00ta 
#1 · (Edited)
"update 6-3-14" Dropped the car off saturday to be tuned fianlly. Here is my list of everything in the build.

From AI:

•Ai 232cc Full CNC Porting
Lunati Gold dual valve spring kit w/ lightweight steel retainers. Lift capacity to .660" ( INCASE I WOULD WANT TO UPGRADE CAM)
•New GM OEM Valve Seals
•Any Compression Ratio from 9.9-11.5:1, or Ai optimized for cam selection " i went slightly lower then stock compression"
•Any HR Camshaft - Ai Custom Grind, or you may specify a grind yourself
Ai 226 / 234 - .600" / .600" - 113 LSA
•Ai One Piece 4130 ChromeMoly Hardened Pushrods 5/16" & .080" Wall Thickness " ended up with 7.375 length rods"
•GM OEM .051" Head Gaskets
•In-house QC inspection of your individual camshaft
•Install CompCams Roller Bearing Trunnions in your GM LSx OE Rockers
(PICKED UP A SET OF ROCKERS TO SEND TO THEM)
•ARP 134-3610 Head Bolt Kit for 2004 & Newer GM LSx Blocks

From various other vendors.
kooks 1 7/8" headers thru catless mids to 3" kooks street screamer
Green top injectors
jp double roller timing set
gm high performance oil pump
GM "CADDY" lifters with new ls2 trays
ls2 maf
bbk w/ tb mouth cnc milled to 90mm plus a good clean up and port on the intake runners.
edelbrock victor 90mm tb

already on the car before heads and cam swap
bbk ssi manifold
svede car also had kooks 1 3/4" headers but went with 1 7/8"

ill post back when the car is done hopefully friday or saturday.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
Since you have to do a full tune anyway might as well do the MAF.

Are you using stock 04 injectors? May have to upgrade there also - since if not @ 100% duty cycle you will be real close and not good for long term.

But other than that - it seems to me you got all the bases thought out & covered.
 
#11 ·
That's what I was thinking as well. From what I've seen ill need a wire harness adapter to plug from my ls1 plug to the ls2 plug?
might be a good idea...my 243's are basically the same size(233cc) and if he ever went with a small stroker they'd be fine for that as well as stock cubes
Yes good idea because I've considered a small stroker in the future when the bottom end needs redone. Btw your painted engine is beautiful.
 
#7 ·
might be a good idea...my 243's are basically the same size(233cc) and if he ever went with a small stroker they'd be fine for that as well as stock cubes
 
#8 ·
I've seen some folks run the LS6 MAF, although I really don't understand the technical differences/applicability between it and the LS2 MAF.

I would have thought that with an aftermarket intake manifold, your numbers would have been slightly higher (maybe only 5-8HP, probably not enough to worry about). I guess the stock heads and cam are just choking the higher potential flow of the intake.

I'm interested in how this turns out, for whenever/if I get around to doing some H/C/I work on my car.
 
#12 ·
Get the heads done and then ship them to me. I will inspect them for free, run them on my car just to be safe, and send you my heads in the mean time:idea:
 
#14 ·
I also added new link bar lifters, since the heads were off.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I ran the trunion kit on stock rockers before i went with yella terras...you wont regret it especially with higher lift cams
 
#21 ·
lots of people just run LS7 lifters...I'm using CTS-V lifters and Brain Tooley has some new LS lifters too...
 
#22 ·
Yep, I forgot about the LS7s. Another popular option.
 
#24 ·
after a quick search on the link bar lifters ill be adding the lunati's, also going to be getting the ls2 maf, and no UD PULLEY. I know this is adding up but i want it done right and not have any worries.
 
#28 ·
#34 ·
if i went this route id just need the ls7's and ls2 trays? when i searched link bar lifters on here about a dozen threads showed up about lifters turning and chewing up cams:doh:
Sounds like it's gonna be a nice build! I'm trying to decide between ls7 & link bar lifters..
^Thank you sir, kinda on the fence at the moment as well.
 
#37 ·
So with tax time upon us Ive started my heads and cam build. The plan is to send out my recently purchased 243's to AI and get the 226cc port work and cam package. I am not 100% sure yet but I might just have them assemble the heads while they are there and be done with them. here is my list of everything i plan to get.

From AI:

•Ai 226cc Full CNC Porting
Lunati Gold dual valve spring kit w/ lightweight steel retainers. Lift capacity to .660" ( INCASE I WOULD WANT TO UPGRADE CAM)
•New GM OEM Valve Seals
•Any Compression Ratio from 9.9-11.5:1, or Ai optimized for cam selection
•Any HR Camshaft - Ai Custom Grind, or you may specify a grind yourself
Ai 226 / 234 - .600" / .600" - 113 LSA
•Ai One Piece 4130 ChromeMoly Hardened Pushrods 5/16" & .080" Wall Thickness
GM OEM .051" Head Gaskets Get Cometic .040" Head Gaskets, better quench.
•In-house QC inspection of your individual camshaft
Install CompCams Roller Bearing Trunnions in your GM LSx OE Rockers
(PICKED UP A SET OF ROCKERS TO SEND TO THEM) Only '07 LS7's had rocker issues. I've seen more issues with these roller kits than OE rockers failing.
•ARP 134-3610 Head Bolt Kit for 2004 & Newer GM LSx Blocks

From various other vendors.

SLP Oil Pump and Heavy Duty Timing Chain Package Get an LS6 oil pump and a Cloyes Hex-A-Just timing set, actually degree your cam the easy way bro.
Front cover and water pump gasket set
OIL/COOLANT
1/28/13-Lunati Street Performance Hydraulic Roller Lifters /Ls2 MAF
NO UD pulley

If I am missing anything important besides A tune please chim in. I am hoping some of the head andcam vets in here will give me a few tips. I have searched the past few months threw a couple dozen threads. I do believe I have a decent build going on here.

My current mods are

Kooks 1 3/4" headers w/ offroad pipes
2.5" exhaust w/ xpipe and knock off magna packs
New era intake
BBK SSI Intake manfold along with a 85mm TB that i ported out and polish on my lathe:thumbs:
And tuned on HP making 337/340


Any insight or suggestions is much welcomed. Like I said I searched thread after thread and this is what I came up with. The money is in the bank and im at the point of waiting for AI to get back with me to discuss everythign and ship the heads out. Just wanted to run my plans by all of you guys to see what you's think.
Definitely would need injectors.
Possibly....
I definitely need that girl's phone number though.

You can find an example of any part failing on the internet.

I don't see how they could spin in a brand new ls2 tray with a mild cam like that.

Maybe call lunati and ask about the RPM limit of those street lifters.
Its because people like to put the cart in front of the horse all the time. The tray doesn't spin because its weak or something. It spun because something is wrong with the valvetrain and the tray is the fuse (valve float, needle bearing failure, lobe being wiped out twists the lifter, etc). Its not like people only started having issues with lifters with the creation of the LS tray guys...
 
#38 ·
I just finished my build, and used alot of the same parts.
I went with the LS7 lifters, and reused my stock LS1 trays. Everything is fine, they fit tight like they should.
Also did the SLP pump and JP double roller timing chain. Have fun with that bottom pickup tube bolt!
Why no UDP? I have the SLP one, and I don't have any issues.

The ONLY thing I would change if I was to do it over, would be to add a 2 piece front cover. They are about $230ish, but I wish now I had put it on there.

I bought all my install parts at Texas Speed. Had the best prices on the small stuff like gaskets and such.

Also spend the $20 or borrow from a friend a pushrod length checker tool, and check the length of your pushrods before you buy any!
 
#39 ·
2/2/13

So far the heads are on the way to AI and everything else is ordered except for the ls2 maf and injectors.

Since i have a 2-3 weeks till i get the heads back i was pondering the idea of a svede but... i dont want to take the chance of ordering and not getting it till june or july. Everything will go on the car as soon as i have everything back and would hate to have to get the car tuned twice if the svede was not to make it in time.

So that leads me to this idea... A Vararam. I will have the ls2 maf, i already have the 05-06 radiator setup when i installed the rad i cut the bump stops shorter and had cut the two fins off the top all in planning on a svede. I searched and found a few threads were guys had made it work on a 04 with and without maf's. one with a ls2 maf and the other SD. Both with 04 radiators. i dont see why i couldnt make one work on my car.
 
#44 ·
So far the heads are on the way to AI and everything else is ordered except for the ls2 maf and injectors.

Since i have a 2-3 weeks till i get the heads back i was pondering the idea of a svede but... i dont want to take the chance of ordering and not getting it till june or july. Everything will go on the car as soon as i have everything back and would hate to have to get the car tuned twice if the svede was not to make it in time.

So that leads me to this idea... A Vararam. I will have the ls2 maf, i already have the 05-06 radiator setup when i installed the rad i cut the bump stops shorter and had cut the two fins off the top all in planning on a svede. I searched and found a few threads were guys had made it work on a 04 with and without maf's. one with a ls2 maf and the other SD. Both with 04 radiators. i dont see why i couldnt make one work on my car.
DuSpeed, you'll get it in 10 days. Land vehicle Vehicle Car Engine Auto part
 
#40 ·
Get the svede.

I had the vararam before. I know you don't wanna get tuned twice, but the svede is superior in both performance (not by much) and looks (by a lot).

Do it once, do it right IMO. Just wait for the svede, and install the stuff all at once and then get tuned.

It is cold out now anyway you won't be able to hook with all that power :). Summer is the best time to add power to make up for the hot temps.
 
#42 ·
Got bored today waiting for parts and the heads so....... I knocked out the old bearings in my rockers. After getting them out and seeing how easily the needle bearings if given the chance can fall out the 130.00 on the trunion kit makes me happy. I did this in a press took 10 min tops you could even do it in a bench vise if you have one. Notice in the one pic with the rocker and socket sitting beside the other socket a needle bearing had already fell out:eek:hsnap1:
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top