Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

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machinedave
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Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by machinedave »

I am considering building a aluminum 6.0L GM engine for a drag car. I have machined hundreds of these blocks and cylinder heads for my customers but haven't built one of my own so I am not as knowledgeable about the casting numbers as I am with SBC and BBC engines. Does anyone have a good source for casting numbers, chamber and valve sizes?
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by 1980RS »

I have a Stocker friend that used some 317's then went 320ish on the intakes after porting so with numbers like that they should work good. You could always buy some AFR 235 CNC ported heads if you have the dough.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by bobmc »

use the LS3 head, the current catalog says 68 and some fraction cc chamber
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by rebelrouser »

I bought this book, relatively cheap and the flow numbers listed were pretty close to my bench so far.
High-Performance GM LS-Series Cylinder Head Guide by David Grasso
https://www.amazon.com/High-Performance ... 29&sr=1-13

I built a 6.0 for a limited pulling truck class, and used some iron 6.0 heads, listed in the book, the engine ran very well first four hooks this season 3 1sts and one 3rd
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by machinedave »

Today I was looking at my racks of cylinder heads and found a set of 823 rectangle port cylinder heads that someone had abandoned.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by englertracing »

RFD LSR heads :mrgreen:
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by bpenrod »

machinedave wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:16 am Today I was looking at my racks of cylinder heads and found a set of 823 rectangle port cylinder heads that someone had abandoned.
A guy on the bullet with a notch fox body has been 5.70s-80's with a stock bottom end, notched pistons and slightly milled 6.0/823 combo.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by machinedave »

bpenrod wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:31 am
machinedave wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:16 am Today I was looking at my racks of cylinder heads and found a set of 823 rectangle port cylinder heads that someone had abandoned.
A guy on the bullet with a notch fox body has been 5.70s-80's with a stock bottom end, notched pistons and slightly milled 6.0/823 combo.
It is amazing what can be done this engine. I am looking to get a 6.40 with my combination in a 2200 pound car.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by Bigchief632 »

machinedave wrote: Thu Sep 01, 2022 8:15 am
bpenrod wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:31 am
machinedave wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:16 am Today I was looking at my racks of cylinder heads and found a set of 823 rectangle port cylinder heads that someone had abandoned.
A guy on the bullet with a notch fox body has been 5.70s-80's with a stock bottom end, notched pistons and slightly milled 6.0/823 combo.
It is amazing what can be done this engine. I am looking to get a 6.40 with my combination in a 2200 pound car.
That should be simple. Could be done on the cheap too, especially since you can do all the work yourself. You may know this already, but you could get some take out later model floater rods and 6.2 pistons, bore the iron 6.0 block, throw some arp bolts in the rods, mild clean up on the heads, open throats to 90%, nice valve job, work the short turns, take down some of the rocker bolt hump, and port the exhaust port, smith brothers bushing fulcrums, and even stock lifters, wouldn't need much more than 230 at .050, but more would be better. Pump gas, carb it, and 550+hp would be simple. At 2200, it should go 6.0's easy.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by prairiehotrodder »

The LY6 is the hidden gem of the LS engines. It comes in certain 3/4 ton pickups. Rectangle heads.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by dfarr67 »

How economical is getting a set cnc'd vs new?
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by mag2555 »

Maybe a question of the OP needs to asked first like, how much power do you invision your going to need for your purpose of the motor?
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by machinedave »

Bigchief632 wrote: Thu Sep 01, 2022 9:33 am
machinedave wrote: Thu Sep 01, 2022 8:15 am
bpenrod wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:31 am
A guy on the bullet with a notch fox body has been 5.70s-80's with a stock bottom end, notched pistons and slightly milled 6.0/823 combo.
It is amazing what can be done this engine. I am looking to get a 6.40 with my combination in a 2200 pound car.
That should be simple. Could be done on the cheap too, especially since you can do all the work yourself. You may know this already, but you could get some take out later model floater rods and 6.2 pistons, bore the iron 6.0 block, throw some arp bolts in the rods, mild clean up on the heads, open throats to 90%, nice valve job, work the short turns, take down some of the rocker bolt hump, and port the exhaust port, smith brothers bushing fulcrums, and even stock lifters, wouldn't need much more than 230 at .050, but more would be better. Pump gas, carb it, and 550+hp would be simple. At 2200, it should go 6.0's easy.

That's pretty close to what I am planning. The block I have is an aluminum 6.0L that I going to hone the cylinders for a 4.005" piston or 4.010" piston if 4.005" won't clean up. The summit racing pistons are a pretty good value. They look like a Wiseco manufacture piston. A carb intake and MSD control are in the plan. I am hoping to mock it up in a few weeks and see how it fits. I'm going to need a shorter oil pan. I have talked to a few guys that suggested the Corvette pan.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by Walter R. Malik »

machinedave wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:16 am Today I was looking at my racks of cylinder heads and found a set of 823 rectangle port cylinder heads that someone had abandoned.
The 821 and 823 are the good O.E.M. 15 degree castings for sure.
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Re: Cylinder head choices for 6.0L Chevy engine

Post by machinedave »

Walter R. Malik wrote: Fri Sep 02, 2022 7:11 pm
machinedave wrote: Tue Aug 30, 2022 12:16 am Today I was looking at my racks of cylinder heads and found a set of 823 rectangle port cylinder heads that someone had abandoned.
The 821 and 823 are the good O.E.M. 15 degree castings for sure.
Are one of the castings better than the other?
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