Advice on Aluminum Cyl Heads

[alaskaturbo]

Hello All,
I currently have a 87 WE4 with the following
TA49
44 lb injectors
Pte converter 2800 stall, stock trans with B/M shift kit.
Applied Tech Pitbull exhaust 21/2"
Ultrachip
70MM TB and powerplate (Not sure if this was a wise choice)
Armstrong XP fuel pump with hotwire
Adjustable fuel pressure
KB front bumper (looks good not sure how much it helps)
Stock intercooler
SMC Alcohol inj.

I have owned this car for a few years and have been slowly adding performance parts. I want to add more performance. My objective is to have a very fast street car that I take to the drag strip on occasion. My question is would spending the money for Aluminum heads be money well spent or should I go a different route? I want to keep the car very streetable and easy to live with. Pleasant to drive as it is now. Thanks for any advice.

Bob

 

[strikeeagle]

You don't say how fast your car runs now.

A car with stock heads can run low 11s at the strip, or even 10s if you're willing to run sick boost.

Heads never hurt a TR. Just recognize that you're looking at $4K-$5K by the time you pull the motor - it turns out that heads are the tip of the iceberg.

Good luck!

 

[ijames]

Most people max out the "externals" before going to heads, since it's much easier and cheaper to bolt them on. Frontmount or very good stock location intercooler, much bigger turbo, TH-style DP and good exhaust, bigger injectors to support the rest, and a 9-10" or 9/11 torque converter are the biggies. This will get you to 12.0's on pump gas, mid-hi-11's with alky, and low 11's with race gas, all assuming carefully optimized tuning (and +/- .25 sec ). Then go on to heads and a cam.

 

[Garycar]

With no other mods a good set of heads such as Champion will give you at least a half second in the quarter. It will also take some weight off the front of the car.

 

[BLACK6PACK]

If the heads have never been off and still has the factory gaskets in there, I would go another route. Once you break the factory seal, its never quite the same. I'd do the heads last.

 

[Garycar]

Heads are the heart of the Buick turbo motor. If you want to make serious power, purchase a good set of aluminum heads and if you have not already done so, upgrade the fuel system accordingly. The motor will idle like a stocker but will carry a big stick. Don't be concerned with the thought that the factory head gasket is immortal, its not! Cams generally do very little for a street, occasional track type turbo Regal. My original stock 3.8 with ported heads, stock cam, unported intake but with the usual upgrades such as TE 34 turbo, intercooler, 40 # injectors and some weight reduction ran 10.7 at 125 mph at 21 #'s boost.

 

[Sweet6]

How much weight does the aluminums save over irons?

 

[Intercooler]

You run 10.70's with a TE-34? That is amazing!

 

[NEARING]

and 40lb injectors?

 

[azgn]

a WHOLE lotta weight reduction!

 

[alaskaturbo]

Thanks to all for the suggestions on how to proceed.
Will post later and let you know the results after sorting out on how to proceed. Presently runs mid 12's at 109 mph. I feel it should be faster. Here in Alaska Buick fans are rare. Lots of Chevy's, Fords, Mopars, etc. etc. I believe there are only 4 Turbo cars in Fairbanks where I live. Trying to find someone who knows anything about them is close to impossible (Including the local Buick dealer). My son and I both have turbo cars and we are on the trial and error program. We read this site a lot for advice.

Thanks again

Bob

 

[Medbull]

I agree with strikeeagle and ijames.
I have been both routes. Building the car up from stock, and starting all over with a new block after mine took a dump. I would go the bolt on route, then if you feel you could use a little more power after that, then I would go with the heads.
But then again, who couldn't use a little more power.

Just my opinion, John

 

[Dan Thompson]

Here is a recipt for getting a good street car. The build up can be stopped any time.

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/recipes/recipe.html

 

[talstar]

I went 12.6 on pump gas and stock turbo with gn1s, so they really do make a difference. But, I would not pull the engine until something goes.

 

[turbodave231]

Save your money and freshen up the stock heads with a valve job and a pocket port job. Put a nice 206-206 cam in it and with good race gas, you should run a high to mid 11.

More than enough to handle most Mustangs and Vettes.

DR

 

[DR BOOST]

Originally posted by Garycar
My original stock 3.8 with ported heads, stock cam, unported intake but with the usual upgrades such as TE 34 turbo, intercooler, 40 # injectors and some weight reduction ran 10.7 at 125 mph at 21 #'s boost.

wheres the flag when we need it

 

[GNVYUS 1]

QUOTE]My original stock 3.8 with ported heads, stock cam, unported intake but with the usual upgrades such as TE 34 turbo, intercooler, 40 # injectors and some weight reduction ran 10.7 at 125 mph at 21 #'s boost. [/QUOTE]

Ok, this is total B.S!!!!
A TE34 does not even flow as much CFM as a TA49, which I have yet to hear or read online about ANYONE runnin a 10.7 regardless of how much boost or weight reduction, and then throw in there 40lb injectors at 21 psi.

On a more serious note, there a some mods here that do not say really fast to me.

TA49
44 lb injectors ( who sells 44lb injectors? )
Pte converter 2800 stall, ( PTE does not make a converter? )
Stock intercooler

Before diggin into your heads, start by ditching the above parts with these

New PT61 (minimum)
57, 60 or even 65lb high z's
If you mean the precision (purple) converter, get it restalled to 3200 minimum. IF its a stock remanned, ditch it asap.
PTE FMIC or stock location intercooler.
3" or 3.5" Houston DP, throw in a test pipe

These mods can net you an ultra low 11 for around $3000.
Doing the heads with your current mods would NOT get you a low 11. You will make more power on less money with the above then forkin up $3 to 4k for ported, installed heads.

 

[Garycar]

Yes, my 86 GN really did run 10.7 at 125.01 MPH but its not a revelation! It all happened in 1994 when John Craig convinced me to try his new at that time TE 34 turbo. The turbine housing was an .82. The car ran slower with the .63 housing. The car had plastic bumpers and hood and the passenger seat was removed at the track. The intercooler was a liquid unit that was force fed ice water via a high volume pump from a container mounted in the original location of the battery. I can't say enough about the intercooler. The injectors were 40# red stripes purchased from Modern MuscleCar. The original iron heads were ported by a local Buick engine builder. The fuel system was most definately at its limit as I had to crank up static fuel pressure to just over 50PSI. The torque converter was out of an 84 turbo Regal and Kenne Bell's Hot Flash chip would automatically lock it just into 2nd gear and throughout the remainder of the run. The 60' on that run was a 1.39. The launch would occur at 15#'s boost and would increase to 21# for the remainder of the run. Rear tires were Firestone (now Pheonix) 11.5 x 28.5. Race front runners were at the front. That motor never failed and was removed 2 years ago and replaced with a Stage 1 as listed in my signature. The big 274" Stage motor has run a 10.0 at 134 and hope to see a high 9 soon. Its a completely different package requiring significant tweaking. And, by the way my log shows through 1994, 1398 quarter mile runs. Granted, the majority of those runs were made in the early days (beginning in 1986) of 13, 12 and 11 second runs. We would run on Wednesday and Friday evenings and frequently Saturdays and make run after run. Currently I seldom get more than a few runs per month, the price of going faster.

 

[Intercooler]

Anyone want to buy an LT-70? I want to get one of those TE-34's so I can crank off some 10's at 20 PSI. Amazing!

 

[GSX-PKV]

My Champion GN1 aluminum heads are one thing I wish I did not add!!! 1st off, brand new & out of the box from Champion, they had such sloppy exhaust guides that the car smoked like a diesel at idle AND, under boost, the passenger side head had an external coolant leak. Off came the heads to put new valve guides in brand new heads.

This year, an internal coolant headgasket leak on the same head!

I wish I had put on ported steel heads. I think the aluminum heads are a total waste of money and source of aggrivation for a street car. If you do get them be advised that YOU are the quality assurance inspector for them.