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3l split port head info needed

M

Mr_Buddha

CEG'er
Joined
Sep 8, 2010
Messages
127
Location
Southern, MN
ok I am about to start my N/A 3L build


About the only thing I am still undecided on is the heads. I want to keep the IMRC working BTW.

My current thoughts are to have the UIM Max EH, and get the big bore LIM from SHO-Source.

Now, the way I see it I have 2 options here on heads.


1) re-use the 2.5 SVT heads and port them to match the new combustion chambers. I have read a little about there being an intake restriction, however I cannot find much direct info on it yet.

2)buy a set of the '99 split port heads and run an electric water pump. Polish & possibly EH the heads.


I have not been able to look at one of these '99 heads in person yet. Does anyone know if they are similar to our SVT ones?

I am trying to figure out if it is even worth looking at the '99 heads. I know not having to reshape the combustion chamber is a big plus to me, since that would not be easy to do all 6 and keep them even. But I also have no clue how they flow air, how open they are etc.

Anyone who has seen one that can chime in??

I am so busy at work the next few weeks, I probably won't be able to get to a junkyard for over a month to buy one to see myself. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
My goal is to keep the split port through the heads. I honestly don't care much if it is a hybrid or not. I would rather keep CR near the OEM level though.

My real thought, is there HAS to be a loss from using the oval port heads vs a split port head, when keeping the IMRC. If the 3L split port heads are a totally different design than our SVT, I would need to see some dyno graphs before considering them any further. If they are of a similar design simply a touch larger and less polished, well then I can keep my split ports intacts into the heads, after some work to them.
 
Get some 3L heads and port them out like everyone else that wants to keep the SVT intakes, especially if you want to keep stock compression ratios.
 
Wouldn't the '99 3l split port head keep the same compression ratio also?

I am not looking for easy, looking for a good solid power curve. I have seen a few talk about something similar to this route, but have yet to see anyone complete it so we an see the #'s
 
The 99 heads didn't have the water pump driven off the cam so you'd have to run an electric water pump and the cams from the 99 3L because the other cams wouldn't fit.
 
I know that, stated in my original post.

There seems to be a consensus to only do what has already been done here, it's a little discouraging to see.

I guess I will have to look into the '99 heads myself. As it appears no one has bothered to seriously look at them yet.
 
Mr_Buddha said:
There seems to be a consensus to only do what has already been done here, it's a little discouraging to see.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say that completely. People have done the electric water pump before and have had much more trouble then the stock configuration. So why risk a new engine when its easier anyway to use the newer 3L heads?
 
Mr_Buddha said:
I know that, stated in my original post.

There seems to be a consensus to only do what has already been done here, it's a little discouraging to see.

I guess I will have to look into the '99 heads myself. As it appears no one has bothered to seriously look at them yet.
Click to expand...

If you know everything already stop asking questions and go out and do it. You can get compression numbers for the 3L's by running a quick google search. The newer 3L heads have a few upgrades so it wouldn't make sense to use the older 99 heads over the newer 03+ heads just because you "think" the split port heads will give you a better power curve.
 
I like what the OP is thinking.....

IMO its going to be VERY hard to hand port 3L heads to match the SVT intakes and keep things consistent. Each port is going to be slightly different in size/shape no matter how good you are at porting.

Im a die hard hybrid fan myself. Even if it were to be F/I I would go hybrid and just use lower comp pistons
 
I ported out the bottom of my SVT intake so the transition from the split to the ported out 3L heads is much better. The center of each port in the SVT lower intake was ground down to a knife edge.
 
I dont think there is a single long term (or even mid term) user of the electric water pumps who has been happy with their performance.
 
I have used several electric water pumps in other cars with no issues other than me installing them incorrectly.(first one i did)

Blackcoog, I am not saying I know everything, but the only thing you have contributed to this thread is to push the oval heads. I know you know a lot about these engines and have done many installs. However using oval ports defeats the point of what I want to do. The way I see it, if I am throwing an oval head on there, there is no point to keeping the stock intake, I would be much better off with the Escape intake then.

Also I don't think I will hand port the heads. I am planning on talking to the shop that did SVT#49's heads for the work. Fully aware of the costs here, IDC.


Ok, someone above mentioned experience in these heads and recommended against them. Can I ask why?
 
SHOgoFast said:
Right, but I believe there is only 1 offered for our cars, and they have proven very unreliable.
Click to expand...

Why would it have to be a vehicle specific pump? I would think this would be a universal part and the user is responsible for hose routing and all that fun stuff.

I have no knowledge/experience with them so I could be WAY off on that......
 
I was just telling someone via PM this same thing...

The Zetech guys on another platform found a fairly simple and smart solution. Only a few have attempted that I can find, but had success for over a year. The life of the pump they chose was only 2,000 hours, they went sorta of cheap for the test. However, have proved this pump is reliable at over 200hp during driving and idle.

What they did, was buy a remote EWP. Machined a blanking plate for the water pump area. Then used that plate as access to the water ports for the EWP. It allowed them to keep their thermostat, obviously they changed what hey used for one. It also allowed them to not hack up their coolant lines, which is where most leaks occur from my reading on this platform.

Now they ran into only one issue with this that I read, voltage drops. With headlights, a stereo on, defrosters, etc, it would drop the system voltage enough to stall the car out. I have been talking to a few shops about improving our alternators output. I hope around 20% would be enough to sustain this. There are also small, high output alternators for our engines I have found, I was just not a fan of their prices LOL. They were for 'race' engines they claim and went up to and over $1,000.
 
Man, time I have plenty of. Compared to some other cars I have owned, this is still easy work.

I can't ignore an option simply because it's hard. Now if there is honestly nothing to gain, that is a different story.
 
Modifying the head chambers seems like the correct play to me?

This makes more sense to me, as far as performance/reliability is concerned, than mixing and matching intake port designs, or running an electric water pump.
 
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