Cylinder Head Testing - LS2 Dyno Thrash Part II: Head Shootout

Edelbrock is a huge company that has developed an exemplary reputation for offering great products at a competitive price. Not exclusive to Edelbrock, but you have to appreciate it when something comes out of the box, fits right, and bolts on. That peace of mind is enough to sell parts regardless of if they work. But Edelbrock heads work, and these Edelbrock/Lingenfelter LS1 CNC-ported lovelies are no exception. Designed as a direct bolt-on for an LS1 engine, these heads offer a 65cc compression ratio to retain the stock compression ratio, 2.02/1.57-inch valve sizing, and a 202cc intake runner.

Like the Dart head, the Edelbrock/Lingenfelter LS1 was working with a disadvantage having been designed for an LS1 engine. In case you are just getting into the LS game, one of differences that you see in these two engines is that the bore of an LS1 measures 3.90 inches compared to 4.00 inches for the LS2. Of course, this helps explain the cubic inch difference, but it also unshrouds the valves, meaning that the heads can flow better because the valves aren't closed in by block material. A big bore is the way to go to help maximize head flow, and the LS2 has this built right in. With an LS1-specific head, the combustion chamber still carries that limitation; so LS2-specific heads should always perform better.

Or, so we thought. On the flow bench, the Edelbrock heads stack up surprisingly well. Our source at Edelbrock knew that he was sending a "knife to a gun fight," but these numbers offer promise if/when Edelbrock ever cuts loose with an LS2-spec head.

Where does the Edelbrock head fit in? Blower cars. All of that weight buys strength. And, with a blower trying to push the head off the block, the Edelbrocks seem to be the answer to keep the combustion chamber intact. We also have to remind you that these are the LS1 castings, and that an LS2 version is in the works. With an excellent inherent design and a very capable research laboratory, look for an LS2 Edelbrock head to really offer the goods. If you've got a street car, and you want a very solid aftermarket head, this would also make a good choice. But, we envision these big boys sitting under the hood next to a Vortech or ProCharger.

The Edelbrock head equipped...        read full caption The Edelbrock head equipped LS2 on the Livernois Motorsports engine dyno.

The Edelbrock head is a great...        read full caption The Edelbrock head is a great example of what a big company can do with a production piece...

...We found the Edelbrock...        read full caption ...We found the Edelbrock to offer up excellent performance on the engine dyno...

...The Edelbrock was also...        read full caption ...The Edelbrock was also the heaviest head in the group suggesting that they would take quite a beating when used with a forced induction application.