I love answering this question. To be honest, I aquired the LQ4 with the intentions of running L92 heads, but one heck of a deal came across my plate and I had to take it. The heads without valve springs only ran me $650 shipped and I already have the springs, locks and retainers I was going to use on the L92s. They were also recently redone and milled for a smaller chamber, which is a must on the LQ4 with dished pistons to bring up the compression ratio.

Here are the technical reasons that made the final decision for me.

1. The valve size on this head is only 2.0" as opposed to the giant 2.16" valve on the L92 meaning I can run a much more aggressive cam before running into PtV issues.

2. The runner volume is 30cc less than L92s meaning more port velocity and more torque, especially on an engine that might not have the highest compression ratio in the world. Or cubic inches. This is a street car after all.

3. They flow within 10 cfm at peak and 5 cfm everywhere else of the stock L92s. I will be giving up a few peak HP in trade for more torque, but I will make up for it with the camshaft.

4. My LS6 heads will use my stock rockers that I already have. If I had a larger budget I'd get the needle bearings replaced, but I'm just going to have to sit on this one. They checked out good during inspection anyway. No need for offset rockers that L92s need.

5. Did I mention that they were $650 shipped?

-Nathan

Doing good, keeping busy at Boeing on that friggin 787. At least it's flying now. Glad to hear your surgery went well.
Would have been easier if someone had remembered the last two bolts that were still in the bellhousing....
Hey, with the Eibachs, poly bushings, Z28 leafs and huge by big front sway bar, that car handles surprisingly well. Just have to replace the 15" steel wheels with something more like the 275/45-17s on my 2000 SS. At least I got that boat anchor out of the nose!
Last I checked I still BBQ almost every night at 1am after work, rain, snow, hail, wind storms....whatever. Tax return and retirement account loan checks are in the mail....soon to be followed by parts! Stay tuned.

Of course I could tidy up the engine bay or swap out my power steering box for the manual box I have sitting around to keep me busy until then. Then there's that F250 I need to get running again.....

-Nathan

yep, great project and very similar to what I'm going to do. Please keep us updated, and check out the Camaro site linked above.

Jody

Looking closely at it I appears to be a burnt valve, but it held pressure before tear down and the piston and cylinder wall look no different than any other.

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs126...._3236681_n.jpg

Head gasket also looked good. I'm sure after I get the engine put back together and I do a compression test everything will be ok.

-Nathan

Joined and posted. I remember you front NastyZ28.

-Nathan

Christmas in January
 

This is what I found when I woke up this morning:
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6371564_n.jpg

The parts fairy had visited me in the night!
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._7565190_n.jpg

My ham of a fist agrees, this is good.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs168....9_186528_n.jpg

Like the kids from a Christmas Story, I tear into the boxes:
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1648836_n.jpg

Love it, big smile.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs188...._7641047_n.jpg

What is it that put a big goofy smile on my face?
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5588916_n.jpg

THIS
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs188...._5158752_n.jpg
SLP, ARP, Fel-Pro, Edelbrock, Trick-flow, Hughes, Summit. The gangs all here.

Oh and a bonus from the fine folks at the Summit Racing warehouse.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs168....4_825514_n.jpg

SWEET!
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._2773493_n.jpg

ARP rod, intake, balancer bolts and head studs
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs168...._1337036_n.jpg

MSD wires
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._4629220_n.jpg

Edelbrock mount adaptors
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6740006_n.jpg
Surprisingly poor quality in the finish. Lots of burs and sharp edges. I will have to clean them up before I install them.

See.
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._2999452_n.jpg

Hughes LS1 flexplate for TH350/400, 700r4 transmissions.
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5643927_n.jpg

Billet Double roller timing gears and chain
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1507281_n.jpg

SLP ported oil pump. Impulse buy, could have just gotten a cheap stocker and ported it myself.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs168...._7838726_n.jpg

Interesting note on the SLP oil pump, it comes with another pressure relief spring to up the oil pressure if needed and a new cap and o-rings too.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs188...._4480265_n.jpg

K&N Extreme Flow filter...
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1308009_n.jpg

Something I should have known better, the K&N comes with the required carb stud and hardware...bought some cheapo Summit stuff too. Oh well.
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs188...._4790417_n.jpg