2001 Silverado 1500HD 6.0L Engine Rebuild Performance Upgrades

[Manny1500HD]

My engine recently took a dump, cam went out and heads are bad leaky, just had the 4L80E fresh rebuilt. planning on getting a btr truck cam stage 2 but I need to know if I should rebuild these cathedral heads 317, plan is to use the truck for towing. I have a guy who will do a custom tune but what heads should I go with? and I'm being told to go with rectangular heads and intake.

706 heads and a 6.2l intake? I have stock exhaust but aftermarket banks cold air intake. I plan on switching over to long tubes after I rebuild the engine

 

[Will L.]

Idk the heads to choose, but choose torque vs hp before buying anything. Low end vs high rpm makes a big difference in how you use it.

I regret selling off my 2001 6.0
The long tube headers IF TUNED HEADERS will help the torque- good call. Non tuned headers are just stretched out manifolds that crack easier. Verify before you buy.
Top ring gapless not second like diesels use. Buy the whole set from Total seal imo.
Turbos help more than diesels. Belt driven charger is good option also but rougher on the hiway to mpg than what a turbo can do. Proper sized turbo will pay for itself towing a few times before the engine wears out wether gas or diesel.
Research it at least.

Remember most of the LS info you find will be low torque high hp at high rpm.

iirc- small valve= faster velocity and higher torque but restrictions on high rpm hp.
Large valve = slower velocity and lower bottom end torque but higher hp at the higher rpm.

Now the big question becomes: natural aspiration or boosted.
Larger valve helps always but at what cost $ wise. Because once you push 3psi you effectively double the port & valve size.
You can get bigger gains from a turbo any day of the week than valves and the obvious compression change between the heads means nothing when you boost up because you can boost what you want but bigger valves sucking and blowing can’t compete with being blown into and out of. And valve overlap for scavenging is helpful n/a but with a turbo it becomes 100% almost automatically. That is, if you tune & adjust it that way after smog checks.

Basically I am saying before you buy heads and headers- SERIOUSLY consider buying a turbo & those headers.

I sometimes wish i had done that with my hummer instead of staying with the 6.5

 

[Manny1500HD]

I might consider a turbo but I think at this point that would be a lot of money to be invested?, I just spent $4,000 on the transmission rebuild. but you reminded me that some 6.0 engines came with a turbo from factory I think I would definitely do that. Vortech supercharger I think it was?. that would require me to possibly bore over my engine if the cylinders are worn out. i'l have to take it soon to my local machine shop to have them verify and start the engine cleaning process.

my working budget for this engine rebuild would be around $3,500, I will do some more researcher sure. any other advice would help more towards the build.

I do live in California but planning a move to Texas within a year, where less emission laws are compared to California and their ""CARB" regulations, they almost failed my smog for just having a oil catch can installed LOL