LS1 243 Cylinder Heads Australia

LS1 243 Cylinder Heads Australia - DRP Cathedral Port Performance Upgrade

Why 243 Heads are money well spent.

If you're running an LS1, LS2 or L98 and want more power without breaking the bank, the 243 heads are probably your best bang for your buck. We've been building & selling these for years at Total Performance, and they consistently deliver solid gains for the money spent. The term, Bolt on power!

Here is a link to the webpage category of the LS1 243 heads:

https://www.totalperformance.net.au/chevy-engine-parts/ls-engines/cylinder-heads-cathedral-port/

What Makes 243 Heads Different vs 241 heads

The OEM 243 casting came on the LS6 Corvette Z06 from 2001-2004, then got recycled for the LS2 and some truck engines in the USA. GM knew what they were doing when they designed these heads as an upgrade - they're simply better performance and flow than the earlier 241 castings that came on regular LS1s. DRP (Detroit Racing Products) have taken this performance level up a notch by further improving the port for even more flow and performance. OEM designs can be limited as they have to suit all applications with a lot of safety built in. However, DRP is focused on performance increases as these heads are suited to the spirited driver wanting maximum performance & improved driveability. 

Are 243 heads a direct swap to 241 Heads: Yes they are a direct swap, you can bolt up your existing manifold, use your existing valves and springs. 

Here's what you get with 243s:

64cc combustion chambers (vs 66.67cc on 241s) = higher compression

212cc intake ports (vs 200cc on 241s) = better airflow

Same 2.00" intake and 1.55" exhaust valves but better port shape

D-shaped exhaust ports that flow cleaner than the 241 design

Real Performance Numbers

We've dyno tested plenty of 241 vs 243 swaps over the years. Here's what you can expect:

Stock 243s on a stock LS1: 10-15 rear wheel horsepower gain Ported 243s: 25-30 rear wheel horsepower gain over stock 241s Our CNC ported DRP 243s: Flow 632 HP worth of air at .600" lift

The power comes from the better airflow from the improved port design. It's not magic, just better engineering.

241 vs 243: The Honest Comparison

241 heads work fine for mild builds. They came on 1997-2003 LS1s and flow decent air for their time. Guys often have these CNC ported; however, this is still using an old casting and opens up the port size which can affect port velocity. 

243 heads are the next evolution. GM fixed the port shape, tightened up the combustion chambers, and made the exhaust ports flow better. If you can find 243s for a reasonable price, buy them over 241s every time. DRP has come up with the solution and offers an improved 243 head as a brand-new product. CNC seats and the reliability of new parts with fresh castings that don’t go soft. 

Why We Hand-Assemble Our 243s in Melbourne, Australia. 

Most places sell you bare castings and leave you to figure out the rest. We take a different approach at Total Performance. We offer the whole solution from our years of experience. 

Every set of our DRP 243s gets hand-assembled in our Melbourne workshop with:

• High-Quality Stainless-steel valves with further upgrade options for Boosted applications. 
• DRP dual spring kit (PAC springs) with options for street driving or high RPM track use. 
• 3-angle CNC valve seats machined for consistency.
• Ready to bolt on and go!
• You get heads that work right out of the box. No surprises, no comebacks.

What Applications Work Best

Holden VT-VZ Commodores: Direct bolt-on with your existing LS1 setup LS1 Camaros/Corvettes: Perfect upgrade for stock or mildly modified engines & L98/ LS2 rebuilds: Great replacement heads that outflow the originals. Our CNC 243 Heads are a great upgrade for LS1 & LS2 408 Stroker engines. They handle the bigger cubes without issues. The port design is high velocity, which gives you sharp, crisp throttle response and nice torque curve right through the RPM range.

The beauty of 243s is they work with everything. Stock cams, big cams, forced induction, nitrous - they're not fussy.

Installation Requirements & notes:

243s are a direct swap for 241s. Use your existing intake manifold, headers, and accessories. You can even use your existing valves if you want to save a few dollars. 

One tip: if you're doing the work yourself, check your pushrod length. Different chamber volumes, rockers, camshaft base circles sometimes need different pushrods to get proper rocker geometry and the lifter preload. 

Are 243s Worth the Money?

For most LS1 owners, yes. They're one of the best dollar-per-horsepower modifications you can make. Especially if you find a good used set or go with New, assembled heads like ours that eliminate the guesswork.

If you're building a serious race engine, that need strong midrange torque, you cant go past these. See our posts on Trophy Buggies that have these. Perfect heads for this application. Top performance for street cars, weekend warriors, and mild track duty, 243s hit the sweet spot of cost versus performance.

What We Stock at Total Performance

We keep both bare and assembled DRP 243s in stock because different builders have different needs:

Bare DRP 243s: For engine builders who want to do their own valve train setup Assembled DRP 243s: Ready to bolt on with quality springs and valves CNC Ported versions available: When you want maximum flow for serious builds and stroker applications. 

All our 243s use genuine Detroit Racing Products castings - hard 355-T6 aluminium with CNC machining, no further work required. 

Been building LS engines long enough to know what works and what doesn't. 243 heads work, especially when they're assembled properly. That's why we keep them in stock and why our customers keep coming back for more. Call or stop into our factory to speak to one of our expert engine builder sales staff today.