Heads Up
Freedom Series Small-Block Heads
Patriot Performance is best known for its fully CNC-ported small-block and LSX cylinder heads. Its new Freedom Series draws on that experience to create a set of heads designed to provide exceptional quality and performance at a value price. The intake and exhaust runners on the new Freedom Series heads were modeled on Patriot's CNC-ported heads. Accordingly, the 188cc version flows a claimed 260 cfm at 0.600 inch. These heads, designed for street/strip applications, feature a 64cc combustion chamber and will be available in both straight- and angle-plug versions. Patriot Performance's Freedom Series heads are cast from 356-A aluminum and come equipped with 2.02/1.57-inch stainless steel valves, steel retainers, 0.575-inch-lift springs, custom-honed bronze guides, machined spring bases, Viton rubber seals, 31/48-inch studs, and guideplates. A set with 220cc intake runners is on the way, as is a version for big-blocks.
Price: $795/pair
Patriot Performance
Rainbow City, AL
888.462.8276
patriot-performance.com
A Better Mousetrap?
Billet Oil Pumps
Melling has rethought traditional oil-pump design with its new CNC-machined billet pumps, which the company says reduce weight (by at least 1.5 pounds) and require less horsepower to operate than traditional cast-iron pumps. Melling's thrust-bearing-less design requires less torque to turn, reducing horsepower consumed, while its higher-volume gears provide 25 percent additional pumping capacity. Melling also designed an integral oil pick-up for improved pump efficiency and incorporated a longer driveshaft to eliminate deflection at high rpm. Melling's new big- and small-block oil pumps come with a specifically designed stud kit, a chrome-moly intermediate shaft, optional pressure relief springs, and an instruction sheet.
Price: $395/$462
Melling
Jackson, MI
517.787.8172
melling.com
Retro Chango
Streetfighter Retrofit Torque Converter
The General's LS-series engines are capable of prodigious power, but one thing has been lacking: the ability to easily bolt this engine to a stout Turbo 350- or 400-series transmission. TCI has addressed this issue with its StreetFighter 10-inch torque converter, which makes it easy to bolt up any of these high-performance three-speed transmissions without any other modifications. Like other StreetFighter converters, this version features fully furnace-brazed internal turbine fins, three sets of high-quality INA needle bearings, and a ballooning plate for added strength. Stall speed is also increased by 1,500 rpm over stock-style converters, allowing higher-rpm launches.
Price: $586
TCI Automotive
Ashland, MS
888.776.9824
tciauto.com