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Rafo67PE
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Lma
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 Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2025 1:33 pm Post subject: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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Hi all,
I’m thinking about doing a cylinder head upgrade in the near future and the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads have caught my attention.
I know that about three years ago EMPI brought Anthony Chicca on board and he is now involved in development and quality control of these heads.
Has anyone here bought and actually run a set of the current-production GTV-2 Stage 3 heads (the ones made after Anthony joined)?
Looking for honest real-world feedback:
How is the casting quality and machining?
Valve job and port finish?
Any gains you noticed vs previous EMPI heads or vs other known good Stage 3 heads?
Any issues at all?
Just trying to separate marketing from reality before I pull the trigger.
Thanks in advance. |
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74 Thing
Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2004
Posts: 7681
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| Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2025 2:02 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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I think those heads are based on DRD L7s originally used for their CNC heads based on Darren's business they bought out.
I have never seen any dyno numbers or user reviews using those Empi heads. The intake port volume is pretty large on those.
I know Empi bought out a lot of businesses and took on big named VW people during business buyouts for a period of time, but I am not sure how much they had to do with product improvement etc.
I know I saw some video clips of Anthony putting together a set of those heads, but once again I am not sure what he did for development and it seemed more of a marketing video. |
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daveblank
Samba Member
Joined: November 07, 2024
Posts: 270
Location: Dallas, TX
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AlteWagen
Troll
Joined: February 23, 2007
Posts: 8749
Location: PNW
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| Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2025 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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In another FB thread its stated that autolinea no longer casts the heads for empi but that the GTV heads are now all cast in china and still have the issues that the 049 seconds castings had (misaligned casting fins etc).
DRD port designs are known to have huge port cc resulting in low air speed. Might be good for race but crappy low end for street
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keone71
Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2012
Posts: 29
Location: huntington beach
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 3:16 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| I just bought some 2 weeks ago.going to run them in about a week...they look really good though. |
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Rafo67PE
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Lma
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| Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 12:20 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| 74 Thing wrote: |
I think those heads are based on DRD L7s originally used for their CNC heads based on Darren's business they bought out.
I have never seen any dyno numbers or user reviews using those Empi heads. The intake port volume is pretty large on those.
I know Empi bought out a lot of businesses and took on big named VW people during business buyouts for a period of time, but I am not sure how much they had to do with product improvement etc.
I know I saw some video clips of Anthony putting together a set of those heads, but once again I am not sure what he did for development and it seemed more of a marketing video. |
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. |
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Rafo67PE
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Lma
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| Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 12:22 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| AlteWagen wrote: |
In another FB thread its stated that autolinea no longer casts the heads for empi but that the GTV heads are now all cast in china and still have the issues that the 049 seconds castings had (misaligned casting fins etc).
DRD port designs are known to have huge port cc resulting in low air speed. Might be good for race but crappy low end for street |
Thanks for the info — not exactly the news I wanted to hear, but definitely what I needed to know. Appreciate it! |
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Rafo67PE
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Lma
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| Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 12:23 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| keone71 wrote: |
| I just bought some 2 weeks ago.going to run them in about a week...they look really good though. |
Nice! Please keep us posted — curious to hear how they work out. Thanks for jumping in! |
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Alstrup
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2007
Posts: 7965
Location: Videbaek Denmark
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| Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 2:02 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| AlteWagen wrote: |
DRD port designs are known to have huge port cc resulting in low air speed. Might be good for race but crappy low end for street |
I can verify that. Several years ago I had a short interaction with DRD partly due to "testing the grounds" but also due to me searching for ready to install heads for especially my stocker plus series. Lets just say that I stopped using that source after only 3 sets of heads...
Roughly 12 years ago I was involved in a 2332 engine with the L7 heads which was low on power and very low on torque. Reshaped the intakes A LOT with Belzona and swopped the intakes with custom 45 mm to get a better seat to valve relation and seat angles. I also swopped the cam from an XR3XX to an 86C (I didnt know the XR cam and I was not about to take any chances. It might have been ok.) Finally I increased CR from 10,5 to 11 to 1. So not a 100% back to back. But, the engine went from 178 hp 216 Nm to 204 hp and 260 Nm.
I have correceted 4-5 sets of L5´s where the before and after had sort of the same type of difference. One 163 cammed 2109 w. L5´s went from 128 hp 180 Nm to 148 hp 205 Nm after correction.
Another one went from 124 hp 170ish Nm to 144 hp 200 Nm, but that one included an exhaust swop, so again, not a 100% back to back comparison.
Now. That said, I DO NOT know whether Sacchete or some other knowledgeable person has spilled some beans on the shapes and forms since he sold to Empi and began working for them. I will have to see pictures of the port, bowl, seat and chamber to determine that.
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Rafo67PE
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Lma
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| Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 3:22 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| Alstrup wrote: |
| AlteWagen wrote: |
DRD port designs are known to have huge port cc resulting in low air speed. Might be good for race but crappy low end for street |
I can verify that. Several years ago I had a short interaction with DRD partly due to "testing the grounds" but also due to me searching for ready to install heads for especially my stocker plus series. Lets just say that I stopped using that source after only 3 sets of heads...
Roughly 12 years ago I was involved in a 2332 engine with the L7 heads which was low on power and very low on torque. Reshaped the intakes A LOT with Belzona and swopped the intakes with custom 45 mm to get a better seat to valve relation and seat angles. I also swopped the cam from an XR3XX to an 86C (I didnt know the XR cam and I was not about to take any chances. It might have been ok.) Finally I increased CR from 10,5 to 11 to 1. So not a 100% back to back. But, the engine went from 178 hp 216 Nm to 204 hp and 260 Nm.
I have correceted 4-5 sets of L5´s where the before and after had sort of the same type of difference. One 163 cammed 2109 w. L5´s went from 128 hp 180 Nm to 148 hp 205 Nm after correction.
Another one went from 124 hp 170ish Nm to 144 hp 200 Nm, but that one included an exhaust swop, so again, not a 100% back to back comparison.
Now. That said, I DO NOT know whether Sacchete or some other knowledgeable person has spilled some beans on the shapes and forms since he sold to Empi and began working for them. I will have to see pictures of the port, bowl, seat and chamber to determine that. |
Thanks for sharing your experience — I really appreciate the detailed insight.
I’m actually very happy with my Steve Tims Stage 2 heads. After some time using them, though, I feel the engine could use a bit more power on the top end. The car pulls very strong to about 6800 RPM and will keep revving, but the power curve starts to fall off there.
Since this is a weekend-only car, I’m considering a cylinder head upgrade to gain some top-end without sacrificing too much drivability. From your perspective, what would you consider an appropriate next step up from the Stage 2s? |
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Alstrup
Samba Member
Joined: July 12, 2007
Posts: 7965
Location: Videbaek Denmark
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| Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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Depends heavily on both cam, bore, displacement, exhaust and carbburetion. If it pull to 6800 i assume you have a somewhat agressive cam in there.
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txoval
Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2004
Posts: 3898
Location: The Woodlands, TX
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2025 6:30 am Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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I apologize since this does not answer your question, I have no experience with the GTV heads.
The CB 044 casting is hard to beat, especially with the heart chamber design. Between CB or going to Tims for hand ported heads I don’t see why people look at EMPI.
If none of the CB CNC heads fit your needs, buy a bare set of CB 044’s and send to Tim’s to port as you need. |
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RickS
Samba Member
Joined: May 05, 2005
Posts: 651
Location: Speonk, NY
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2025 10:17 am Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| txoval wrote: |
I apologize since this does not answer your question, I have no experience with the GTV heads.
The CB 044 casting is hard to beat, especially with the heart chamber design. Between CB or going to Tims for hand ported heads I don’t see why people look at EMPI.
If none of the CB CNC heads fit your needs, buy a bare set of CB 044’s and send to Tim’s to port as you need. |
CB is not selling 044 heads bare right now. They are running low on castings, and only want to sell complete heads. I recently bought a set of CB CNC heads and the best I could get them to do was sell them to me unassembled, as I am using longer valves and Pac racing beehive springs. |
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74 Thing
Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2004
Posts: 7681
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2025 1:38 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| Why don't you call Tims and ask if he can rework your existing heads to the next level so you get what you want? That may be a an option to consider |
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stevemariott
Samba Member
Joined: November 09, 2003
Posts: 1124
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2025 8:33 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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If Rafo67PE has Tims Stage 2s, the ports are maxed out as-is without welding. Stage 3s are have welded intake ports, and the Weekend Warrior (44x37) heads are on a different (AA501) casting.
| 74 Thing wrote: |
| Why don't you call Tims and ask if he can rework your existing heads to the next level so you get what you want? That may be a an option to consider |
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slayer61
Samba Member
Joined: June 01, 2021
Posts: 1359
Location: TX
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| Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2025 5:18 am Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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3/4 race cam? What's missing, one of the lobes?  |
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txoval
Samba Member
Joined: January 23, 2004
Posts: 3898
Location: The Woodlands, TX
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| Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2025 5:38 am Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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Unless they are cheaper somewhere else, no way am I paying $1500 for EMPI heads.
Could you provide more engine specs? |
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Rafo67PE
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2019
Posts: 55
Location: Lma
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| Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2025 12:40 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| txoval wrote: |
Unless they are cheaper somewhere else, no way am I paying $1500 for EMPI heads.
Could you provide more engine specs? |
2276 . 10.3:1 CR , Tims stage2, 48 IDF (berg grooved venturies) , 86C, 1.4 rockers, 1 5/8 step 1 3/4 A1 sidewinder |
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58 Plastic Tub
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2007
Posts: 533
Location: Nowhere, USA
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| Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2025 9:37 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone running the new EMPI GTV-2 Stage 3 heads |
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| 74 Thing wrote: |
| I think those heads are based on DRD L7s originally used for their CNC heads based on Darren's business they bought out. |
I'm 99% sure this is the case. I had a set of DRD ported twin-plug 049s I bought from Revmaster about 10 years ago. They were the DRD L6 ports. I was running an FK8 with 10.75:1 CR and twin-plug ignition.
They were soft under the curve, which was decidedly not very FK8/86b- like. Even with the high CR, they were "soggy" where I really wanted torque. They did not run out of headroom, but I was not a fan.
The port volume was huge for the flow numbers. The exhausts were way over-ported. A larger port and bigger cam would make the situation even worse.
Do what you want, but EMPI bought out the wrong CNC operation, IMHO.
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