Performance upgrade
06-02-2015, 10:36 AM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Performance upgrade
Hello Fellow Vetteheads,
I have 1976 L82 with headers as the only performance upgrade so far.
Want to do just a few bolt on's manifold/carburetor/ and distributor, any thoughts?
Thanks
I have 1976 L82 with headers as the only performance upgrade so far.
Want to do just a few bolt on's manifold/carburetor/ and distributor, any thoughts?
Thanks
06-02-2015, 11:15 AM
#3
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Apr 2009
Location: Great Plains Iowa
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Automatic or 4-speed? If automatic a TH700R4 and 3.73's will turn it into a screamer while still retaining civility on the highway.
Last edited by toobroketoretire; 06-13-2015 at 07:13 AM.
06-02-2015, 11:23 AM
#4
Racer
Thread Starter
06-02-2015, 05:40 PM
#5
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Member Since: Mar 2011
Location: Some days your the dog and some days your the hydrant.
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Royal Canadian Navy
Mine is a '76 L-82 also. I try to go with better quality parts, whatever that means, and have managed to spend +$7K in driveline parts but most is in the engine. I do my own assembly. For heads, I have AFR 195's ($1600 Cdn), Howards retro hydraulic roller cam and roller lifters $800), Howards push rods, Holley Street HP 650 DP ($700), Mallory Max Fire Dist'r and e-coil ($700), Hooker SS side pipes ($1500), Stewart water pump, Hayden clutch fan, Weiand Team G intake ($170), Center Force DFX clutch and pp ($500), Center Force billet flywheel ($500), and numerous other stuff such as gaskets but it all adds up. Hope this helps.
06-02-2015, 06:33 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
Mine is a '76 L-82 also. I try to go with better quality parts, whatever that means, and have managed to spend +$7K in driveline parts but most is in the engine. I do my own assembly. For heads, I have AFR 195's ($1600 Cdn), Howards retro hydraulic roller cam and roller lifters $800), Howards push rods, Holley Street HP 650 DP ($700), Mallory Max Fire Dist'r and e-coil ($700), Hooker SS side pipes ($1500), Stewart water pump, Hayden clutch fan, Weiand Team G intake ($170), Center Force DFX clutch and pp ($500), Center Force billet flywheel ($500), and numerous other stuff such as gaskets but it all adds up. Hope this helps.
06-03-2015, 08:35 AM
#7
Racer
Thread Starter
Mine is a '76 L-82 also. I try to go with better quality parts, whatever that means, and have managed to spend +$7K in driveline parts but most is in the engine. I do my own assembly. For heads, I have AFR 195's ($1600 Cdn), Howards retro hydraulic roller cam and roller lifters $800), Howards push rods, Holley Street HP 650 DP ($700), Mallory Max Fire Dist'r and e-coil ($700), Hooker SS side pipes ($1500), Stewart water pump, Hayden clutch fan, Weiand Team G intake ($170), Center Force DFX clutch and pp ($500), Center Force billet flywheel ($500), and numerous other stuff such as gaskets but it all adds up. Hope this helps.
06-03-2015, 12:23 PM
#9
Racer
Thread Starter
06-03-2015, 02:03 PM
#11
Race Director
The best value per dollar in the short term is to make sure you have a good curve in your current distributor- this will improve torque, power, fuel economy and cooling and only cost a few bucks.
The stock manifold and carb are more than adequate for the stock heads and cam, you'd be wasting money changing them. Depending on your power goals, your stock carburetor would probably be just fine. I'm still running a QuadraJet on my 78 - at 450hp/480tq, more limited by the intake manifold (low rise ZZ4) than the carb itself. I'm sure I could find another 15-30HP by going to a Performer RPM, but am bound, unfortunately, by the requirements of the state I live in.
That aside, I would say that the others are right - heads and cam are the next big thing to do after you get the distributor in line.
The stock manifold and carb are more than adequate for the stock heads and cam, you'd be wasting money changing them. Depending on your power goals, your stock carburetor would probably be just fine. I'm still running a QuadraJet on my 78 - at 450hp/480tq, more limited by the intake manifold (low rise ZZ4) than the carb itself. I'm sure I could find another 15-30HP by going to a Performer RPM, but am bound, unfortunately, by the requirements of the state I live in.
That aside, I would say that the others are right - heads and cam are the next big thing to do after you get the distributor in line.
06-03-2015, 02:23 PM
#12
Had a 1976 L-82, 4-sp
Member Since: Mar 2011
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Royal Canadian Navy
By the calculator, 10.7. The cam is the 280/286, .560" lift with 1.5 ratio rockers. I'll be installing my new Mallory Max Fire in the next few weeks when I get her off the jacks. She was running awesome at 4000+ rpm and was still pulling hard at 6200 where my rev limiter is set. Also need to do a bit more fine tuning of the 650 Street HP. Total advance 32*. AFR doesn't recommend going much past that. KB pistons also says to retard the total advance by a few degrees.
06-04-2015, 01:52 PM
#14
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Oct 2002
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I think u are on the right track here 007. Start optimizing the tune before anything else. To often new enthusiasts will dissemble the motor before they can correct the timing advance curve let alone change carb jetting. U can read here frequently where someone rebuilds the engine and cant even spike the distributor correctly leaving it a tooth off.
Really u should retune after each mod. Start with the exh. I know u have headers but what is after the headers? Are u running a cat? Still have 2 into 1 then through a cat and back to 2? Optimize the exh then retune. It will make a tuning expert of u. But u wont be fooled with ign or carb problems anymore.
Good luck.
Really u should retune after each mod. Start with the exh. I know u have headers but what is after the headers? Are u running a cat? Still have 2 into 1 then through a cat and back to 2? Optimize the exh then retune. It will make a tuning expert of u. But u wont be fooled with ign or carb problems anymore.
Good luck.
Last edited by cardo0; 06-04-2015 at 01:54 PM. Reason: spelling
06-04-2015, 02:15 PM
#15
Le Mans Master
If it were me, I would put a curve in the distributor and jet the carb for the headers and exhaust mods and see if that makes you happy, and it should.
06-12-2015, 02:00 PM
#16
Racer
Thread Starter
I think u are on the right track here 007. Start optimizing the tune before anything else. To often new enthusiasts will dissemble the motor before they can correct the timing advance curve let alone change carb jetting. U can read here frequently where someone rebuilds the engine and cant even spike the distributor correctly leaving it a tooth off.
Really u should retune after each mod. Start with the exh. I know u have headers but what is after the headers? Are u running a cat? Still have 2 into 1 then through a cat and back to 2? Optimize the exh then retune. It will make a tuning expert of u. But u wont be fooled with ign or carb problems anymore.
Good luck.
Really u should retune after each mod. Start with the exh. I know u have headers but what is after the headers? Are u running a cat? Still have 2 into 1 then through a cat and back to 2? Optimize the exh then retune. It will make a tuning expert of u. But u wont be fooled with ign or carb problems anymore.
Good luck.
06-12-2015, 05:47 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
Not sure what is meant in the exhaust description. I'm not too excited about old school "mechanic" either, was this guy a real racer type that knows about advance curves or just some guy that changed a set of points one time. Not knocking anyone just want you to get the most bang for the buck.
06-12-2015, 06:27 PM
#18
Safety Car
3500$ ish. Add 2000$ ish for the bottom end refresh and you'd have an honest 425 horse while maintaing good maners, for around the same price you could move up in cubic inch to the 383" but if your bottom end is in good shape you could run afr 195's and a good roller cam and intake and make good power, the L82 has forged internals Which would make a solid foundation. Do you have headers and a free flowing exhaust?
06-12-2015, 06:33 PM
#19
Safety Car
If you don't want to do the assembly then sure, but if your going crate, go 400" or more. Check out Cnc-motorsports or vortecperformance.Com, I bought a short block from cnc-motorsports and it came as purchased, no surprises and vortecperformance I've not used, but have never heard a bad thing about mark Jones.