bryan717

Including pulling and reinstall, what are the best bang for the buck upgrades to do with a 2k to 3k bugdet? Currently I think it has stock heads, I installed roller rockers tho. I also have hooker headers and side pipes on the way. What would it take to bump the HP up in to the 400 plus range. Good heads cam combo's what kind of lifters hydrolic or solid. Currently I believe it has solid lifters. Is a 3k budget good enough or should I save up more. I currently have an elusive knock I cant seem to track down thus my desire to do a rebuild.

73 Vet

blower

bryan717

I realy dont want to cut a hole in the hood, currently i have a L88 style hood and It barely clears.

zwede

I have dyno tests of various upgrades to my LS-5 on my webpage:

http://www.corvetteforum.net/c3/zwed...s_overview.htm

Headers, intake, carb, mild roller cam and heads will get you 500 hp.

72 Stingray

It depends on what you have for parts right now.

If your heads are factory oval ports with p/ns ending in 049 or 781, you should just get them rebuilt with bigger valves and better springs. BB gurus consider them the best of the factory ovals and a lot of guys make some pretty big hp with them without much/any porting. If you don't have these, the Brodix iron ovals are cost effective and will make power. Forget aluminum unless you score a used set. There's your entire budget in one visit from the UPS man.

For a cam, consider the Lunati 402A3LUN solid flat tappet with a good set of lifters.

Stick a Performer RPM Oval on top with a well-tuned carb and you should be exceeding your goal and maybe even close to your budget.

Of course, if there is already a death rattle somewhere deep inside your engine, hopping it up will only hasten the process.

Good Luck.

bryan717

I guess i should add that it also has a holley 750 carb on it, and a edelbrock intake. Im not sure on the nubers of that, but ill check the numbers on the heads tonight, i have them wrote down some were. Ya as far as the noise goes i wont be upgrading any thing untill i solve that issue, but most people that have listened to it say it doesnt sound like a serious issue. It sounds almost like something tapping on the inside of the oil pan or something. But the guys at the shop put the stethiscope on the pan and didnt act like they were confident enough to pull the pan. But thats what the noise sounds like, not sure were its coming from.

tracdogg2

Put the stethescope on the fuel pump.

bryan717

Ill give it a listen when I get home

bryan717

Well it doesnt sound like its comming from the fuel pump. seems like its inside the engine, some knocking. Not realy loud and it doesnt show up untill the engine is warmed up.

GDaina

wrist pin or a rod bearing.

Solid roller cam, in the .620 to .660 lift, and duration between 240 and 270 will wake the BB up.

Brettmc

A solid roller set up woud eat his entire budget. A good set of iron heads, either aftermarket or GM, and a solid flat cam should get the job done. That'll even leave enough for a light freshening of the short block.

Brett

pauvil

A .100 dome piston on the big 781 iron heads with a small cam around .520 lift and 224 duration at.050 with a stock carb headers and a good curve on the distributer all other components stock without the big valves on 87 octane gas makes around 450 horses. easy.

bryan717

Well I have a appointment to get it in the shop at Vintage Vettes here in Kansas City next Monday morning. I may end up blowing the budget and getting a small loan. I would rather do it right and be happy then cheep and disatisfied.

Brettmc

How could you be disatisfied with any form of a running big block???

You would be better off spending more tho. Better heads will really wake up some horseponies. Also, think long and hard on the valvetrain. There are some very strong cars on this forum running solid flat tappet cams, which cost a fraction of a roller setup.

bryan717

The money realy isnt the issue, I just hate borrowing. Every thing I own except the house is payed for. I can get a title loan on either of our 2002 car or truck at the Credit union. The real hard part for me is the waiting. Especialy as I watch the nice driving days dwindle away for the season.

GDaina

You will be amazed how much power and torque a solid roller with a lift between .620-660 givea a big block...it literally wakes up the motor. Add a great set of heads that breathe, and you have an easy 100 plus horses, not to mention the gobs and gobs of added torque. The nice part about a small roller...easy to drive on the streets and easy on the valve trane

thomascalandrino

Rebuild that bigblock and a NOS kit like this one. http://www.holley.com/products.asp?product=02101NOS NOS will get you the most for your money in my opinion because you can make big HP gains at an affordable price. this particular system will get you an additional 400hp for like 500 bucks. Just and idea if you're looking to make big HP on a budget.

bryan717

As far as the knock goes, Vintage Vettes has had it since monday, no word from them yet. But in there defense they said they may not get to it till tuesday or wednesday. Incase any one is in the kansas city area and want to check out a all corvette showroom here is the link. http://www.vintagevettesllc.com/new.php

jpatrick636

I don't think anybody mentioned a good set of headers and exhaust. It has to breathe!

bryan717

I have some hooker headers and side pipes in the garage, just waiting to get it back from the shop to put them on. Jet hot coated.