Recomendetion for an engine upgrade
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
From: Asuncion
Recommendation for an engine upgrade
First of all Sorry for asking this, I know many will say I have to use the search engine and are many of this questions before.
I Have an 80 Vette, with the stock engine as far I know. the 350 small block with the stock heads, intake, etc. except the carb that's has been swap for a Holley 650. No more Air Pump or egr, nothing of the emissions control. true Duals 2.5 with headers. and an Edelbrock 1208 air cleaner.
there's some pictures of the car in my album and garage....
No I have receive a bad news from the mechanic who phoned at me minutes ago a told me he thinks the gasket of the heads need to be replaced and the heads will need some work.
I was thinking for a while to gain some HP. So now I have the opportunity to make that upgrade...
I need an kit that doesn't give many troubles putting in.
And I was thinking in changing the heads, intake, cams.
something like this
http://sdparts.com/details/scoggin-d...nter/sd8060kit
or
http://www.amazon.com/Edelbrock-2098...56993&sr=1-518
but prefer your suggestions because I'm a New at this and far away less experience of you guys.
Also What other things have to be replace if this changes are made?
the trans it's the TH350
Starter? for a more compress engine?
High Stall Converter?
Fuel pump?
Thanks Guys!
I Have an 80 Vette, with the stock engine as far I know. the 350 small block with the stock heads, intake, etc. except the carb that's has been swap for a Holley 650. No more Air Pump or egr, nothing of the emissions control. true Duals 2.5 with headers. and an Edelbrock 1208 air cleaner.
there's some pictures of the car in my album and garage....
No I have receive a bad news from the mechanic who phoned at me minutes ago a told me he thinks the gasket of the heads need to be replaced and the heads will need some work.
I was thinking for a while to gain some HP. So now I have the opportunity to make that upgrade...
I need an kit that doesn't give many troubles putting in.
And I was thinking in changing the heads, intake, cams.
something like this
http://sdparts.com/details/scoggin-d...nter/sd8060kit
or
http://www.amazon.com/Edelbrock-2098...56993&sr=1-518
but prefer your suggestions because I'm a New at this and far away less experience of you guys.
Also What other things have to be replace if this changes are made?
the trans it's the TH350
Starter? for a more compress engine?
High Stall Converter?
Fuel pump?
Thanks Guys!
Last edited by HeavyMetalHawk; Nov 23, 2011 at 01:11 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,231
Likes: 65
From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
Is the mechanic advising WHY he thinks the head gaskets need to be replaced?
The Vortec kit is pretty much a bolt-on, with the exception of the work to sort out linkages and fuel lines as well as pushrod length. It's worth looking at a cam change at the same time.
I would probably choose not to order car parts from Amazon, but that's just me
I'm not a big fan of the Edelbrock packages; they're generally fairly well matched, but the Performer RPM is pretty well documented not to fit under the stock hood, the cams are "old skool", and the Performer heads aren't the best for flow.
There are a lot of options here with the big question being if you want to keep the stock intake - just a head and cam swap would be a good choice.
The Vortec kit is pretty much a bolt-on, with the exception of the work to sort out linkages and fuel lines as well as pushrod length. It's worth looking at a cam change at the same time.
I would probably choose not to order car parts from Amazon, but that's just me
I'm not a big fan of the Edelbrock packages; they're generally fairly well matched, but the Performer RPM is pretty well documented not to fit under the stock hood, the cams are "old skool", and the Performer heads aren't the best for flow. There are a lot of options here with the big question being if you want to keep the stock intake - just a head and cam swap would be a good choice.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
From: Asuncion
He thinks that the head gasket are fried. He suggest to change the gasket and (I don't know if the correct word it's polish or brush...) the heads. He said that the engine star to have a low compression and has a little tendency of heating more than normal...
well my idea it's to had some kind of kit that's pretty much a bolt on, I don't care changing the intake or not, if there are heads and cams that are easy to change and provides me some more HP it will be great.
Thank You Billa! you always help me! I'm kind of ignorant at this because I'm not a mechanic and nothing at all, and I grew up in a country where the 80% are Diesel most of them from japan and Europe.
only a few years ago start to import more gas cars and trucks like my 4runner. but its fuel injected and nothing a like an old school V8 with carb it's like a new hole world for me.
And also some times it's hard to explain my self in English even in Spanish my native language it's hard when it's come to letters
well my idea it's to had some kind of kit that's pretty much a bolt on, I don't care changing the intake or not, if there are heads and cams that are easy to change and provides me some more HP it will be great.
Thank You Billa! you always help me! I'm kind of ignorant at this because I'm not a mechanic and nothing at all, and I grew up in a country where the 80% are Diesel most of them from japan and Europe.
only a few years ago start to import more gas cars and trucks like my 4runner. but its fuel injected and nothing a like an old school V8 with carb it's like a new hole world for me.
And also some times it's hard to explain my self in English even in Spanish my native language it's hard when it's come to letters
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,231
Likes: 65
From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
There are very standard ways to diagnose these symptoms - has he done a compression and leak-down test? If so, what were the results? I just worry that there could be any number of issues, so the troubleshooting work needs to be very good.
The Vortec kit is probably overall your best bet, even if you choose not to swap cams. If you were looking *just* to make a head swap there are a fair number of good choices depending on budget.
Always glad to help where I can!
The Vortec kit is probably overall your best bet, even if you choose not to swap cams. If you were looking *just* to make a head swap there are a fair number of good choices depending on budget.
Always glad to help where I can!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
I can vouch for the Vortec kit, neighbor has a small motorhome and says it used to overheat going up long hills, put in the Vortec kit in and now he says he's even passed some vans uphill.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
From: Asuncion
I Start to like very much the idea of the vortec kit....
The thing is I take out from the workshop this weekend the car and put it some coolant for higher temperatures and work me ok, with traffic a heat of 90-100f AC, the engine was on 200-220 at most. So I start to think maybe the mechanic was wrong he didn't make any test just empiric ones.
So I'm more relief. but any ways I'm looking to get more HP of that engine. I just want to get if it's possible 300 or 350.
So the first step as you suggest it's the vortec kit.
Q: Does this intake and my 1208 edelbrock air cleaner will fit under the stock hood?
Q2: Witch cam should I look for this kit?
Billa I know i should look for parts in amazon the thing it's that I don't to much places were I can pay with a non US Credit Card, besides amazon, CC, C. America, Ecklers.
Some times I wish to live in the U.S. all the stuff that's available to make good projects. and here none... and the things That I bring Cost 10 $ per pound.
The thing is I take out from the workshop this weekend the car and put it some coolant for higher temperatures and work me ok, with traffic a heat of 90-100f AC, the engine was on 200-220 at most. So I start to think maybe the mechanic was wrong he didn't make any test just empiric ones.
So I'm more relief. but any ways I'm looking to get more HP of that engine. I just want to get if it's possible 300 or 350.
So the first step as you suggest it's the vortec kit.
Q: Does this intake and my 1208 edelbrock air cleaner will fit under the stock hood?
Q2: Witch cam should I look for this kit?
Billa I know i should look for parts in amazon the thing it's that I don't to much places were I can pay with a non US Credit Card, besides amazon, CC, C. America, Ecklers.
Some times I wish to live in the U.S. all the stuff that's available to make good projects. and here none... and the things That I bring Cost 10 $ per pound.
