I have a 1976 L82 with a four speed the drive train is stock. Will I gain anything by going with roller rockers and plaining the heads down. I.want to appear stock on the engine

 

The rockers wont do anything for you, your cam and heads arent designed to take advantage of them and the heads will give you a little more compression and some more power. You can install the Comp. Cams roller tips, they are cheaper than full roller and will give you a hair more lift. Better off replacing the heads with aftermarket aluminum.

 

easy way to appear stock is to paint the new heads the stock color.

 

Depending on your budget, there are lots of ways to increase performance while maintaining a stock appearance.

And even "appears stock" is a matter of your interpretation.

My engine has the standard aluminum fin valve covers, "Winters" aluminum intake, and many, many 'stock' items. I also have an MSD ignition and a QuickFuel carb.

So, if you look at my engine, you'll think "nothing too special". Until I start it up. Only then do you find out that something's wrong. Or right. Depends on your perspective. MANY changes inside. But ZERO "bling".

I've seen other engines that are bone stock and barely make 300 HP but have chrome coming out of the gills. Nothing BUT chrome.

I'm an "all go, no show" guy.

To answer your question directly, you wouldn't gain much with the roller tips...5 HP if you're lucky. And personally, I wouldn't bother planing a set of heads. More potential problems than you'd like to have. I'd get new heads, but also be smart about later improvements and not limit myself with what I purchase.

You need a good old-school engine builder to talk to. Get him lunch. Tell him what your goals are. Then follow his recommendations and buy your parts through him. That's what I would do...and did. I'm now $6k into an engine rebuild and hope to have it in the car in a couple of months. Should be a monster!

 

The good thing is the L82 bottom end is already pretty beefy. I would get a new roller cam, and aluminum heads, replace the timing chain while your in there too.

 

I too have a stock L-82 4 speed with the only changes being McJacks shorty headers, 2.5 inch duals and free flowing mufflers, Holley 4175 650 CFM Qjet replacement, roller tipped comp cams 1.5 rockers, no pollution control, stock 882 heads and L-82 cam, stock bottom end, stock dual snorkel air cleaner, etc. The engine was recently on a dyno making 233 RWHP (about 265-270 NET HP-45-50 HP over the factory rating) with a weak # 6 cylinder (90 PSI versus 160-165 PSI on the other 7 cylinders). I am about to remove the 882 heads to see the problem with #6 cylinder and I am hoping that it is a head issue and not ring issue BUT I want to retain the originality of the motor.

With that said, I am thinking of having the heads rebuilt with some minor porting and putting in a new cam even though new aluminum heads and a roller cam would make the most power-not my goal here.

 

Running a nice true dual exhaust system will help over the stock 76 system. Gut or remove the smog pump.

HEI and someone that can tune the engine , would help. My 74 Z28 , which is basically the corvette's L82 , runs decent with slight tweak of recurved HEI and carb . , from the smog spec GM killed the performance

Having someone like Lars who can rebuild your carb correct is also nice way to get the most from a stock ish engine.



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