Heads
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,098
Likes: 378
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
What color is the smoke?
Blue smoke is oil but white smoke is water and black smoke it fuel. U need to get a good diagnose first.
The L82 engines came with forged pistons, forged crank, performance cam. That motor with low miles (80k mi is very little for sb chevy) has great potential with just better heads and compression - much better than the L48 engine. If compression test shows bad valves but good rings then this would warrant new heads rather than just a vlv job. Good heads are so cheap now days - $1000 or less - that if you need better heads then buy them. If u cant afford $1000 heads then u need an economy car - not a performance car.
IMHO heads are easier to swap than the cam - 1 weekend should do it for even a beginner.
All you need is a compression test and if all cyls are above 140 psi and within 40 psi then rings/bottom end are ok, but if a low compression cyl improves after a squirt of oil then the rings are the problem. Dont forget to block open the throttle and have the engine as warm as possible. A leak down test would be more revealing but will need not only the tester but an aircompressor.
Make sure the vlvs/heads are the problem first. Then dont miss this opportunity to get some great performance for little investment. Chevy performance heads are as cheap as they get. If u cant afford chevy heads then u need to sell your chevy.
cardo0
The L82 engines came with forged pistons, forged crank, performance cam. That motor with low miles (80k mi is very little for sb chevy) has great potential with just better heads and compression - much better than the L48 engine. If compression test shows bad valves but good rings then this would warrant new heads rather than just a vlv job. Good heads are so cheap now days - $1000 or less - that if you need better heads then buy them. If u cant afford $1000 heads then u need an economy car - not a performance car.
IMHO heads are easier to swap than the cam - 1 weekend should do it for even a beginner.
All you need is a compression test and if all cyls are above 140 psi and within 40 psi then rings/bottom end are ok, but if a low compression cyl improves after a squirt of oil then the rings are the problem. Dont forget to block open the throttle and have the engine as warm as possible. A leak down test would be more revealing but will need not only the tester but an aircompressor.
Make sure the vlvs/heads are the problem first. Then dont miss this opportunity to get some great performance for little investment. Chevy performance heads are as cheap as they get. If u cant afford chevy heads then u need to sell your chevy.
cardo0
Last edited by cardo0; Nov 8, 2013 at 01:22 AM. Reason: Oops. More oops.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 122
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Leakdown test is actually what I would go with.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 7,098
Likes: 378
From: Las Vegas - Just stop perpetuating myths please.
I was surprised to find in my shop manual for my '94 camaro something like 40 psi is usable. So i continued to drive it with #8 that much lower than the rest. No oil burn let alone blue smoke or any real issues driving it that way. Finally changed that motor out when it was convenient for me.
Yes 10% is nice but hey, its a chevy.
Yes 10% is nice but hey, its a chevy.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,231
Likes: 65
From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
Note that this still doesn't really tell you about the engine's overall condition - you just have to decide. You pays your money and you takes your chances.
