Heads
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,900
Likes: 833
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
find a good shop that specializes in heads if you can,guides , 3 angle valve job and some bowl work will take care of the problem and help the power a bit.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,231
Likes: 65
From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
The place to start here is with a leak-down and compression test - this will tell you where the "leak" is and how bad it is. I suspect it's the guides, but that's the purpose of the test. The tools are pretty cheap from Harbor Freight (not great tools but "good enough) and using them is fairly easy if a bit of work.
Any more a quality valve job is knocking on $500. A shop that can touch up the short radius of the intake runners and maybe cleaning up under the valves for a mild port might be worth the investment - just be sure they know what they're doing.
Taking a little time and measuring how far the pistons are down in the bore would let you select the right head gasket for ideal quench and a little CR boost.
Finally, a cam swap at the same time is worth thinking about "while you're in there". The L82 cam isn't bad, but a more modern grind around the same specs will make more power. It also lets you change out the timing chain...a very good idea.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 420
Likes: 0
Thanks I just did the timing chain not sure about the cam I just wanted it to run nice and clean
I'm just wondering to you car guys if it makes sense rebuilding my heads or get new ones there's lots of options and prices on amazon etc I'm sure those heads come complete
I'm just wondering to you car guys if it makes sense rebuilding my heads or get new ones there's lots of options and prices on amazon etc I'm sure those heads come complete
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 119
From: Springfield Missouri
OK, so if you buy new heads, they will probably be higher performance: if you have the heads redone, they will have all the correct bolt holes for everything to bolt back up, will better than they are now(if done correctly), will be original to the motor(if original to it now). How can we tell you what to do? It is also how deep are your pockets are, get pricing on head work before, compare to cost of new heads, then make a decision yourself.
Off course check with the wife to make sure she is happy with your decision. Also, Christmas is coming up REAL soon.
Off course check with the wife to make sure she is happy with your decision. Also, Christmas is coming up REAL soon.
Last edited by lvmyvt76; Nov 4, 2013 at 08:05 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every Model vs Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)
Joe Kucinski
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!
Brett Foote
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)
Joe Kucinski
Grand Sport & Grand Sport X Launch Alongside All-New 535hp LS6 V8!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Reasons Bad Drivers Crash & 5 Ways to Avoid a Costly Mistake!
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 75
From: Tampa Bay FL
I had my DART heads rebuilt for $600 at a local speed shop. You can get the stock heads rebuilt for $500 or less and that is with all new valve guides and 3-angle valve cut.
I paid extra for DART guides and even had steel valve seat inserts put in my heads so you may pay less.
Be sure to have them magnafluxed to check for cracks.
I paid extra for DART guides and even had steel valve seat inserts put in my heads so you may pay less.
Be sure to have them magnafluxed to check for cracks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 119
From: Springfield Missouri
I would find a couple of engine shops that have good reputations from others and talk to the owner and machine man, asking questions first, then get an estimate. Make sure and talk with speed heads about who they recommend. The estimate should be written detailing what is going to be done, and what happens if they find a surprise. GOOD LUCK!!
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 121
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
That cam was originally installed in the L46 with 11 to 1 compression. The L82 dropped compression to 9 to 1 with no change in cam design. This drops power over 8% across the entire RPM range not just peak plus a DCR reduction for more power loss. That combined with poor factory head flow restricts power drastically. If your looking at spending $500+ on a valve job, your leakdown test is good, and your cam and lifters are ok I would suggest upgrading to a set of Dart SHP 64 cc 180 heads and 1.6 rockers with a performance distributor curve. This gets you new aluminum heads, weight reduction, way better flow numbers, compression more aligned with the cam specs, and lift and duration to compliment the head flow. Exhaust is the next bottleneck and should be upgraded. This will cost you about $500-600 more plus exhaust but I would guess 20-30% power increase across the board.
Last edited by 63mako; Nov 5, 2013 at 11:29 AM.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 708
Likes: 25
+1 to that... if your only concern is the valve seals, no reason to rebuild the entire head. Just replace the valve seals with the heads on the car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 75
From: Tampa Bay FL
If the guides are worn, seals will not keep the oil out of the combustion chamber.
what type of seals did you install? If you have stock heads with single spring with damper, you can install the one-piece umbrella seals which are a step up from the basic o-ring seal.
Another question: Any valvetrain noise? Am asking as my guides were so worn that I was getting high rpm rattle in the valve train. If no noticeable noises from valvetrain, umbrella seals may work (if you don'thave them already).
what type of seals did you install? If you have stock heads with single spring with damper, you can install the one-piece umbrella seals which are a step up from the basic o-ring seal.
Another question: Any valvetrain noise? Am asking as my guides were so worn that I was getting high rpm rattle in the valve train. If no noticeable noises from valvetrain, umbrella seals may work (if you don'thave them already).