79 L-82 engine rebuild
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,736
Likes: 56
From: anchorage ak
If this is the engine your gonna run for years and years contact Chris at Straus technologies, he'll grind a cam specific to your application. I'd suggest a head upgrade to afr 180cc, chamber selection due to desired compression ratio.
Last edited by bluedawg; Nov 20, 2013 at 12:22 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,111
Likes: 32
From: Damascus MD
Cam
The L82 cam is the same exact cam in the 69/70 L46 350/350. It is a very very good cam. 350 hp rating is at the flywheel.
I new set of heads to bring up the compression and improve flow will help a lot! AFR heads seem to be the most highly recommended.
Add an intake, some long tube headers and 2-1/2" exhaust and 350 rr hp is very doable and maybe even 400 with the right set up.
The L46 cam you have can easily make power to 6500 RPM.
This cam was one of Duntovs all time favorites. This cam profile is still made by Crane I believe.
Bill
I new set of heads to bring up the compression and improve flow will help a lot! AFR heads seem to be the most highly recommended.
Add an intake, some long tube headers and 2-1/2" exhaust and 350 rr hp is very doable and maybe even 400 with the right set up.
The L46 cam you have can easily make power to 6500 RPM.
This cam was one of Duntovs all time favorites. This cam profile is still made by Crane I believe.
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
i have 64 cc chamber 190 runner aluminum heads 1.6 roller rockers cam advanced 2 degrees air gap manifold 750 double pumper and headers and truthfully, this car has no right to be as potent as it is.put a good set of heads with smaller chambers on a stock rebuild and call it a day.
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From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
Scott
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From: anchorage ak
Le Mans Master
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From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
I bought my 79 L-82 new. Pretty anemic for being called a sports car. So my first thing was headers and true dual exhausts. Then a intake manifold and a 750. The heads were holding me back because of low compression. So I went to 200cc intake ports with 2.055/1.60 valves and 64 cc chambers. My motor only had 15,000 miles on it so the bottom end was good
The cam is really the heart beat in any motor. Anybody that tells you that the stock cam is good..................... run, don't walk away!
So it was Crane cam time and that is when the motor came alive.
I later on bored it .030 over and put flat top pistons. It died a sad death.
But anyway if you have low miles you can take the heads off it while it is in your car a determine if the motor need an over bore. Then add up the cost of parts and labor and see if one of the crate motors might be a viable choice.
the L-82 has some good parts in it. The heads and cam are not one of them
The cam is really the heart beat in any motor. Anybody that tells you that the stock cam is good..................... run, don't walk away!
So it was Crane cam time and that is when the motor came alive.
I later on bored it .030 over and put flat top pistons. It died a sad death.
But anyway if you have low miles you can take the heads off it while it is in your car a determine if the motor need an over bore. Then add up the cost of parts and labor and see if one of the crate motors might be a viable choice.
the L-82 has some good parts in it. The heads and cam are not one of them
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
I bought my 79 L-82 new. Pretty anemic for being called a sports car. So my first thing was headers and true dual exhausts. Then a intake manifold and a 750. The heads were holding me back because of low compression. So I went to 200cc intake ports with 2.055/1.60 valves and 64 cc chambers. My motor only had 15,000 miles on it so the bottom end was good
The cam is really the heart beat in any motor. Anybody that tells you that the stock cam is good..................... run, don't walk away!
So it was Crane cam time and that is when the motor came alive.
I later on bored it .030 over and put flat top pistons. It died a sad death.
But anyway if you have low miles you can take the heads off it while it is in your car a determine if the motor need an over bore. Then add up the cost of parts and labor and see if one of the crate motors might be a viable choice.
the L-82 has some good parts in it. The heads and cam are not one of them
The cam is really the heart beat in any motor. Anybody that tells you that the stock cam is good..................... run, don't walk away!
So it was Crane cam time and that is when the motor came alive.
I later on bored it .030 over and put flat top pistons. It died a sad death.
But anyway if you have low miles you can take the heads off it while it is in your car a determine if the motor need an over bore. Then add up the cost of parts and labor and see if one of the crate motors might be a viable choice.
the L-82 has some good parts in it. The heads and cam are not one of them
can i use an heads that fit a 350? for example if i find heads from a 73 can i take them and clean them and use tho?
thanks
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 21,953
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From: Reno Nevada
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist- Modified
Any Gen 1 small block head will work. No head including the famous double hump heads is worth putting a dime into. Modern chamber shapes, screw in studs, and strength make it a no brainer to go forward.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
It would help a bunch if you said what you were looking to achieve for power and usage as well as what your realistic budget is.
Without that, you'll get folks recommending everything under the sun...
Without that, you'll get folks recommending everything under the sun...
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
Looking to get better performance out of the L-82 engine then what i have currently, dosnt have to be an animal, but just better...it needs a rebuild regardless what i do the pressure on the different cylinders are all over the place ranging from 70 to 130
thanks
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2009
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From: anchorage ak
You should be looking at modern heads, aluminum add to heat reduction and weight savings, as billa said, you need to determine how much power and what are you willing to spend. Options are pretty much unlimited only dependant on price. If you are willing to spend the money, look at afr heads and a roller cam. That combination will make your vette respond like a vette.
Last edited by bluedawg; Nov 20, 2013 at 07:06 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,231
Likes: 65
From: Seattle WA
St. Jude Donor '14
Not sure of a budget because i am not familiar enough with this stuff to know what they cost....
Looking to get better performance out of the L-82 engine then what i have currently, dosnt have to be an animal, but just better...it needs a rebuild regardless what i do the pressure on the different cylinders are all over the place ranging from 70 to 130
thanks
Looking to get better performance out of the L-82 engine then what i have currently, dosnt have to be an animal, but just better...it needs a rebuild regardless what i do the pressure on the different cylinders are all over the place ranging from 70 to 130
thanks
If the engine is numbers-matching, then you need to decide if you just want to set the original engine aside.
A basic performance overhaul will cost around $3,000 when all is said and done. That will net a solid 355 or 383 making a little less than 1 HP/CID at the flywheel. You can get by for a little less if you're careful and smart about reusing serviceable parts.
Add a grand for better heads and a better flat-tappet cam, another $750 on top of that for a retrofit roller cam. It starts getting expen$ive once you go past about 1.2 HP/CID.
There's quite a bit you can do with your existing engine to get more oomph, including a performance tune, carb overhaul, headers and exhaust, etc. But you need to come up with a real number on how much you want to spend to get good, consistent guidance
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
From: Charleston SC
A leakdown test will tell you a lot about what's required to address the low compression readings.
If the engine is numbers-matching, then you need to decide if you just want to set the original engine aside.
A basic performance overhaul will cost around $3,000 when all is said and done. That will net a solid 355 or 383 making a little less than 1 HP/CID at the flywheel. You can get by for a little less if you're careful and smart about reusing serviceable parts.
Add a grand for better heads and a better flat-tappet cam, another $750 on top of that for a retrofit roller cam. It starts getting expen$ive once you go past about 1.2 HP/CID.
There's quite a bit you can do with your existing engine to get more oomph, including a performance tune, carb overhaul, headers and exhaust, etc. But you need to come up with a real number on how much you want to spend to get good, consistent guidance
If the engine is numbers-matching, then you need to decide if you just want to set the original engine aside.
A basic performance overhaul will cost around $3,000 when all is said and done. That will net a solid 355 or 383 making a little less than 1 HP/CID at the flywheel. You can get by for a little less if you're careful and smart about reusing serviceable parts.
Add a grand for better heads and a better flat-tappet cam, another $750 on top of that for a retrofit roller cam. It starts getting expen$ive once you go past about 1.2 HP/CID.
There's quite a bit you can do with your existing engine to get more oomph, including a performance tune, carb overhaul, headers and exhaust, etc. But you need to come up with a real number on how much you want to spend to get good, consistent guidance
In your opinion is it better to keep the number matching and do the rebuild and do the edelbrock intake, edelbrock carb, and (cam shaft?) and true dual exhaust?