I have a 1982 Crossfire, and the power is a joke. I feel like I get more G's in my Corolla (work car) lol. They claim the L83 CF had 200 BHP, and I'm sure after 40 years it isn't that anymore. My question is if I get rid of the crossfire and create around 300 HP with bolt-ons, is that enough to wake it up? I'm not racing track or strip, just want it to feel as good as it looks! Anyone out there around 300 HP? I would think + 100 horses would be a big difference. I'm trying to decide if I want to mod what I have or go the 400 HP LS route. Thanks

 

I sold my 84 vette when I got my first 4 banger toyota camry company car... and realized how underpowered my vette was.(like 165hp at rear wheels) I wanted to port the intake but was afraid at the time If I had one today thats what I would try first along with a 1985 tpi fuel pump

 

Well I can tell you it will be Significantly cheaper to mod what you have vs the LS route.

 

Theres a thread going on here by Bikespace that challenges that idea... If the crossfire engine is tired and in need of a rebuild than it may actually be cheaper to swap in a junkyard LS.

 

There are a few Crossfire EXPERTS here on the Corvette Forum. They talk about 12 second Crossfire engines and would probably give you a few pointers should you ask them. I do not own any Crossfire equipped cars but I have heard enough not to write them off too easily. Yes, it IS a little bit more complicated than a carburetor but if you get a copy of the GM Factory Service Manual for your Corvette it could help you along. They sell them at RockAuto now on DVD. Helm Publishing is the publisher (I believe). The Crossfire is certainly different than the later L98 and my 1988 C4 is a slug by today's standards.

Wait and talk to someone who knows more about the Crossfire Engine before giving up on a great idea like the Crossfire system.

 

Well the question here really is, Is 300 HP enough?
And that's a question only you can answer.
Bolt on parts can include heads , and the like.
Getting 300 or even slightly more out of your factory engine with bolt on parts is easy enough. Yes I would loose the crossfire.
Is that enough?
Only you know.
Keeping in mind once you go over about 400HP things behind the engine are going to be stressed.
That 80-82 rear end wasn't designed for big block power.

 

 

True, I guess it depends what he wants at the end of the day. For 300hp I was thinking a cam, carb and headers....but you could also get a high mileage junkyard 5.3, carb, intake. I forget many go the carb route, no harness,, bare bones swap, etc

 

you can easily get 300 hp with what you have and some better heads and a cam....swapping out the rear end for a lower gear ratio and making sure your timing is set for a performance tune versus the smog tune in the maintenance books. 300 hp is okay 350hp to 450hp is really fun...you have to remember the alternator, clutch fan, water pump, transmission and rear differential will eat up about 50 to 75 hp pretty easily
i was very happy with 430 hp and a 3.70 rear end...adding a 5 speed made everything better...then I put in a 4.11

 

And then…..?

 

Then it was fun until the roller cam lifter disintegrated....but I drive my stuff like I can rebuild it...which I do. But back to the lifter. it was a needle roller lifter which are notorious for having a short life span...didnt know that little bit of info until afterwards. Thats why you never buy used lifters and why Comp Cams doesnt rebuild them anymore or sell the rebuild kits like I got. But I could go on and on about low quality components being sold to us for good money because no one has any character anymore.... blah blah blah....

But back to the 430hp small block...couldnt keep the tires from spinning at the track through 3 gears....best I did was 13 flat at 108 mph...if it hooked it should have been a 12.5 pass which would have been sweet. The tires spinning kept the rear from getting torn up. 300 hp was really blah for a sports car. 350 was fun enough but I wanted to spin the tires just buy mashing the pedal like the cool cars did when I was a kid. Now I play with big blocks thats very expensive compared to small blocks but the torque is awesome. 350 hp is a good daily driver hp that will get you out of a tight situation and is very dependable.

The best thing to put into a motor is the heads. Even a lame motor can used the best flowing heads for the displacement you can afford...there is no substitute. With good heads you can play with a cam to change HP at will for small money. No need for roller cams at lower hp (600hp and lower) as long as you use high ZDDP oil to prolong the life of the cam...That roller cam was the first engine I ever blew up

 

My 82 lost the CrapFire in favor of intake, carb, cam, aluminum heads, and headers. Easy swap for 375hp+

 

I'm running 325HP/390Torque in my 82, it gets out of it's own way. The stock gear ratio limits things and changing it on these danas is a bit of a mess from what I hear. Getting good quality parts is hard these days... I'm leaving mine alone until I have to go in for some other reason...

60

 

The cease fire intake is your biggest issue it runs out of airflow at low rpm. You can't make power without airflow.

 

#1 Problem with the CFI setup is the pitiful intake manifold that GM cast for it........the intake port floor is raised like 1/2" and a 1/3 of the port is simply not there.......the intake port will NOT flow more than about 170CFM.....
Our resident CFI man here Buccaneer once made intakes for these under the Renegade moniker......great design but he had many problems keeping the quality up from the machinists and foundries and the intake was discontinued......he has been trying to fire it back up but keeps running into stumbling blocks....
The Renegade intake, adjustable regulator, long tube headers and true duals with a little added base timing will yield another 50-60hp over stock.......it will even rev 500rpm higher......no other mods.....
If you use his plug and play tuning for the ECM.....with injectors and a nice hyd. roller cam.....you are at 300hp......the restriction being the heads.......a good 175-180cc head with a 64cc chamber bumps compression to 10.3 to 1 and you are knocking on 400hp's door........you will need Buc's bored throttle bodies at that point......
But it all starts with the intake........no ticky, no washy.......even a ported stock intake sucks......
The actual EFI system otherwise is pretty reliable, not much different than a GM TBI from the late 80's early 90's.......the Primitive ECU has less power than a 30yo Calculator....but when updated to modern flash software plug in the system just becomes a slave to it........you tell it what to do......
One last huge Achillies heel is the complete unavailability of knock sensors for these......they have been out of production for a few years......if yours goes kaput.....the light comes on and that is that.....you somehow have to find another......

Jebby

 

Well, I'm still working on it. But, absolutely, you can do a junkyard LM7 swap and get 300 hp for the same or less than rebuilding that 82 Crossfire engine into a 300 hp beast respectable engine.

EDIT: Link to thread
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-tech-performance/4786688-lowest-cost-ls-swap-into-a-c3.html

That assumes a lot of DIY, including programming the ECU. If you choose to use a Holley Terminator X instead, the price is competitive with the Crossfire ECU. LS knock sensors are easily available, and you get a roller cam and high-flow aluminum heads for free,

And you get an engine that can go 300K mikes between rebuilds, and has the best aftermarket support of any platform in the world.

Or you can (if you find a Renegade intake) get 300 hp from what you have, and keep some level of originality. How much is that worth to you? I figure I'll get 10 years of LS fun, then electric convert my cars again when battery and charging infrastructure catch up.

 

300 H.P. is weak sauce.