Thoughts on engine build???
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 769
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From: Granbury TX
Thoughts on engine build???
I know! This is like one of those "How high is up?" questions, which are really a matter of opinion or prospective, but...
My 91 L-98 is aproching 170,000 miles on it and starting to burn a little oil. No big deal. I am about in that place in my head where I will roll out the tool box and tear into the engine compartment, any day now.
I am no stranger to building SBC engines,,,,, been doing it for decades. I've had my fill of building engines with the latest all-out hi performance stuff and I've rebuilt a few for the family suburban, and even one for an asphalt paving machine. I guess I'm kinda burned out. Shurly, there are more like me on here.
Now the question! I want to rebuild this one so that it is an improvement over stock (for sure) but not a tempromental (must have mechanic on board) pain in the @#$#2 for my wife to go shoping 75 miles away. Just a nice respectable but agressive ride.
What would you do???
350 or 383? Stock fuel system or some upgrade? Stock or forged rotating assembly? Aftermarked heads of rebuild L-98's? Chip?
My 91 L-98 is aproching 170,000 miles on it and starting to burn a little oil. No big deal. I am about in that place in my head where I will roll out the tool box and tear into the engine compartment, any day now.
I am no stranger to building SBC engines,,,,, been doing it for decades. I've had my fill of building engines with the latest all-out hi performance stuff and I've rebuilt a few for the family suburban, and even one for an asphalt paving machine. I guess I'm kinda burned out. Shurly, there are more like me on here.
Now the question! I want to rebuild this one so that it is an improvement over stock (for sure) but not a tempromental (must have mechanic on board) pain in the @#$#2 for my wife to go shoping 75 miles away. Just a nice respectable but agressive ride.
What would you do???
350 or 383? Stock fuel system or some upgrade? Stock or forged rotating assembly? Aftermarked heads of rebuild L-98's? Chip?
Large Impressive Member
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
Originally Posted by Strike3
350 or 383? Stock fuel system or some upgrade? Stock or forged rotating assembly? Aftermarked heads of rebuild L-98's? Chip?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,154
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From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
A 383 would tame an aggressive cam profile a bit, so you can get away with running a bigger cam. Stick with the original fuel system, just upgrade to an AFPR and new injectors. Depending on where you go with the intake, you could just have the heads done.
All this depends on how much power you want out of it. I can see you want it tame, but theres an intake choice to be made.
A chip is necessary if you do anything like this.
All this depends on how much power you want out of it. I can see you want it tame, but theres an intake choice to be made.
A chip is necessary if you do anything like this.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 769
Likes: 0
From: Granbury TX
Hay,,thanks guys. Great responces above. Your kinda where my thoughts are but for some reason, I just can't get excited the way I use too. Know what I mean?
You guys are pretty much right on. My wife will probably drive it more than I. But If I am driving it I don't want to be imbarassed if some rice-burner revs his engine at me at some trafic light. And we do have some 95 MPH speed limits around here somewhere, or so I've been told.
I'll probably go with the 383. What about rod ligenth? Stay 5.7"?? Pistons to keep it around 10 to 1 cr??? I've put Comp cam's in my other 2 vetts and love their stuff. I'll probably check out their milder cams (still more agressive than stock). However, I am open to other brands so recommend away.
My other Vetts are earlier modles with maf sensors in the intake system. These were always the bottleneck in performance upgrades and made it pointless to try for too much in flow gains. My 91 doesn't have that handicap and I am on new ground here. Can I hog out the throttle body and go for bigger tubes to greater advantage on this one? What else can I do with this set-up that I couldn't with the MAF models?? Will 30# injectors be a good choise to go with the afpr?
Thanks for any input.
You guys are pretty much right on. My wife will probably drive it more than I. But If I am driving it I don't want to be imbarassed if some rice-burner revs his engine at me at some trafic light. And we do have some 95 MPH speed limits around here somewhere, or so I've been told.
I'll probably go with the 383. What about rod ligenth? Stay 5.7"?? Pistons to keep it around 10 to 1 cr??? I've put Comp cam's in my other 2 vetts and love their stuff. I'll probably check out their milder cams (still more agressive than stock). However, I am open to other brands so recommend away.
My other Vetts are earlier modles with maf sensors in the intake system. These were always the bottleneck in performance upgrades and made it pointless to try for too much in flow gains. My 91 doesn't have that handicap and I am on new ground here. Can I hog out the throttle body and go for bigger tubes to greater advantage on this one? What else can I do with this set-up that I couldn't with the MAF models?? Will 30# injectors be a good choise to go with the afpr?
Thanks for any input.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,154
Likes: 1,731
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
No point in me recommending a cam until you pick out what you want from the engine and decide on what intake you want to put to it.
Only thing that I'd be less inclined to do on a MAF car is a SuperCharger, otherwise its all the same, except a MAF car doesnt require the chip to be done after minor mods, SD cars do not respond well until the chip is done.
Only thing that I'd be less inclined to do on a MAF car is a SuperCharger, otherwise its all the same, except a MAF car doesnt require the chip to be done after minor mods, SD cars do not respond well until the chip is done.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 5,270
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From: Seattle Area WA
Strick, you autocross right. I run SM2 with my 383. It is basically the LPE one.
I am using a Scat crank, speed pro hyper pistons, gm pink rods, LPE 219 cam, LPE SR, LPE longtubes, 1.6 summit (scorpion) rocker arms, ported Dart Pro1 heads (200cc), 52mm TB, and I am making 338rwhp/396rwtq. 10.1:1 compression
Frankly it was cheap and it runs really well. Very streetable and not too much power for the 315s. I was thinking of doing more to it, but I think I will port the intake and call it good. Honestly, I beat a 650hp built (i.e. good suspension) Cobra the other day, all that horsepower can hurt on the auto-x course.
Good luck!
I am using a Scat crank, speed pro hyper pistons, gm pink rods, LPE 219 cam, LPE SR, LPE longtubes, 1.6 summit (scorpion) rocker arms, ported Dart Pro1 heads (200cc), 52mm TB, and I am making 338rwhp/396rwtq. 10.1:1 compression
Frankly it was cheap and it runs really well. Very streetable and not too much power for the 315s. I was thinking of doing more to it, but I think I will port the intake and call it good. Honestly, I beat a 650hp built (i.e. good suspension) Cobra the other day, all that horsepower can hurt on the auto-x course.
Good luck!
