Need suggestions for a new setup....
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 175
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
Need suggestions for a new setup....
My car is an 85 with the L-98 350.
Ok, my engine isnt the most reliable so in the future (next 6-8 months) I want to redo my engine. Hopefully you guys can tell me what I need to rebuild my engine.
I want it to have 300+ Hp and I want to have it bored out. I want to keep the TPI. I dont know much about engines, but if I know what I need to buy, once I have everything, my uncle will help me with the rebuild. Zak.
Ok, my engine isnt the most reliable so in the future (next 6-8 months) I want to redo my engine. Hopefully you guys can tell me what I need to rebuild my engine.
I want it to have 300+ Hp and I want to have it bored out. I want to keep the TPI. I dont know much about engines, but if I know what I need to buy, once I have everything, my uncle will help me with the rebuild. Zak.
Last edited by The Batmobile; Oct 22, 2007 at 07:19 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
I firmly believe in NOT getting too extream if you want longivity. I had a 350 in my Blazer that I rebuilt 24 years ago that kept running and running.
I would go 30 over when you bore it (the smallest you can go) and build a 355. Get a mild roller cam like the Lingenfelter 74211 with 1.6 roller rockers, get a GOOD set of aluminum heads (I would not go over 190), a good intake, short runners and plenum. Do a little exhaust work and you are set. Don't forget to spend the coupld of extra dollars and get the internals balanced.
My set up below with stock bottom end including stock cam is putting out about 350 HP at the crank. You can go to a 383 which will cost more money and put our more HP. But with a 383 or other high performance engine, I believe that you should pull theses engines each 1-1/2 years and torque everything back down before it shakes apart. My son used to build high performance engines for his Chevy that would put out some ungodly HP, but they would shake apart within a year.
Do some searches on the Forum and talk to several of your local engine shops for some good advice.
Good luck,
I would go 30 over when you bore it (the smallest you can go) and build a 355. Get a mild roller cam like the Lingenfelter 74211 with 1.6 roller rockers, get a GOOD set of aluminum heads (I would not go over 190), a good intake, short runners and plenum. Do a little exhaust work and you are set. Don't forget to spend the coupld of extra dollars and get the internals balanced.
My set up below with stock bottom end including stock cam is putting out about 350 HP at the crank. You can go to a 383 which will cost more money and put our more HP. But with a 383 or other high performance engine, I believe that you should pull theses engines each 1-1/2 years and torque everything back down before it shakes apart. My son used to build high performance engines for his Chevy that would put out some ungodly HP, but they would shake apart within a year.
Do some searches on the Forum and talk to several of your local engine shops for some good advice.
Good luck,
Last edited by John A. Marker; Oct 21, 2007 at 04:56 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 175
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
I firmly believe in NOT getting too extream if you want longivity. I had a 350 in my Blazer that I rebuilt 24 years ago that kept running and running.
I would go 30 over when you bore it (the smallest you can go) and build a 355. Get a mild roller cam like the Lingenfelter 74211 with 1.6 roller rockers, get a GOOD set of aluminum heads (I would not go over 190), a good intake, short runners and plenum. Do a little exhaust work and you are set. Don't forget to spend the coupld of extra dollars and get the internals balanced.
My set up below with stock bottom end including stock cam is putting out about 350 HP at the crank. You can go to a 383 which will cost more money and put our more HP. But with a 383 or other high performance engine, I believe that you should pull theses engines each 1-1/2 years and torque everything back down before it shakes apart. My son used to build high performance engines for his Chevy that would put out some ungodly HP, but they would shake apart within a year.
Do some searches on the Forum and talk to several of your local engine shops for some good advice.
Good luck,
I would go 30 over when you bore it (the smallest you can go) and build a 355. Get a mild roller cam like the Lingenfelter 74211 with 1.6 roller rockers, get a GOOD set of aluminum heads (I would not go over 190), a good intake, short runners and plenum. Do a little exhaust work and you are set. Don't forget to spend the coupld of extra dollars and get the internals balanced.
My set up below with stock bottom end including stock cam is putting out about 350 HP at the crank. You can go to a 383 which will cost more money and put our more HP. But with a 383 or other high performance engine, I believe that you should pull theses engines each 1-1/2 years and torque everything back down before it shakes apart. My son used to build high performance engines for his Chevy that would put out some ungodly HP, but they would shake apart within a year.
Do some searches on the Forum and talk to several of your local engine shops for some good advice.
Good luck,
Thanks...I already have a new set of cat back exhaust with Flowmasters. Yeah, I dont want to go crazy with performance, just upgrade a few things. Thanks, Zak.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 175
Likes: 1
From: Fort Worth Texas
A few more questions...
What all must be replaced when I bore it to .30?
What would be an estimated cost for all the parts to redo the engine with the items listed above?
What is considered a good set of aluminum heads?
What all must be replaced when I bore it to .30?
What would be an estimated cost for all the parts to redo the engine with the items listed above?
What is considered a good set of aluminum heads?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by The Batmobile
Ok, my engine isnt the most reliable so in the future (next 6-8 months) I want to redo my engine. Hopefully you guys can tell me what I need to rebuild my engine.
RACE ON!!!
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From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
Le Mans Master
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From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
Not from me, but if he is looking for 350+ horsepower as he says, you are talking a rebuild that will cost more than the car will be worth when he is done. If he is just rebuilding stock, he should keep it. He may only need the top end freshened up!
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Team Owner
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From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
Typically it's because the engine isn't set up right.
Could be injectors, ECU, vacuum leak, lots of things, but I can't see mechanicals being the issue in many cases.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 175
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From: Fort Worth Texas
Why do you want to rebuild it? Is it smoking like a chimney? Does it have poor compression? Is the cylinder leakage at a high percentage? Is there a lot of blow by puffing out of the breathers? The basic mechanicals would have to be in pretty poor shape to affect reliability. You DON'T have to bore to .030" oversize. Pistons and rings are commonly available in .020" oversize. A lot of what you will need will depend on what you determine it needs upon tear down. Does this engine really need an overhaul or are you just bored. A day or so ago, weren't you agonizing over whether it needed valve stem seals, or not and if you were capable of handling that?
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
I would be just buying the parts...my uncle would be doing the work.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 230
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From: Covington GA
We all have our money costing vices. You just need to approach them knowing that's what they are, and with the understanding that you won't see the money again.
That said, I wouldn't bore the engine out more than is necessary, especially not with the number of reasonably priced stroker kits out there. On the other hand, I'm also not sure I would put a stroker kit on there with a manifold that was already meant for a smaller engine. I'd probably try to improve its breathing first.
Team Owner
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From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
Instructor
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From: Topeka Indiana
There are a number of gentlemen on this forum who fail to read everything and think before they put their mouth in gear. Zak clearly stated his uncle was going to help with install, all he asked was for some direction.,Sometimes, hot rodding isn't always about what a car is worth to anybody but you. I've run $600 worth of race tires on a $500 car before, put a $1,000 turbo and spent $600 on machine work for an EFI intake manifold on a Dodge Dart not worth more than $2,500, and otherwise done things that, in the grand scheme of things, are loony wastes of money.
We all have our money costing vices. You just need to approach them knowing that's what they are, and with the understanding that you won't see the money again.
That said, I wouldn't bore the engine out more than is necessary, especially not with the number of reasonably priced stroker kits out there. On the other hand, I'm also not sure I would put a stroker kit on there with a manifold that was already meant for a smaller engine. I'd probably try to improve its breathing first.
We all have our money costing vices. You just need to approach them knowing that's what they are, and with the understanding that you won't see the money again.
That said, I wouldn't bore the engine out more than is necessary, especially not with the number of reasonably priced stroker kits out there. On the other hand, I'm also not sure I would put a stroker kit on there with a manifold that was already meant for a smaller engine. I'd probably try to improve its breathing first.
Melting Slicks
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From: backwoods upstate ny
Le Mans Master
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From: One day you're a Comet...the next day you're dust... Arkansas
Sometimes, hot rodding isn't always about what a car is worth to anybody but you. I've run $600 worth of race tires on a $500 car before, put a $1,000 turbo and spent $600 on machine work for an EFI intake manifold on a Dodge Dart not worth more than $2,500, and otherwise done things that, in the grand scheme of things, are loony wastes of money.
We all have our money costing vices. You just need to approach them knowing that's what they are, and with the understanding that you won't see the money again.
That said, I wouldn't bore the engine out more than is necessary, especially not with the number of reasonably priced stroker kits out there. On the other hand, I'm also not sure I would put a stroker kit on there with a manifold that was already meant for a smaller engine. I'd probably try to improve its breathing first.
We all have our money costing vices. You just need to approach them knowing that's what they are, and with the understanding that you won't see the money again.
That said, I wouldn't bore the engine out more than is necessary, especially not with the number of reasonably priced stroker kits out there. On the other hand, I'm also not sure I would put a stroker kit on there with a manifold that was already meant for a smaller engine. I'd probably try to improve its breathing first.
Team Owner
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From: Bergen County, NJ Democrats, doing for the country what they did for Michigan
If not, and there's time, you can shop the used market for items such as intakes and headers, roller rockers, and may come up with something a little nicer to get to that 350 number, cheaper.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Fort Worth Texas
Yes, it is my daily driver. Im 16 years old, and Im getting a job after football season. Im just going to buy the parts as I get the money and when I have most of everything, my uncle and I will install everything at once.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Fort Worth Texas
Thats what I meant...I wouldnt want him to have all the fun working on my car without me...lol.