Heads and cam!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Bulverde TX
Heads and cam!
I want to do a head and cam combo on my 85 corvette for about $650. What is the best combo and will it be safe to do on a car with about 170000 miles on it? Thanks ahead of time!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Bulverde TX
I have already found heads for under $600 most cams dont cost more than $150 with lifters and gaskets are nothing. Now explain to me why this isn't possible? I asked for good combos and if my engine could handle it nothing else.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
$650 is one half of a cam head budget
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
and you will run into other things you need, ask me how I know
I think 1000-1200 is a more realistic goal.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Bulverde TX
Im not lookin at the multi thousand dollar heads that most people are buying on here. I cant afford to do a rebuild right now and i need atleast the heads done before i leave for college in the fall. I would appreciate some input on atleast the heads and i can find a cam to match.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Bulverde TX
I have all of the cleaners and gaskets that i need. Im not replacing the hoses if their not bad. I wouldnt have put that number on here if i didnt KNOW it was possible. Im not an idiot i just wanted the opinion of people on here that have done a head and cam swap so i can find the nest combo for the money.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
I have all of the cleaners and gaskets that i need. Im not replacing the hoses if their not bad. I wouldnt have put that number on here if i didnt KNOW it was possible. Im not an idiot i just wanted the opinion of people on here that have done a head and cam swap so i can find the nest combo for the money.
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Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 497
Likes: 1
From: Casa Grande Az
That money might be better spent by simply refreshing the top end. The valve springs / seals and gaskets.
Save the extra money for down the road when you can really do what you want to do.
I would think 170k Mile valve springs are crying a little bit at higher RPMs.
On the flip side, if you can find complete heads (used maybe) and a cam and associated hardware needed for the swap , then heck ya go for it.
Save the extra money for down the road when you can really do what you want to do.
I would think 170k Mile valve springs are crying a little bit at higher RPMs.
On the flip side, if you can find complete heads (used maybe) and a cam and associated hardware needed for the swap , then heck ya go for it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9,758
Likes: 49
From: Houston Texas
That money might be better spent by simply refreshing the top end. The valve springs / seals and gaskets.
Save the extra money for down the road when you can really do what you want to do.
I would think 170k Mile valve springs are crying a little bit at higher RPMs.
On the flip side, if you can find complete heads (used maybe) and a cam and associated hardware needed for the swap , then heck ya go for it.
Save the extra money for down the road when you can really do what you want to do.
I would think 170k Mile valve springs are crying a little bit at higher RPMs.
On the flip side, if you can find complete heads (used maybe) and a cam and associated hardware needed for the swap , then heck ya go for it.
Last edited by ch@0s; Jun 2, 2009 at 05:07 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,157
Likes: 554
From: Glenbeulah Wi
This should come in near your budget and give a performance boost.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 17,700
Likes: 1,667
From: moraga ca
Buy set of used or rebuilt 113 Vette heads for around $400.00 (These were used on 1988 through 1991 vettes and GM crate engines to present day). Then pick up a flat tappet cam and lifters with specifications of 210 to 220 intake duration at .050, 215 to 225 exhaust duration at .050 on a 112 CL with lift around .450.
This should come in near your budget and give a performance boost.
This should come in near your budget and give a performance boost.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,238
Likes: 10
From: College Station TX
I think it's silly to do a heads and cam swap and not do it right, which includes all the stuff that needs replacing (like hoses, water pumps, intake gaskets, injectors if needed, maybe even the whole intake...) and getting it dyno tuned to take advantage of the changes.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,924
Likes: 9
From: Merritt Ils Fl
Got to agree with my Aggie Buddy here.If I were about to go off to college I think my main concern would be in a reliable engine not one "hopped up"with the cheapest parts I could find. IMHO 170,000 miles and reliable don't belong in the same sentence. I would opt for maintenance items to get me thru the year. If you are in college and are driving a Corvette that alone is sufficient to impress the ladies.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 435
Likes: 0
From: Bulverde TX
Because most of the guys on here know and have experience with the parts that work well on the engines. I was hoping to find someone that is in the same situation as i am at one point in time with my money situation. I just wanted some opinions on heads. On that note what if i take some 2.02 heads and have them rebuilt. They would flow better than the heads on my car right now anyways right?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 13
From: Slidell Louisiana
Cheap Reliable Fast Pick two
Good luck! and don't forget supporting mods (bigger cam often needs a stall for a4 and gears or just gears for manual)
A quality tune costs almost your entire budget and if you end up making big power you are guaranteed to find the next weak link in your car. Roaching the tranny can easily eat 1200 bones. A Precision industries Vigilante converter will eat your entire budget.
Used parts may be your answer but I'd save my money until I had about four times your current budget, since grenading your short block will take about double your current budget just to fix the short block, its better to have an oh schitt fund if you have a toy.
Remember a good rule of thumb is figure out what you want to do, price each part IOT get and estimate and then double or triple it and you may end up in the ball park, especially with a 170K project.
Sell your old 46X double humps they are not as good as a more modern aluminum head.
It actually looks to me like no one is trying to bust your chops they are trying to save you some heart ache.
If your budget really is 3 digits and you really really have to dig into something, I agree with the suggestion that you change your valve springs and seals and leave the rest of the money alone for the OHHH SCHITT fund.
Mike
Good luck! and don't forget supporting mods (bigger cam often needs a stall for a4 and gears or just gears for manual)
A quality tune costs almost your entire budget and if you end up making big power you are guaranteed to find the next weak link in your car. Roaching the tranny can easily eat 1200 bones. A Precision industries Vigilante converter will eat your entire budget.
Used parts may be your answer but I'd save my money until I had about four times your current budget, since grenading your short block will take about double your current budget just to fix the short block, its better to have an oh schitt fund if you have a toy.
Remember a good rule of thumb is figure out what you want to do, price each part IOT get and estimate and then double or triple it and you may end up in the ball park, especially with a 170K project.
Sell your old 46X double humps they are not as good as a more modern aluminum head.
It actually looks to me like no one is trying to bust your chops they are trying to save you some heart ache.
If your budget really is 3 digits and you really really have to dig into something, I agree with the suggestion that you change your valve springs and seals and leave the rest of the money alone for the OHHH SCHITT fund.
Mike
Last edited by aboatguy; Jun 2, 2009 at 08:57 PM.
