C4 Tech/Performance L98 Corvette and LT1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine

1985 Crate Engines

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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 07:46 PM
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Default 1985 Crate Engines

I have a 1985 corvette L98 and im looking for a new engine. Some thing ranging between 475 hp - 575 hp. any suggestions?
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 07:50 PM
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Budget?
How much left over to upgrade the rest of your driveline to handle the increase in Hp from stock 245 HP? New trans/ diff .......

Originally Posted by mikeman902
Some thing ranging between 475 hp - 575 hp.
Crank or RWHP?

Last edited by vetteoz; Oct 9, 2012 at 07:53 PM.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 08:04 PM
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RWHP and probably nothing over $12,000. i finished the interior 2 week ago now just looking for a new engine to give it some more HP
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeman902
RWHP
probably nothing over $12,000.
I suspect you are looking at some kind of LSX conversion for those power levels

The old school SBC way
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...e/viewall.html
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 08:47 PM
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Originally Posted by vetteoz
I suspect you are looking at some kind of LSX conversion for those power levels

The old school SBC way
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...e/viewall.html
That is sweet
They also have the Mowtown Ls block it allows you to run Ls heads and SBC stuff.. a SBC LS hybrid if you will.

http://www.worldcastings.com/product...ron-block.html
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 08:52 PM
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Originally Posted by vetteoz
I suspect you are looking at some kind of LSX conversion for those power levels
I agree. The costs involved would be best spent with a LS conversion rather than messing with the old small block.
Higher reving, more tunablility and lots of parts.

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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 09:40 PM
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I assume you are ditching the TPI

you keeping it injected or Carbd?


For a Gen 1 try Joe Sherman racing engines. Dynoed tuned etc.


tpi421vette here does a bang up job on strokers around here.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 09:54 PM
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carbd
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 10:11 PM
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No replacement for displacement.

http://www.summitracing.com/search/D...Size/8-2L-502/
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 10:52 PM
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Check into GMPP crate LSx carbed series motors.
Some pretty nice stuff.
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Old Oct 9, 2012 | 11:15 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeman902
RWHP and probably nothing over $12,000. i finished the interior 2 week ago now just looking for a new engine to give it some more HP
I don't see 500 RWHP and driveline upgrades happening under any circumstances with that budget. Maybe if you sourced your parts carefully and did everything yourself, but even then it would be tight.

It would be interesting to see the costs involved on some of our forum's LS swaps though.
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Old Oct 10, 2012 | 01:55 AM
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In my opinion,
You wouldn't be able to put all that power to the ground.
Torque is what you want to build. Torque comes in earlier than HP anyway.
You would be best served doing suspension/tire/wheel mods, then building an engine for it.

Sit back and ask yourself what you want the car to do.
Why did you buy the thing in the first place? Great corner carver?

Do you want a drag car? a road racer? a car for long distance cruising?
Look at your neighborhood gas pump, read the price per gallon, and then rethink
what you want out of the car.
If you want a drag car, gas prices have no bearing. If that is the case, then no griping about the cost per gallon.
If you want a road racer, same thing.
But if you want to be comfortable in traffic, have air, go to your distant cousin's house occasionally, build it mild.


With a mild 383, I can hardly keep the tires from spinning as is.
I estimate my HP to be around 360-370 with torque around 420.
Use that as a yardstick.
Course my rear tires are a couple years old.
And I couldn't keep the tires on the ground when they were new.

I need to switch to 307 rear, as the power band is 1000 RPM above the cruising RPM of 1700-1800 at 75-80 mph.
Just shifting down really helps, but I need to be about 500 RPM closer to the power band entry RPM.

Last edited by coupeguy2001; Oct 10, 2012 at 02:03 AM.
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Old Oct 10, 2012 | 05:02 AM
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Originally Posted by coupeguy2001
In my opinion,
You wouldn't be able to put all that power to the ground.
Torque is what you want to build. Torque comes in earlier than HP anyway.
You would be best served doing suspension/tire/wheel mods, then building an engine for it.

Sit back and ask yourself what you want the car to do.
Why did you buy the thing in the first place? Great corner carver?

Do you want a drag car? a road racer? a car for long distance cruising?
Look at your neighborhood gas pump, read the price per gallon, and then rethink
what you want out of the car.
If you want a drag car, gas prices have no bearing. If that is the case, then no griping about the cost per gallon.
If you want a road racer, same thing.
But if you want to be comfortable in traffic, have air, go to your distant cousin's house occasionally, build it mild.


With a mild 383, I can hardly keep the tires from spinning as is.
I estimate my HP to be around 360-370 with torque around 420.
Use that as a yardstick.
Course my rear tires are a couple years old.
And I couldn't keep the tires on the ground when they were new.

I need to switch to 307 rear, as the power band is 1000 RPM above the cruising RPM of 1700-1800 at 75-80 mph.
Just shifting down really helps, but I need to be about 500 RPM closer to the power band entry RPM.

Great advice
I have a supercharged 383 with only a mild camshaft and i have a lot of trouble putting the power down to the ground.

I have snapped the aluminum half shafts and have had steel ones made, the auto trans needs a lot of money spent on it and that wont guarantee it will have a normal life span. But it still has great fuel economy being supercharged and only a mild camshaft profile, you keep the low down torque and good manners easy start and smooth idle.

But it isn't cheap either way a blown engine or high revving screamer cost money to build, so think about how you want to use your vette.
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Old Oct 10, 2012 | 09:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Caboboy
I don't see 500 RWHP and driveline upgrades happening under any circumstances with that budget. Maybe if you sourced your parts carefully and did everything yourself, but even then it would be tight.

It would be interesting to see the costs involved on some of our forum's LS swaps though.
My swap cost me right at 5K using a low mileage pull out of a totaled Z28. I was able to sell all my old stuff for over 3K. That is just LS motor,trans, wiring,and PCM. It's running now but the converter went out and blew the trans.

Here is a break down:

Engine, Ecu and wiring $1300
Transmission and converter $1750
Racetronix 255 Fuel pump kit $120
Speehound motor mounts $100
Advanced Adapters 4L60E to 700R4 tail shaft adapter $214
A/C compressor high mount adapter $150
Corvette power steering pump,bracket and pulley $140
Corvettte alternator $100
Powerbond balancer $145
98 Corvette Batwing oil pan and C5 manifolds $50
Oil pan gasket $50
Starter from fleabay $56
Balancer bolt $14 gm
Hoses, and fuse block $80.00
TB cable $50
Tuning $100
Two O2 sensors $120
wirring and terminals $60
Transmission cooler and lines $220
Fuel lines and fittings $70
Radom Tech Cat cons $200
Dual spring kit $300
I might need to get a couple of Dakota Digital boxes
A/C lines and Compressor

Spent $5389.00 and some of this stuff is optional.. for example you dont have to spend $550 on a converter
So far I have made $2945 to offset the cost from sales of my old stuff. I still have a few parts lying around.
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Old Oct 10, 2012 | 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeman902
RWHP and probably nothing over $12,000. i finished the interior 2 week ago now just looking for a new engine to give it some more HP
I love my '85, but you can get a C5 for $12K...
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Old Oct 10, 2012 | 12:31 PM
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Originally Posted by btr85vette
I love my '85, but you can get a C5 for $12K...
With that mentality all old corvettes would be in the graveyard.
For some of us newer is not better. I like the C5s but I like my C4.
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Old Oct 10, 2012 | 08:41 PM
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i have track tire on it now so im thinking they wont spin with more hp you just have to control it but it gonna be a track car so it wont be much of a big deal unless i deciede to go to the strip for the day
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Old Oct 10, 2012 | 09:19 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeman902
i have track tire on it now so im thinking they wont spin with more hp
Good luck
Your going from maybe 200 RWHP to the 500HP you say you want and expect traction?
I can easily spin my MT Drag radials ( a soft and sticky compound ) with 400RWHP on a coarse road surface with little throttle

Originally Posted by mikeman902
you just have to control it
If you have to baby the car to 60 mph before you can put your foot down little point in having all that power available ( unless you are going to Bonneville)
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Old Oct 11, 2012 | 10:37 PM
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Originally Posted by ch@0s
My swap cost me right at 5K using a low mileage pull out of a totaled Z28. I was able to sell all my old stuff for over 3K. That is just LS motor,trans, wiring,and PCM. It's running now but the converter went out and blew the trans.

Here is a break down:

Engine, Ecu and wiring $1300
Transmission and converter $1750
Racetronix 255 Fuel pump kit $120
Speehound motor mounts $100
Advanced Adapters 4L60E to 700R4 tail shaft adapter $214
A/C compressor high mount adapter $150
Corvette power steering pump,bracket and pulley $140
Corvettte alternator $100
Powerbond balancer $145
98 Corvette Batwing oil pan and C5 manifolds $50
Oil pan gasket $50
Starter from fleabay $56
Balancer bolt $14 gm
Hoses, and fuse block $80.00
TB cable $50
Tuning $100
Two O2 sensors $120
wirring and terminals $60
Transmission cooler and lines $220
Fuel lines and fittings $70
Radom Tech Cat cons $200
Dual spring kit $300
I might need to get a couple of Dakota Digital boxes
A/C lines and Compressor

Spent $5389.00 and some of this stuff is optional.. for example you dont have to spend $550 on a converter
So far I have made $2945 to offset the cost from sales of my old stuff. I still have a few parts lying around.
That is amazing, congrats on not only your motor, but your cash management as well!
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Old Oct 11, 2012 | 11:10 PM
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Originally Posted by mikeman902
i have track tire on it now so im thinking they wont spin with more hp you just have to control it but it gonna be a track car so it wont be much of a big deal unless i deciede to go to the strip for the day
Good luck with dat !






I spent $10,000 around 12 yrs ago...and barely got to 400. That was quite a while back. Now, that same end result will cost 15-$20,000.

Trust me, these guys here are trying to keep your expectations realistic.
HP does not come as easily as the aftermarket bolt-on stuff claims.
REAL hp cost BIG money. Then, you will spend that much again on drive-train.

Better get comfy with 350...........and just lie to your friends !

Last edited by leesvet; Oct 11, 2012 at 11:14 PM.
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