Hey guys I need some advice. I am debating on whether or not to get Hooker 2149's with there y-pipe or maybe get some other kind of mods instead. Right now I have stock manifolds with a pre-catless y-pipe, high flow cat, rear crossover pipe and muffler eliminators.

My debate is: will putting headers on give me much increase over what I have now or should I go with new heads or something else. My thinking is I can recoupe some of the money from the heads by selling my old ones. I plan on doing most of the labor myself, this winter I plan on pulling the plenum, runners and IM to have them polished and powder coated anyway.

Thanks in advance for any advice. :cheers:

 

You dont need "new" heads, your heads support 350hp untouched, all you need to do is port them one day.

Id get the headers, usually it gives 10-15hp over the stock setup.

 

I agree, you will get more bang and less smog police hassle from heads or cam (what they can't see won't hurt em, they just think it will). You already have pretty good flow through your current exhaust. You could always pull the stock headers and do a little porting to clean em up some.

Indeed just work your stock heads for a nice 20hp gain or a cam for 25-30hp gain.

Then, this winter you might try the siamese base mod along with plenum and runner porting; if you don't like the results you will want to do the aftermarket TPI or other intake anyway.

You should throw in an AFPR to add fuel too.

 

All the fast bolton L98's have done exhaust mods.

Vic

 

Thanks guys.
Now, please excuse my ignorance :bb , but what exactly do you mean by "work the heads" and any suggestions for a cam replacement. What all is involved in both of these.

Thanks again.


[Modified by VetBoy89, 10:58 AM 10/17/2002]

 

"work on" would be a port and polish on your heads. The extent this is done and the money you spend can vary. But it will be more costly than headers. With what you have done currently, headers would net you a minimal gain until after you get into more serious mods.

A better cam would be a decent choice right now. The advice you get here could depend on how much are you able/willing to spend now? What are your plans for the future? If you are on a pretty tight budget, a cam would be the best option probably.

So elaborate a little on what your budget is, what your goals are, and what kind of timeframes you have, and we can help you a bit more. Also, touch base with lcvette1 here on the board (Chris), and he can help you also. he has a shop in NC that specializes in vette modifications, and has done work for me in the past.

Not to be too lengthy here, but as i said above, your budget AND your goals are important here. If you plan on doing your heads, and headers, etc, then your cam choice would be different than if you had no intentions of doing your heads. You dont want to do any double work, ie: re-do or change mods you have done already because they are not compatible with what you may do later.

So talk to chris as well as a few others on the board, and know your direction before you start the journey, you dont want to go backwards and pay twice for the same real estate.

:yesnod:


[Modified by JConforti, 2:21 PM 10/17/2002]

 

Vetboy89,
Unless you got the hook-up at a smog shop. (and if you do, let me know!) you won't be able to pass smog with the Hooker SuperComp headers...they don't have a CARB E.O. #. As far as "work the heads", they mean to port them. Stock, they'll flow good for 350hp (chp, not rwhp), ported I believe they'll go up to 450 (again, chp)
*EDIT* - What gears do you have? If you don't have 3.07's, get them. Also, I would reccomend a nice high stall torque converter. (I'd personally recommend the Yank Stealth 2600)


[Modified by TIMSPEED, 11:28 AM 10/17/2002]

 

Thanks for all the great advice guys.

I just got the smog done so no worries for another 2 years, then I can just swap it back to the way it is now, I don't mind spending the time to do it. Besides that gives me an excuse for another project ... :)

Now I'm leaning towards the cam and the heads but would like to keep the budget under $1000, is this possible?

Then I can add the headers on later when the piggy bank fills back up :D

Any ideas as to what gains I already have with my current mods?

Thanks again.

 

ok, keeping it under 1000.... that rules out heads. You have to have your heads done by someone knowledgable (heads improperly ported will HURT performance). The headwork alone will cost about that much, not to mention gaskets, etc for re-assembly and labor if you have it done.

A cam is easily done under 1000. You can do a cam, and go to a decent full-roller rocker while you are at it. Depending on what you spend, you may consider better runners for your TPI as well.

cam choice will depend heavily on what you seriously foresee doing in the near future. You do NOT want to go too big. Bigger is not always better. Seek the advice of some knowledgeable L-98 experts on cam choice, and go that route along with full roller rocker arms and possibly larger intake runners.


[Modified by JConforti, 2:42 PM 10/17/2002]

 

If you ported your heads yourself and fitted a take off zz4 cam plus roller rockrs and did the intake ie big base and runners you would be able to go high twevles and still pass emmissions with the std exhaust manifols.
You could do that for $1000 if you got used parts for the intake.

That is my set up and i am running 12.9's all day on D/ radials

for porting info i used how to modify SBC heads by david visard

:cheers:

 

I would guess 5-10hp at most right there, I dont think the exhuast system work did anything, and the intake is only real mod.

I would throw something like a 211/219 cam in, upgrade to a good set of Long Tube Runners (LPE, TPIS, only two that show quality IMO), and aftermarket manifold (again, LPE or TPIS), port the plenum to match those. After that I'd say do headers. Custom chip if you can (not an off the shelf, take it and dyno tune it, or call the guy everyone on the forum likes, I forget his name, craig maybe?..).

Also the tq converter, rear end stuff, but that can be $$. I am not an auto :U person so I dont know what kinda gains you would have from that compared to a worked motor..

Goodluck
Matt

 

All you have to do is port the heads, one day. For now theyre still choked by the Intake. So do something with that if you can.

I know the Superram does have a CARB number, so you should look in that direction. If you wanted to leave it stock-looking, id try somebody's big runners, and base manifold. Those should give 20hp or so. And that would be under budget if you got them used, or only one new.

Id think about a cam later, but if you wanna do one now, then the Accel 211.