slow-vette

So after a little over 150K miles my 86 ended up with a cracked head and since I don't have the budget to build it the way I want to I have decided to just put in a low mile 90 Vette engine I have available. So the question becomes what should I do to it before I put it in to give it a little more but keep it on a pretty tight budget. It's a 90 TPI with less then 75K on it. I was thinking about going ahead and throwing a cam in it and I was thinking about one of the 3 I list below. I'm looking for people that have experience with these cams. Are they worth it on an otherwise stock engine? Are there better suggestions with maybe a valve spring and rocker upgrade? Does the answer change If I tell you I have TPIS long tubes with true dual exhaust and an EBL Flash so that I can tune on the fly myself? I have some cash I could drop into this to tide me over for the next 2 to 3 years until I can build my all out 383 that I want. So a cheap set of heads like Blueprint Heads from Summit for $899 a pair if they will really make a big difference but the stock (I will port it myself) TPI will have to do for now. What have you guys seen work well in this situation. My car is a street car but not a daily and I use it a lot for autocross racing. I like big torque and I have learned to deal with the low RPM pretty well so I'm not really looking for the highest HP number. I would be happy with 3HP and 500 LB of torque if you know what I mean

Cam's I'm thinking about:
Comp Xtreme Energy (212/218-112), Comp 4x4 (210/218-111), or Lunati VooDoo (213/219-112)

GREGGPENN

Are you looking for a cam that will be usable in your future 383 build? Or would that be a complete new engine?

My recommendation would be to use Bullet Cam's HR269/340 lobe on both intake/exhaust. With 1.5 rr's, it's low enough for stock heads. With 1.6 rr, it's pretty strong lift for a 383 torque monster. It's what I have in my 383. It's also VERY similar to Lingenfelter's SR cam (219/219) which he often used on stock equip for builds. In fact, the slight lower lift makes clearance issues a bit easier to deal with.

And, yes, the headers make a difference. Better exhaust lowers the need for EXHAUST duration in a longtube setup. You can't "run it out" anyway, so you might as well close the exhaust valves earlier to build compression! Hence, my suggestion for a single-pattern cam configuration.

vader86

I think the first two would be best choices, keep the 90 heads as they are, and just change the springs/locks/retainers/etc, and 1.6RR. At least have the valvetrain situated.

And port the hell out of the stock TPI, its the bigger restriction here, not the heads. If you spend any more money here then spend it on an aftermarket base that you might be able to keep for a Superram on the 383 later.

slow-vette

Thanks for the replies. You both seem to be confirming what I was thinking. To answer GREGGPENN If the cam could be used in a future 383 build that would be a nice bonus but was not what I was expecting or required. Roller cam's are fairly cheap so if going with a cam that can be used in a 383 later would hurt the performance now I would say I would go for the best performance with what I have now and I would worry about matching the 383 cam to the heads and intake that will be used for that build.

slow-vette

As an additional note. Would I get much benefit to going with a modified LT1 intake? I have one that has fuel rails and has been cut to allow the distributor and the hole is drilled. I do not have the dizzy spacer and aside from knowing that it can be done I do not know what else would need to be done to make my intake work. Things like cooling, Throttle body, and getting the TV and accelerator cables to match up and work. Would it even be worth the hassle or cost?

cv67

Ive used the last choice on TPI Iroc it worked great
. Do your intake, some heads get headers it will be night and day
The stock runners are a cork but you can look for upgraded ones or another intake later.

GREGGPENN

1990-1991 aren't the easiest to tune (if you make changes). If you're planning a future build ANYWAY, you might want to follow the suggestions of making smaller improvements to avoid (current) tuning costs. Save that for the 383?