Ive got an 88 and next summer id like to engine to get up to 400hp I’ve heard it’s doable and I’ve also heard it’s stretching the limits of the engine. I was thinking of heads a cam and a mini ram intake. But I’m not sure exactly what I would need and what works good together. This is my first engine build so I’m still a newbie when it comes to this stuff. I’d also like to do it on a budget. Something within 3-4K. Thanks for the help

 

Not sure about 400chp NA, but some years ago TPIS did a build up on (I believe) a '90 or '91 Vette that included heads, intake, cam, ignition and exhaust to get mid-upper 300s.

 

3 to 4,000 is really doable. The key is drivability.

In order to do this:

1. you will need to find a way to tune the car. someone, a shop a mail order someone that will tune the ECM. research this before you buy anything.

2. there is this kit from Summit Racing

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/tfs-k315-465-450

3. Summit can help put a kit together for you if you don't like that one.

4. headers will help put it up there. spend some time researching them

5. a 1988 is just a Gen 1 small block chevy. It doesn't have the issues to deal with that the 92 to 96 Gen2 engines have. there are so many parts available for the Gen1 engines.

6. Buy yourself a book and read. Invest a little to gain some knowledge. Cartech books has lots of automotive books. Get on their mailing list. They run specials for 1/2 off etc

https://www.cartechbooks.com/

I have acquired a nice library of auto related books from them

THEN THEN THEN you didn't say what type of transmission you have. If you have a stick car, you are in better shape than an auto car. If you have an auto car you will have exceeded the capacity of the transmission. If you baby it, drive like a granny, you will probably get by, in which case, why build the engine ? If you get on it with that kind of HP, you will. I repeat, will have the eventual, but all but guaranteed transmission failure.

 

That sounds about like one of my builds. I did have to put ported stock 113 heads on though with a thin head gasket (fel-pro 1094). I used the LT1 hot cam and tuned the stock computer myself. I have a dyno sheet somewhere I'll check.

 

 

Very nice. What intake did you run?

 

Member Tunedport90 has an interesting set of ported stock heads in the for sale section for $950.

I had my eye on them, would be a true bolt on head upgrade that would help get you to your 400 hp.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1596098250

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That's a mini ram dyno sheet. I've had combos with most of the intakes and prefer the MR. The 113 heads ported did better than I expected. IIRC the set I had was in the low 250's cfm at .5 lift. With the car lightened I had a best of 11.82 at 116 mph in the quarter.

 

Unless you change out the engine it will be very hard to make that kind of power "easily" out of the L98. If you change out the rear gears to a 4.11 or something like that you will get some great acceleration up to 4500 rpm.

For a short burst of power just stick a wet Nitrous Oxide kit but if it gets used too often you will need another engine. To make that kind of power you will need to replace the entire original intake system with one that doesn't limit the power levels. Then you have hood height issues. The C4 Corvette was never designed to have 400+ hp and parts will break. The more HP you want the deeper the pocket book requirements.

It might be a lot easier to update an newer C5, C6 or even C7 to make a lot of HP. The newer LS engine have incredible potential form making unbelievable power. That and a 6 speed would make a lot of fun. The only negative is it costs a lot if you can't do it yourself.

I have a 1968 C3 that is my "Go-Fast" car and my 1988 C4 is my Sunday go to meeting car. It was EASY to make power in the EARLY C3 Models as they have few limitations. The early C3 was designed for up to about 560 HP (the L88) and is fairly easy to work on. The engine in my C3 cost almost $9k by the time I finished rebuilding it.

How long have you had this C4? How many miles are on it? Is it an automatic or a manual transmission? How are the brakes on the C4?
The 1988 C4 has a One year only brake system. The ABS control unit behind the driver is what distributes the fluid to the four wheels. It only see's Front Left, Front Right, and Rear (both wheels). It is not easy to find people or parts that make the ABS system work properly.

I took my C3 out for a short spin to the store (with D.O.T. approved race tires) and I got to a light and accidentally dumped the clutch which then made many pieces out of my Half Shaft U-Joint splatter all over the road. Worse yet the local law enforcement showed up and thought I was being a squirrel on the roads. Then they started getting ready to PUSH my 52 year old fiberglass Corvette with bumper bars on the front of the cruiser. I stopped them and pushed the car off the road and then had to clean up the little pieces of shrapnel from the road. I had my wife grab a spare half shaft (with new U-Joints) and a magnetic broom to clean up the shrapnel. I went home and put the street tires back on it.

 

Saaaayyyy WHAT!? Dude...the C4 CAME with 405 hp, starting in '93! That isn't helping the OP...and it just plain WRONG. Bad information isn't helpful.

Also, the OP already said he is going to use a different intake....and we now know, (after 30 years of the C4) that there are plenty of intakes that fit under the hood.

Saaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy WHUT??? Can't do what yourself? Get a C5^?? The guy is asking about making ~340 RWHP which is totally doable with the 350 that's in his car.

Why do you bring up your '68 in nearly every thread. What does the '68 have to do with the OP's question (nothing)...or any C4 thread?? You think the C3 was "designed for up to about 580 hp"....but the C4 wasn't "Designed for 400 hp"?? Come on, man....give us a break here. I'd like to know where you came up with that "data"!
FYI the L88 never made "580" hp. Hate to break it to ya.

Aardwolf already showed us a basic combo that meets the goal above, @360 RWHP. Cam, heads, intake, exhaust and tuning should get the OP his goal.


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400 at the crank, very doable. Just need to think about the entire package to optimize it.

Stick or automatic? A4 will need a better TC than the wimpy 1500 rpm, more like 2400rpm, for a street car. 3.54 or 3.73 gears in a D36, unless you want to upgrade to D44. Stick you may want to think about flywheel or clutch upgrades at some point and gears.

TPiS or Hooker 1 3/4" headers into true duals. You can keep cats if you choose, but you must keep the o2 sensor. The headers will have bungs. Whatever catback you want based on sound preference.

If you want the MR, i'd upgrade to at least 180cc heads but porting out the stockers and redoing the valvetrain parts is an option, assuming you intend to keep the engine as a 350. 1.6RR as well.

Cam choice will then really determine your power level. Remember with the MR intake youve basically made the engine into something like the LT1/4 engine, so you'll need to look into their common cam choices. A cam with 220/230 duration @050" would be my choice, so LT4 hotcam, CC503, or TPiS has several choices they'll recommend.

You need not go inside the motor further to get to this power level.

You will need a custom chip made and let the tuner recommend the fuel injector size you use.

 

Too funny

 

The current setup is mostly stock. I put a set of 2149 super competition hooker headers along with a hooker y pipe. I assumed that when I do the engine build id have to go ahead and move from the y pipe to a true dual system. The car is an automatic unfortunately. I'm also dead set on keeping a c4 instead of upgrading to a c5 because the c4 body style is just gorgeous. I'm also not 100% set on the 400 goal im just looking for a nice boost in power and 400 seems like a great number. I was thinking of getting a set of 185 or 195 afr heads along with a zz4 cam. But im only going off of other forum posts. Does anyone know someone who does tunning on the c4s in Illinois near Chicago. I looked around a little and couldn't find much.

 

Yeah...sorry. I kind of went off, there.

 

i'd recommend the AFR 195 as I run those, if you want to spend that coin.

You dont have to dual it, its just a choice that I made when I eliminated cats.

ZZ4 cam would be a waste, too close to stock specs.

 

Im gonna go ahead and do some digging and see if I cant find some lightly used ones or a good deal somewhere 2k and around there is no small chunk of coin. As for cam what would be a good choice in that case.

 

I remember FAST added chips and reprogrammed. I went with a 383 and too wild so ended up going with a Big Stuff 3, no regrets except for the speeding tickets I get lol

 

The case if you stayed more close to stock? An Accel 74211 cam.

You have to understand, once you go with the MR intake your cam choice changes. If you put a 74211 in it now, it will not be optimized for a MR intake later. You'll need more cam once you put in the MR intake.

This is a package, build to a package. If you want to go with the MR, you need to pick the cam that goes with that as I recommended earlier.

 

this next year sometime during the summer I’m gonna go ahead and pull the motor and go ahead and do everything at once. Some I’m gonna need a cam that works well with the MR intake along with the heads. I’m just not very well versed on the differences cams and what everything means.

 

Maybe you could go a different direction? I've been keeping an eye out for some afr's too! Though I have been okay with the power these last combos have made on cheaper heads. I used a set of ported 113's awhile and now have IK200 on there that I got a deal on lightly used.