well, i just got the heads off my car today... an 85 corvette L98 with a 4+3 ...

now im thinking, is it worth heads while im in there?? what kind of cost involved.... maybe heads and headers...

AND since the car will be 20 years old next tiem i need inspection.. i think i can change to antique/hot rod plates and dont have to worry about emmission.... take all the air stuff off and buy headers without.. (im in upstate NY ???)

my friends seem to thing you could get a set of heads that woud give a nice performance increase for $300 ish and headers for 150 ish (with out AIR ) one odd thing is that as i expected the air tubes go into teh manifold by a good quarter inch but one is almost like mostly gone and peened down... ill try and post a pic...

by the looks of all teh carbon deposits it 3was runnign rich which aso seemed so ion m guage.. would the intake manifold leak that initiated this be the culprit?

what do you guys think? only thing is i sort of have to decide quick cause if i decide no, then im putting it back together tomarrow...

well i guess ill port stuff before i put it back on, so maybe a little while but... i havent decided if i want to chage anything like that perminantly from stock...btw its an 85 with 85k miles.... i can try to post some pics when i get them from my friend who had the camera....

let me know what you guys think and what performace increase i would see?

vortec heads and some simple headers?

Tj

 

on an engine that old, with that many miles, pull it and do it right.

 

not really an option in the parking lot....

im not seeing any heads as cheap as my friend seemed to think.. i cant find much for under like $300 a piece.... maybe he meant each, but i didnt think so....

you really think its risky to replace the heads without touching the bottom end stock?
tj

 

Pull the heads and send them to the guy below for a valve job and porting, for $350 you can beat the improvement that you will get. Your only other option is buying some new heads that will be at least $900 or more.

Then port the intake and runners yourself and pick up some headers, The car will still be stock but you can pick up maybe 30-40 HP if the heads and air flow is optimized.


http://www.lesport.8m.com/lesport2.html

 

Buy some low mile 113 heads and slap 'em on. $350 isn't going to do much for your 85 iron heads.

Eric

 

I may have missed the memo, but why did you pull the heads in the first place? Just curious. You might be able to find a deal on some 113's in that price range, but I think you might need a different base manifold. Hopefully someone can confirm that and the increase in compression not being too high by swapping to 113's.

Where abouts in Upstate NY are you? To get historic plates your car must be 25 years old. I haven't seen anything about an emissions exemption on historic vehicles regardless of age. That would be nice though. That means I can finally get my car inspected and have it pass in 2013!

It can be a risky endeavour to make major top end mods on a worn bottom end. I cooked a high mile engine doing that same thing. There's nothing like doing it right the first time when facilities and money allow but I wouldn't want to pull an engine in a parking lot.

 

Either L98 aluminum heads or Vortec heads require an intake manifold base change, so it's not quite as simple or cheap as it would first appear. Headers for $150.00? Send me a set. It will cost more that that for the ceramic coating. I would suggest a LOT of research before you jump off the deep end and find out you're in over your head. Good luck, and...

RACE ON!!!

 

also why the tare-down

 

reason: intake manifold was leaking bad in multiple places.... and i talekd to my friend/mechanic on the side and he said well for another $30 you can get the whole gasket kit and do it since you are already downt aht deep.... of course it turns out they looked pretty good, but thats ok i got to see the inside and touch my pistons... but idk waht i want to do abotu heads.... yea i actually have now found some headers for $125 with no air but also an air convertions kit with some drilllign and welding for $60... what exactly are 113 heads? anyone know of anyoen tryign to pawn off the newer (88+ ??) aluminum heads?

im also tryign to decide if i want to port the intake as you said too... i found a nice site to show how to simease them, or shold i stick with jsut some porting... i noticed alot of obstrucitons in the heads too obviously but once i touch them i ahve to take everything apart and clean cause of the chips...id leave that to the experts...

so i guess ill look for some 113 heads on the same intake... what gain? waht compression ratio? wqhat else would need to be changed/involved?

also im wondering if non coated headers are worth it withthe welding on teh air and all.. ill def clean up /port mine with the air tubes sticking in and all...

 

*If your gonna pull the heads, and the intake, then pull the rad and put in a cam


*(see DOMINO EFFECT)

 

The #113 Al heads are the D-ported heads that came on '88-'91 Vette L98s. IF you pick up a set of these heads, pocket port them and install LPE 2.00"/1.56" valves along with a 5-angle valve job.

Your stock cam is .2733"/.282" lift so stock 1.5:1 rockers give .410"/.423" lift. If you retain that cam and instll 1.6:1 RRs lift goes to .437"/.451"; with 1.7:1 RRs it becomes .465"/.480". So, maybe you can combine a nice new flat tappet cam with RRs to get good lift and a nice power boost along with the head work.

The siamese intake base is a good idea to improve top end breathing to take advantage of cam & head changes. Since your stock A4 has a 2,000rpm TC you won't notice the small loss of low end torque (actually with heads & cam work you won't lose low end, just won't gains quite so much).

If you exhaust system is already free flowing the LT headers should net a 15-20chp gain. If they aren't ceramic coated in/out be sure to have it done for max life, appearance and performance.

 

ok so i was thinkign abotu those heads.... what could i find soem for? the weight saving swoudl be nice too.. (enough to send off balance?)

also can someone itimize thigns a bit? how mcuh i could expect to get rockers for and how mcuh gain... how hard a cam change woudl be, (dont think i want to do that in the parkign lot) maybe longer pushrods? and how mcuh i can go on the stock valve springs... i can port te intake.. basically the car before was bone stock with a k & N and a strait pipe.... (is a 2.5" y-pipe stock?) and mufflers which idk waht they are... i ahve to lean down there again...

not looking to spend too much, if any, prob $500 max... what to roller rockers run? and do tehy still clear the stock valve covers? what about headers? im thinkign iw odlnt gain too mcuh witht eh intake not breathign well... i know its gonan be tuff to say gains of each since they work together but can youg guys give it a shot? and prices..

im thinking the car was runnign so rich and there is carbon everywhere ias cause of the intake manifold leak..

also any tips on reassebly... right now i ahve the heads off and hte hood jsut closed... and im spraying it down with wd-40 oncein a while... unfortunalty i didnt think abotu the pushrods (we pulled then and kept them in order in the side pocket of a binder, but the got some surface rust on them overnight.... how clean up best?

im also still a lbit leary of takign a dremel to my intake... lol and the fact that it would no longer be possible to return to stock...

prob jsut cleanign parts tonight... here we go....

btw i think im gonan jsut use water and brake cleaner to clean everything but jsut make sure its dry when done.. and if i port the intake opbviously make sure no dust or chips left behind..... i cant port the heads withought removing the valves and springs and all and making sure they stay clean and free of debree right? im assumign i wont bother.....

keep any advice comming...
tj

 

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