1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade
 

I have been looking for a crate engine for my 1990 Corvette with 400+ Hp. The problem is every time I talk to a company they either can not sell me a engine that will work with my computer system or there are so many modifications to be made it almost doubles the price of the engine. My drive train is complete to handle the power am am just looking for a company that sells crate engines that can be installed with the least hassle. My current engine is fine, it's just a dog! Would rebuilding be cheaper in this case. Any advise would be appreciated!!! Vettefast :banghead:

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (vettefast)
 

I'm pretty sure there a number of places that sell 383 crate engines. I's think with a reprogram, you'd be good to go.I'm sure someone will chime in with specifics.

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (vettefast)
 

Check GM crate motors... they have some nice small blocks that will drop in.

you WILL have to upgrade the electronics, tho.

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (FoolCrzy)
 

Thanks, If so I am looking for it to be complete less maybe less my intake. Vettefast

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (bogus)
 

Do you mean through burning a new chip or all new electronics? Vettefast

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (vettefast)
 

New chip will need to be burned....

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (vettefast)
 

'90 is a speed-density system so any significant upgrades will require new programing. A chip is one way to do this but I wouldn't do it that way because the fuel and spark curves you get will be sombody elses guesswork. Not optimum. A better (also more expensive) way to go is with a programable computer. That way you can keep tweeking your programing until you get every last HP your engine has to offer. A chip might short you 50 or so. Also with a programable computer you can store different programs for max HP, fuel economy, emmisions, your kid driving the car, ect... and change them with a few keystrokes on your laptop while your driving down the road.

Here's the setup I'd go with if I had the money

427 SB http://www.worldcastings.com/docs/03catalog/engines.pdf

EDL-3891 http://www.summitracing.com/

D-1 with intercooler http://www.procharger.com/

Sequential system with WBO2 http://www.whiteracing.com/complete.html

But for now I can only dream...

Anybody want to make a donation to the Bob-Goes-Fast fund?

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (Joe90)
 

These guys have some very impressive catre engines and are pretty reasonable in price; http://www.worldcastings.com/

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (rkessel)
 

MY KID DRIVING MY VETTE! HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the extra info. The company that burned my chip has advised me that when I change over if they do not burn the chip to my satisfaction they will reburn it. Like you I am limited in funding. Vettefast

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (vettefast)
 

What's your budget? Your REALISTIC budget...
-Jeb

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (Zix)
 

Thanks! I have already sent a email to them for there options Vettefast

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (jburnett)
 

For the cost of the engine I can spend/want to spend between $4000-5000. vetefast

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (vettefast)
 

you can build a 383 for that, but, and I cannot emphasize this enough, you cannot use the factory TPI and expect to get any power.

That intake was designed for the 305. it works fair there, on a 350, it's a choke, on a 383, it's a joke.

Mini-Ram, Super-Ram... LT1 intake conversion... anything but a TPI.

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (bogus)
 

:confused:

:nonod: On that I will HAVE to disagree.

I'm putting out 415 FWHP with a 355 cu./in. L98 through a LTR TPI.

You CAN make power with the stock-style TPI, just need to do your homework first.

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (Joe90)
 

YOU DO NOT HAVE A STOCK TPI!

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (ZD1)
 

uh.....DUH!!!

His statement was That, to me, says that the stock-STYLE TPI intake (modified or not) isn't capable of producing the power.

I am disagreeing that you can't make power with a LTR TPI....it can and has been done.

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (Joe90)
 

ok. I stand corrected that a MODIFIED TPI will make power. I was implying that a STOCK TPI was junk....

but, to that extent, you are about maxing out what a TPI will do. I don't think you have 20 more hp to find within it.

you may find that installing a miniram or superram gets you more power, too... but only testing that theory would work, and I am not suggesting you throw $$ after this...

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (bogus)
 

What is an LTR TPI? I tried searching through the forum, and could not find anything.

Trey

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (Trizney)
 

LTR TPI = Large Tube Runner Tuned Port Induction.

As for your budget it greatly depends on how far you want to go... I can build you a nice, cast crank/forged piston 383 for a little over $5k but the induction would add additional cost.

Or, and nobody's mentioned this: You could simply do a heads/cam/induction swap on your stock short block. Provided your bottom-end is in good condition (perform a leakdown test) you can pretty easily achieve 400 hp on the factory 350. You can go one of two ways for heads; have your stock ones reworked with a good port job and larger valves. Or you could simply buy a set of aftermarket heads like AFR's 190's or Edelbrock's RPM's, or several others out there. Then choose a good cam; a lot of people like the LPE 219 cam and the LT4 'Hot' cam but I've got one that I prefer over them...Regardless a good 'street' cam is what you want. Roller rockers, long-tube headers and a good exhaust system. Then add either a large mouth base manifold and big runners/siamesed runners or an Accel SuperRam; then throw a good tune at it (call ski_dwn_it). That will give you an honest 400-425 hp at the crank. I ran this combo on my '90 for several years and it ran 12'oh's on motor on street tires, dipped into the high 11's on drag radial and with a 150 shot of N2O went 10.80's (until the 150 shot took out #8). You can do this for roughly $3k....
-Jeb

Re: 1990 C4 400+ HP crate engine Upgrade (jburnett)
 

Thanks, I really got a lot of info on that one! I am going to seriously consider both options! Either way i want to hit 400+ by spring. your comments really helped me out! Vettefast :thumbs: