88CamZ

I need to know the easiest route to take in getting my 88 Iroc-Z back on the road. Can I take any GM 350 and swap my TPI setup onto it or should I have the engine rebuilt? I don't know the extent of the damage to the original engine but I did find a golf ball sized hole in the side of my oil pan, so I'm assuming it may be severe. I know these words don't really go together but I'm looking for the cheapest and painless way to get my car running again.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Yes, you "can". Well, almost any, anyway; there are minor detail differences like intake bolt angle, valve covers, crank bolt pattern, and dipstick location; but most of those are barely even inconveniences, let alone show-stoppers.

"Be happy with" .... that's a whole other matter.

88CamZ

So what exactly should I be looking for to make this as painless as possible? Just wanting to swap my TPI setup and all accessorys over.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Best and eeeeeziest would obviously be a 87 - 92 F-body L98.

Good luck with that.

Other options are pretty much all downhill from there. As far as "eeeeeezie", a truck/Caprice L05 (TBI 350) probably comes next; but if you're already underwhelmed by your L98, that will leave you feeling like you just lost the other half of your testicular fortitude and will have your adult male card revoked. Probably at least a 25 HP hit to your already anemic (by modern standards) L98.

And it mostly just gets worse from there.

Main exception would be, a 96-2000 truck motor; but that would require the $$$$$$$ Vortec base $$$$$$$. Not difficult but not cheeeeeeeeep either.

Although, if you didn't destroy your heads when you ventilated your motor and they're still the OE L98 ones, you could use a L05 short block, and put your heads on it; and that would mostly avoid any serious downgrades to your car's competitiveness.

Sometimes there IS NO "painless"; ya gotta just select among the various forms of pain that are available and take the one that hurts the least. Give up whichever body part you feel like you can get along with the best without, so to speak.

88CamZ

So the truck/caprice LO5 block with my OE L98 heads should basically be as close to factory replacement as far as power besides an F-body L98? How do you go about selecting a L05 short block? And you talked about the 96-2000 vortec motor, is there more "work" required to make that work or is it as "easy" as swapping my TPI stuff over and dropping it in?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Yes the L05 short block is real close to the same as the L98 short block.

Certainly, not by the lowest price... I'd look for one that's clean; came out of a clean well-maintained vehicle that was in great shape and got crashed, or that has cracked heads (since you're going to throw that trash away anyway... if you can find a motor you don't have to pay for the parts you're just going to throw in the trash, you're acoupla $$$$ ahead); not all filthy and groaty and Quaker-Stated inside; clean; the least possible ring ridge; clean; low-mileage is good but don't get too hung up on it.

Oh, and I forgot to mention: CLEAN. As in, not covered with a half-inch of oil-leak grunge and caked-on mud on the outside, and not full of sludge and crusties and unmentionables on the inside.



Young man, wash your mouth out with soap. We'll not have that kind of language around here, those filthy vile 4-letter words.

Yes that's kinda the point... the deal with the Vortec short block is, they're on average a decade or so newer than L05s will be; the FI system is better, so the cyl walls and rings are usually in better shape; and the heads are a HOT item but you can't reall use em without spending giga$$$$, so short blocks are either eeeeeeeezie to find, or you can buy whole motors and arbitrage the heads and maybe score yerself a cherry short block for well below market value. Only difference at that point will be, the funky timing cover; but AFAIK none of it gets in the way of anything.

88CamZ

I really appreciate your quick responses sofakingdom. So basically I have 2 options either go with a CLEAN L05 short block swap over L98 heads, TPI and acessories and drop in or, find a NEWER vortec short block pawn off the vortec heads and replace with my OE L98 heads, TPI setup and accsessories and drop it in. Which route do you recommend? What about camshafts which is better L05 or Vortec? And when I asked about selecting a short block how to I distinguish one from another or are they all short-blocks?

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Neither; they are both set up for their own situations, and are not appropriate to TPI, which imposes very unique and specific design constraints on the cam profile. Either move your existing L98 cam over (assuming it's not broken... don't bet on that) or get one of the TPI-specific cams in the marketplace. My recommendation would be, for an otherwise stock L98-ish motor, the Comp "502" grind http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-08-502-8 and the matching recommended valve springs with their hardware.

For a short block, look at the block casting #. The TBI ones will be casting # 638 (same as your late L98) and the Vortec ones will be 880. Vortec motors have a plastic timing cover with a crank pos sensor in it.

If I were looking for a short block and expecting to find one in near runnable condition (not wore-out) I'd concentrate on newer ones.

88CamZ

Alright I'm back and think I'm gonna go a different route, but wanted to get your input first. Think I'm gonna check into having it rebuilt, guy says I should be able to get a stock rebuild done for right at $1000 maybe a hair more. Given there was no internal damage same guy has suggested using LT1 rods and pistons for their strength and says it should only bump compression up by .2 and should be OK with my current PROM chip. My other question is you suggested using the COMP cam, if I were to rebuild using the LT1 rods and pistons and using this comp cam do you know if it's gonna require a burnt PROM chip or should my existing be fine with the changes?

88CamZ

Anybody??