I'm trying now to consider my cylinder head options for my new engine that are out there, at first I planned to just give the L98 cast iron heads a valve job and put them back on. If I were to find some Vortec heads for pretty cheap that might be a better way to go though I'm considering because I have to buy a new intake anyway. Will I need anything else added to the L98 longblock to use the vortecs (will the stock pushrods, lifters, rockers all work with them. Also, I'm pretty sure the vortecs don't have egr on them, is there any way I can pass emissions without egr, they only use a sniffer test here in Chicago by running it at many different rpm on a chassis dyno.

 

All of your stock valvetrain will work fine with the vortec heads. To use egr with that setup I believe you have to plumb it into the exhaust manifold itself. I just pulled my egr crap off, kansas has no emissions as of yet.

Just check your pushrods for straightness by rolling them across a table, and it is also good to make sure the oil bleeder holes are clean inside of them.

 

BronYrAur,

"And in the Evening..."

Sorry, I was just gettin' the Led out.

Those stock L98 castings can be opened up to support larger valves, larger intake port volumes, and much better flow if you have the tools and time. What casting numbers do you have on them? You might be able to make some decent flowing heads from what you already have, thereby keeping the EGR and stock design intake. The Vortecs would need some work anyway, especially if you're improving the cam specs. Either way, you'll need springs and retainers, so they can be assembled on either head. Your choice.

 

Hey thanks Vader, I was hoping someone would say something along those lines, I just figured the vortecs were better all around but then I just looked at someone's setup I think it was maybe rich92rs350 (somethin like that) I think I saw he had the L98's and it dynoed at like 317hp. Maybe I'll just stick with these heads now then and put the money into work on them. Also, as far as casting numbers go, I'm not sure on the numbers but the engine is from an '89 Firebird so I'm sure you guys probably know those heads (it looked like an "838" on one of the heads too).

Also, man Vader you're the only one to catch the Zeppelin reference I guess people just aren't into that anymore.