just a few questions, i executed a search but didn't come up with what i was looking for. how much troulble would i have at porting and polishing the lo3 heads and will the computer hate me for it? or should i attempt to install a set of vortec heads or will vortecs even install onto an l03? thanks for any input felllers!!

 

Your computer wont hate you. However you might find it kind of tough porting the 187's since they have a shroud which has a water jacket running through it, in other words, you cant get rid of it.

Vortecs would be a much better route IMO

 

so the vortec heads will work on my L03? thats what i would like to do in the first place!

 

I've had them on mine since 01.......do a search for Vortec

 

dumb question but are the vortecs direct bolt on's or what would i have to do to the Lo3? i have heard alot of good things about the vortecs would a throttle body from a pickup help with the flow or is this a waste of time? i haven't had much experience with computer controlled and am willing to learn all i can! thanks by the way for the replies!

 

The Vortec's as a head are a direct bolt on but you will have to get a "Vortec" style intake whether you buy a throttle body type or a carb type and use an adapter as I did. Go to some parts sites and see what's available.

 

Unless you have other mods planned (cam, headers chip work) I would skip a head swap. The stock heads can support almost 300 hp and with port work should surpass that amount. Whatever route you choose will be dictated by your ability to chip tune. It will be required.

 

i know i need to tune my chip but it seems like alot of work and i'm not a genius when it comes to chip burning. my brother has a lap top but but i haven't ever tried the process! all cars are not the same thats why a mail order chip wouldn't be beneficial so i guess i need to study up on it! if i ported and polished my heads wouldn't the computer diagnose the change and compensate for the added flow?
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i know i need to burn a new chip with the perf mods i want or have but i'm not sure on the process. i have a laptop i just haven't messed with prom tuning! all cars aren't the same so a mail order chip wouldn't be beneficial so i guess i need to study up on doing it. wouldn't the computer though, diagnose the extra flow and compensate for it??

 

i know i need to burn a new chip with the perf mods i want or have but i'm not sure on the process. i have a laptop i just haven't messed with prom tuning! all cars aren't the same so a mail order chip wouldn't be beneficial so i guess i need to study up on doing it. wouldn't the computer though, diagnose the extra flow and compensate for it??

 

It will see the added airflow at part throttle and adjust the long term fuel trim to help compensate (BLMs). It would not be the ideal scenario as the stock system is only designed to compensate about 10%. The better situation would be to increase the fuel pressure slightly and work with the chip.

 

I did not see whether or not you had the exhaust or anything else covered. I did headers, 3" exh., better breather and some chip work before adding a cam and then adding a performance intake and the Vortec heads.

 

dm91rs, what kind of power did you notice from the headers, exhaust, breather, and chip work? was it quite a bit noticable from stock? i used to have an 86 iroc that i installed a 3" exhaust onto and it made quite a bit a difference.

 

It was quite noticeable over stock. It would pull to higher rpms for sure.


It would have been better if I had more of an understanding back then about the timing tables and how much timing could be safely added.

 

i haven't installed the L03 yet, what size of stock exhaust will i have from the manifolds to the cat? i am planning on yanking out the cat and replacing it with a pipe and then a 3" catback from there. hopefully i can scrounge up enought fo a set of headers also when i install the catback that would help out with breathing quite a bit.

 

Probably 2 1/4" pipe all the way, i know my stock cat-back was 2 1/4, and i think the Y-Pipe was also 2 1/4"