ok so if i get 1.6 rocker arms for my stock lo3 heads do i need to get new valve springs or will i be ok with the stock ones for now?
and if i got new valve springs what ones should i get?

 

well the problem is lift. if you go over .480 lift then you'll be hitting valve guides. also installing aftermarket springs could pull the studs out of the heads. screw in studs would be better. but at that point and time your pulling the heads off of the car. so you might as well put different heads in too. crazy huh?

 

Thats around .410 in. ish lift with the stock cam, I would not bother to change the springs, neither the rockers

 

to the OP

again, you are all over the map on this forum. You have gone from definitely doing all of the following: LS1 swap, boring the LO3, turbocharing the LO3, LT1 cam install and who knows what else.

Please, what are you really looking to do and what is your honest budget (real cash to spend). I'm not being mean but someone is whispering bad advice into your ear and I think you've been told that performance can be done for the cheap.

1.6 RR's are a waste of time and money on the LO3. Heck, they are a waste on the L98 as well (flame suit on)

The aluminum headed LT1 is the engine where 1.6's begin to make an actual difference.

Anyway, you can replace rr's but it's good policy to also use new springs. So, that means you'll need to inject air into your cylinders to stop the valves from dropping. And, since you are there, why not some new seals since it's already apart.

Your net gains????? maybe 1 or 2 RWHP because the heads on the LO3 stink stink stink and the stock cam is pathetic. It's a smog era non performance engine.

IMHO, 3rd gens are good looking vehicles and you should get yours looking good with a good interior.

So, if you are looking for increased performance on the LO3 from rr's then you are barking up the wrong tree. With respect to cost benefit, it's at the bottom of the list.

have someone put in 3.55:1 gears for you. It might not make more power but it will make you enjoy a little more head snapping. The LO3 in its stock design chokes out at around 4k rpm's while more modern designs are just geting into their HP curve

Let me be brutally honest. Unless you have a minimum of $5k sitting around for performance and supporting mods then work on the appearances. (pay note to "supporting mods" was also mentioned and I assume most of the work done with your own 2 hands)

 

the car is in near perfict condition and money isn't much of a problem and neather are the tools to do the job I work a a garage and have my own garage at home to do almost anything right now I'm working on finishing the suspention and rear end in the car I have a 9 bolt rear end with disc brakes and posi and the 3.70 gears from hawks so the rear end is set I'm just looking for somthing that will give the car a littel more power I know the motor wasn't made for it .

 

that's the ticket.

a decent paint job, some nice wheels and a clean interior and these vehicles look sharp. Save your money for when it can be done right but in the meantime, work on the appearences.

On birds, I really like those wire spoke looking rims. i don't know what they are called but they look sharp as heck.

 

Crosslace name on 3rd gen, Snowflakes name on 2nd gens.

 

if money is no object then lets do an engine swap!

 

agreed. But, you must learn to back off in forums. The OP has stated that he was

doing an LS1 swap
boring it out .040 for performance reasons
installing a turbocharger
installing an LT1 cam

but, what "money is no object" means to you might be something entirely different to the OP. I would budget $5,000 and hope to come in under budget. Maybe he was thinking a much smaller number???

I asked for the dollar figure but received no response thus I now back away. It makes no sense to me at all to try and add performance to an LO3 if you are going to LS1, turbo, LT1 cam or bore it anyway

 

I know I was being a smartass. haha.

really need to pick an engine platform and go with it...

 

ok well can somone answer my question what would be good valve springs to get for the car ? i dont want to here your bs about what i post and how i shouldnt build the lo3 but its my money and i have a bike so if i want to go fast ill just ride that im not trying to make the car fast yet i just dont want it to be so stock i want it to be diff from my friends birds and camaros

 

ok well really you dont have to change the springs, but id get the springs recomended for teh edelbrock perfomer camshaft for the 87-95 tbi engines. those would work fine.

 

would you happen to have the part number for them?

 

hmmm, gets nasty but then asks for more help................

anyway, if you raise your right hand and swear not to exceed 5k rpms too often (LO3's make no power there anyway so why) then the stock springs would suffice. You don't want valve float but you aren't building a high revving engine

but, if you honestly know the future plans, then invest in the future. What are your honest plans? If it's a gen 1 SBC maybe someday then spend a little more and get beehive springs which you could then transfer over to the new powerplant. yes, good ones are double the price but if your plans are for a high revving capable engine then buy them now. With new springs it makes sense to get new retainers and definitely install new seals. Do you have access to an air compressor with a spark plug hole tip? If not, buy some extra long shoe laces and cut off the hard tips and use the shoe lace trick.

I will again say that the rr's won't give you anything that you will even notice but, replacing the valve seals is always a good thing.

 

no I would not.

I tend to agree with Torque about buying beehive springs and then swapping them to a different engine later.

but as for the edelbrock springs, look up the perfomer camshaft kit, most likely thier will be a parts you also might need to the right of it and it should show the springs

 

What are the beehivesprings and will they pull the studs out of the head? Or will they work with the pressed in studs?

 

I have this bookmarked because i've sent it to others before. It does a good job of explaining in layman's language. Again, I would only go with new springs if you are absolutely sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will be changing your engine in short order, have the money to do it, and will be going for a non stock cam. That is why I said if you are, then buy them now and re-use them later. If you aren't sure, and just want to slap in some new rr's for giggles (because you won't get performance gains), then do it and don't make any other changes. Well, maybe a new valve cover gasket and why not a chrome breather? i think those look neat.

oh, do you see any puffs from the tailpipe when you start the car or maybe during decelleration? If so, then replace the seals while you are there but you will need the air compressor with fitting or at least long shoelaces.

And one last thing. Since you are there, you may as well do a compression check after the new seals and see how things look in the cylinders. be sure to do dry and wet

I hope you have headers because it's a pain in the butt otherwise

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...s/viewall.html

 

Ok so I plan on keeping the block but in time changing everything else out so should I get the springs and put them on then just put them on the new heads when I get them? And yes I have a full header back exhaust and open element with a new oil breather so I'm good there I'm just looking to get the small things out of the way now befor winter cause its my every day car and then do the big stuff like new heads and cam when I put it away for the winter

 

Ditch the open element & build yourself a CAI. Your sucking in more air yes, but less oxygen than a CAI would give your engine which is what you need.

 

shoot, if that's the real plan then I wouldn't even mess wit rockers. Just wait until you pull the heads. But, I would do a compression test before anything. Maybe your "make ready" time should be spent on things like getting a hayden fan switch which allows you to adjust when the cooling fan kicks on. How about 4 new shocks? You can get them very reasonably from streetside auto and Monroes are just fine.

Those are things from which you will derive benefits regardless of the engine, aka money well spent

 

Already have bilstines and ground control weight jacks and a fan swich.

And what is a CAI ?

 

CAI=cold air induction

 

are you keeping the car?

is it coming off the road for the winter and will it be in an enclosed area?

paint paint paint paint

lower it, lower it, lower it

dropped just an inch with a nice paint job and the 3rd gens look awesome. Tint the windows too.

Forget the performance stuff. Lower it, some nice wheels, a good paint job and tinted windows and watch all the looks it gets in parking lots and at cruise nights.

 

that is very true but if he wants to make the car fast he can he just needs to go about it the right way

 

the paint is all original except for 2 spot but you can't tell body shop did a great job blending the rims are brand new stock formula rimsi have ground control weight jacks so its lowered and I had to take my windo tint off so I could get out of some tickets but yeah the looks are great so now I'm looking for some power not a lot just some more than stock

 

And yes the car is going away for the winter in a garage with plenty of room to do almost anything

 

Stupid thread.

Keep the factory springs.

Making an LO3 "fast" is like making a pig "beautiful" its a waste of time/money. Ask me how i know? im doing it. Heres an idea

3in Catback+high flow cat $450

Hooker Headers(coated) $460

EBL ($450? dont remember)

Edelbrock Intake $125

Open element $40

FPR + gauge $60

Nitrous equipment $619 + 178 + 125 + 300 = wtf?

Theres more im forgetting.

Oh and COUNTLESS hours driving around the city tuning trying to unlock some hidden power from this engine with its shitty heads

Could easily be sitting on a 5.7 TPI for that price, REAL easy. And have more power + better build platform.

 

nah, because you'd still need the exhaust

but, wrt trying to make an LO3 or L98 have more performance it's as if everyone forgets the era when those engines were used. It was not a performance era. Come on, Honda got all excited in 1986 when they enlarged the Accord and it had a whopping 98HP. Toyota pickups had upwards of 100 HP!!!!! Fuel injection was an option

People were towing trailers with the S10 Blazers using a 120HP 2.8 V6

so, 170 HP was a lot for the times. 200HP was crazy back then. Look into the L48 engine in the vettes in the late 70's. Those were the times and in 1978 and 1979 the fastest production vehicle was a pickup truck (Dodge lil red express)

If you hop into any newer vehicle and then try to compare it to an L98 or LO3 then you aren't being fair.

think about it. If have a big mean and nasty L98 (I'm being facetious) and dump good money into it, it will almost match the output of the newer V6 engines from Ford and Nissan and it won't be as street friendly to drive or get the fuel economy.

 

slow old car > fast new car

 

absolutely agree

look at car shows and cruise nights. People walk around the 60's and 70's era vehicles and look at the lines, the paint job and then look at the engines. They don't care if the thing is an anemic 307 or a 383 stroker. If it's chromed and clean that's all that matters.

I did a 4th gen Z to give to my son. I then was going to do either an SN95/new edge stang or a 3rd gen. I went backwards to the 3rd gen and restored one. I wasn't looking for performance.

My next vehicle, if I can find one will be a late 60's Rambler American and I'll make it a Scrambler clone.