How much of an h.p. gain can I expect if i get a set of L98 heads and port/polish them and get a 3 angle valve job and mill them to 58cc w/super thin gaskets??? Is it worth it, should I just get sime ready to go aftermarkets??? #0- 40 horse over my L69 heads sure would be nice.

 

check out the flow numbers of the L98 heads at http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/ . They have a section on cylinder head flow data. The L98s don't look very impressive at all compared to even the old 882 heads. I'll bet your heads would probably flow similiar numbers to the L98s.

 

unless you're getting deals on the labor, i think i'd bolt on a set of stock vortecs instead.

after the cost of buying, then porting, polishing, milling, and then the valve job on the L98 heads, you probabily will have been able to buy a set of vortecs outright. Sounds like a very expensive proposition especially for a set of heads that will never truely be that great...

My personal opinion/motto when it comes to cylinder heads, is to buy them as you want to run them. I bought a pair of fastburns for the 406 in my '71, and after the money i spent to get the spring pockets machined out for big springs (i'm running a mechanical roller), new retainers, new springs, (not to mention the springs and retainers that came with the fastburns which are now useless to me), I could have just bougth a pair of AFR's and bolted them on and arguably have had a better head to start with.

 

If money is tight, and you want Vortec like performance, just port and polish your current 305 heads! I show you how when you click the link at the bottom of my sig,