I am buying a motor from someone. He says that it is a L98 but he doesn't know what year camaro it is out of, he thinks that it is from 87-89. I believe him when he says that it is a L98 but I want to make absolutely sure. If I get the casting numbers will I be able to tell that it is an L98 350 motor?? Also the only special thing about the L98 motor was that it has a roller cam and lifters correct? Anything else?

Also I am putting this in my 85' IROC that currently has a 305 TPI in it. Will everything transfer over ok? I know that I need to change the Knock sensor. Will I need to reprogram my ECU?

Thanks

 

Back of the block behind the head it will say 5.0 for 305 LB9 or 5.7 for L98.

 

Gonna need a 350 prom, and the 350 injectors also. There are tons of guys that have done this swap on the TPI board I'm sure...

 

L98 was GM's code for a 350 motor, there will be No such identification the block only casting numbers which can be decoded on Mortec web site.

 

The 350 I pulled out of my 88' IROCZ had the engine code behind the passenger head on a ledge: 14093638 Mortec shows 87-95, but that includes cars/trucks with carb, TBI, and TPI.

 

I believe you will need to swap to the 86-89 165 ecm to run a 350 eprom as well.

 

so is there any way to tell if it is the roller motor by the casting numbers? Or do I need to take it appart to tell?

 

Date code will tell you if it is a "roller" block. In 86, one piece center bolt valve covers were introduced. Correct me if Im wrong. In 87, rollers were introduced. Some 86 blocks are set up for roller, but you would have to disassemble to check. Also in 87, the center intake bolt angles were changed. If you remove a valve cover, and if you have the aligning stamped steel rockers, it might be a roller. I say "might" because GM sells the dimpled rocker for all replacements now. They could have been replaced, but I doubt it.

 

so is the TPI from my 85' going to work?? Since the angle changed??

 

Anything can be made to work. If you can look at the replacement engine, and see the intake bolt angles, it will narrow it down for you on the year, providing the heads were not replaced. You can touch up the holes with a file, or die grinder on your intake. Does the replacement engine have the manifold installed, is it a long block, or what?

 

I was told that it is a stock L98 long block from 87'-89' camaro or TA. So will I just need to make the center holes in my intake bigger? and it does not have the intake installed.

 

Yup, i believe the angle you want to elongate them to is 72 degrees.



Disregard this last part of the post....wasn't thinking straight.

BTW...If you have a 305 TPI now, why couldn't you use the 305 intake? It already has the correct angle center bolts, right?

 

that was my question. I was under the impression that my 85' 305 intake has different bolt angles than the 87'-89'.
I want to use my 85' stuff, I just wanted to make sure that it would work.

 

Not sure about an OEM intake. I do know that the Accel, and TPIS bases do have the holes set up for either style heads.

 

I can peek thru my heads into the lifter valley, although thy're fast burn aluminum head, If you can do this with L98 heads you'll se the spider lifter retainer if it's a roller.

 

Perfect , look in the big pit on top of the block and see if there is a flimsy piece of metal that looks -loosly- like a spider bolted in there. Or look for dogbones, etc.

 

Riiight, what he said.....LOL
It's a roller if you see anything like this...

(thanks to formulajokester for the pic)