I've had an L98 long block siting in my garage, untouched, for about 5 months. Problem is I dunno what to do with it. I have no direction. Every week I have a new idea. But, I really need to decide so I can start getting some x-mas presents.

I this will be my weekend warrior. It will see some track time and some stoplight drags. No emissions and don't care so much about mileage. I'd say a budget of no more than $2,500 (I hope). I also have a TH350 that will be rebuilt and a 9-bolt with 3.45s that will also go in.

So please gimme some ideas on what to do with this motor. Anything, be specific, and give some examples.

Thanks.

 

The $2500 is for the engine only, correct? The transmission and rear are a separate budget?

Work over the heads. Porting, whether yourself or shop (you'd save a good chunk of budget if you could do it yourself). 2.02/1.60" valves (a shop would need to do that). Screw-in or pin the press-in rocker studs.

Cam - a roller type something on the order of a Comp XE274 or XE282 (or whatever their exact # is for a roller-type cam). You can reuse your factory roller lifters if they are in decent shape. Get valve springs that match the cam.

Shortblock rebuild (assuming it needs it) with flattop pistons. Go with forged if you can, otherwise hypereutectic would be fine as long as you don't spray it.

ARP rod bolts, resize the rods, turn the crank, Federal Mogul bearings.

RPM Air Gap intake, Holley 750 double pumper.

Does that leave you anything for exhaust? Hope that's covered. And a torque converter to match the cam.

 

Vortec heads are a great budget item as well. $528 to your door from Summit. Do a mild port job to clean them up as well. I have dumped about $2500 in my engine so far, not counting a torque converter.

I had a set of heads, I can't rember the cast number. They needed porting work done but after that they would be great heads. Minus the port work I would have spent the same amount of money at a machine shop to make them usable again. The downside though with the vortecs is you have to take extra steps to make them work with a high lift cam.

 

Yeah $2500 for the engine.

 

Anybody else have some input?

 

Looks like I'm selling the heads. I guess new heads go on the list.