Just realized the intake manifold on the engine that was swapped into my car before I bought it belongs to an L81 corvette. Now I'm assuming this 350 under the hood is an L81. at first i was liek sweet, corvete motor, woohoo. but then i ready that it has 8.2:1 compression.

is this motor a huge hunk of crap or what? Besides dropping a blower on it i dont see any way of this thing ever makin my car faster than my saturn station wagon.

 

Well, it has dished pistons and large 76cc heads. Those pistons with a pair of Vortec 350 heads, which can be had new for $540/pr assembled, plus shipping, which claim to be 64cc but are actually more like 62cc, would put your 350 around 9.6:1 with FelPro steel shim head gaskets.
Then add a cam like a COMP XE268H-10, and an aftermarket intake manifold and headers with Y-pipe, and a 3" cat-back, and you should see close to 400 horses.
If you have emissions testing, GM Perf. parts offers 2 EGR versions of the Edelbrock Performer, one is carbureted, the other TBI. Scoggin Dickey offers a TPI lower intake for vortec heads.
This isn't your only hope. Other ideas include Edelbrock Performer Centerbolt heads, which spec as 60 cc, and give results near comparable to the GM Vortecs, or a pair of ZZ4 heads. Either of these, being aluminum, will shave around 50 pounds off the front of your nose-heavy car. Plus they don't require a Vortec-specific intake.
Also, if you have emissions testing, I'd say drop back to COMP's XE262H-10.

 

Have no emmissions requirements, plated as collector car. It's an 84. Has headers already and 2.5 inch y-pipe and 2.5 inch cat, with 3" cat back.

Didnt think about it having dished pistons, I guess i could even put a 52cc head on there and get slightly more than 10.5, and if they are aluminum that should keep me away from detonation. You think that, and either a performer RPM or a super victor intake with a demon 650 would do it?

as far as drivablility, i want it very streetable, with a curve similar to that which i discussed in the post about the rear end setup that you replied to (Atilla). where would that leave me with cam options?

Oliver

 

I looked at those zz4 heads, not bad, about 500 a piece assembled with 58cc chambers. That would pump it up to 10:1 compression and that's playin it safe.

Got a question though, with the raised D ports on the ZZ4 heads, will the headers i have now fit, or am I gonna have to reinvest in new ones?

 

Everyone assumes a Vette engine is the best when f-body engines are just as good. They were just derated on paper to make the Vette engine look better. With the amount of aftermarket parts available, Vette engines are nothing special like they were 30+ years ago.

Get the numbers that are stamped on a pad in front of the passenger side head. That will tell you a lot more about the original engine.

 

Generally, most headers can be used with those heads. Before starting, find a gasket that will seal both your headers and those heads.
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Oh, those heads. The reason I love them is because back when I had access to a new SuperFlow 1020 flowbench, my first attempt with them, with 1.94" /1.50" valves, netted me some excellent flow and swirl. Near 250 / over 200 cfm at reasonable lift. 2.00" intake valves pushed them past 250. But unported, they flow nowhere near the iron Vortec truck heads on the intake side.

 

Yea I was looking into those vortecs too, but the whole iron thing kinda pushed me away. I'd love to lose 50 pounds up front, not to mention be able to push a little higher compression without worrying about detonation. Plus aluminum heads are just pretty and can be fixed if they crack. I tried to have iron heads repaired once...was a lost cause, I think there are very few people who can do that job right.

87 Iroc: You said that the engine numbers are stamped on a plate thats attached to the motor infront of the passenger side head? I found nothing. do you mean behind the alternator sort of? I searched but found no evidence of a plate. I wouldn't doubt it if that was taken off for no reason.