Ok, here is my situation. I have a L98 motor that a friend gave me. Im going to put this into my 84 Z28. The wiring harness is messed up with it. I AM NOT going to use the fuel injection with this.

My plan is this, strip the fuel injection stuff off the block an convert to carb. Im going to take the heads off also, because the carb intake i have will not fit the newer heads. I have a few sets of heads laying around.

I have 882's (junk i know), 416 ( have been sitting outside...but i have a valve grinding bench and stuff to redo them!, and also a set of 378450's.

Should i use the 416 or the 450's? Also, with the stock springs what is the max lift i can get out of each of these. I have a lunati voodoo cam, i think the lift is somewhere like .468 or .488. Any suggestions would be great. Im trying to do this cheap as possible, while im building up another motor to put in it.

Using the l98 block, will i have any issues with my HEI distributor or anything else fitting? THanks in advance.

 

The main difference with the L98 and the older small blocks is it is a roller cam engine. So you will need a composite distribtor gear. As for the heads you can use them if you take your time. All you have to do is drill out the 4 center bolt holes so they will accept the bolts for the 72 degree angle. As for the other heads I think it would be a down grade to the L98's. I have a L98 that I am working on myself but I have bought everything new for it. Only thing really left that is L98 is the block. With the stock springs on the other heads and the roller cam just asking for trouble. They are not made for a roller cam at all. They can not keep the valves seated and will float when getting up in rpm's. That is if they don't break first. Valve springs are cheap enough to replace with the right ones there is no since in even taking the chance in dropping a valve.

 

I. Forgot to mention....I've got a lunati cam I was going to use. If I do that am I ok usingthe 305 heads? Cam is not a roller

 

Why are you going to down grade on the cam? I would stick with the roller personally. That is the entire reason I went with the engine I have now.

 

Well I went and picked up this motor. Tirns out it was a 305 tpi. I'm just going to use its 416 heads with another 350 block I picked up

 

So you are suggesting the factory roller cam is better than a flat tappet aftermarket?

Roller cams have a slight, and I mean slight edge in performance if specs are close. Almost any aftermarket cam is going to be better than an OEM cam.

-- Joe

 

No I didn't say a factory roller cam was better than a aftermarket flat tappet. So what are you saying? An aftermarket flat tappet is better than an aftermarket roller?? Factory to factory roller is better. Aftermarket to aftermarket roller is better. Just a better choice IMO.

 

I thought you were suggesting he keep his OE cam simply because it's roller.


-- Joe

 

Oh no not at all. Just saying that I would spend the little extra and go with a aftermarket roller than going to a flat tappet. I am going from a HUGH flat tappet to a fairly mild (288/294 adv duration) roller cam in my car. I just want the advantage of the roller.