A L98 block, patriot vortec style heads a lt4 hot cam and HSR with a tune. Will this be ok as a daily driver? compared to a stock L98? I want to build the motor for my car but as of now my car is all I have to drive. I just want to know if I build the engine and then swap it in if I still would be able to drive this car every day and how much different the low rpm drivability and mpg be? With a wc t5 and 3:42 gear.

 

well tuned it should drive just fine with just alittle cam lope to know its not stock, and still get decent mileage depending on how you drive and how well its tuned.

 

That's good to hear. And I drive pretty easy most of the time. When no one is around I hammer on it but thats maybe once a month. But I was worried about the mpg and drivability because I this is my only car but at the same time I don't want to build a engine i'm not happy with. I have a stock 350 now thats on it's last leg, just looking for more hp but still able to drive it to work.

 

Becareful with the swap if the motor is on its last legs. Whats wrong with it? Drinking oil? Rings may be worn and it may have low cranking compression as it is, so with a bigger cam its gonna feel alittle lazy down low but shouldnt be too bad. If you can shave the heads down some to bump compression, that would help alittle with that cam but it doesnt need more. Lots of guys run LT4 hotcams on mostly stock motors and love the power it makes.

 

Idk about the parts, but in my experience you don't want to tear into the motor if you don't have a backup car to drive in the meanwhile, take my word for it.

 

oh, I'm sorry I should have explaned more. I'm going to build the hotcam motor from a newly machined and rebuild L98 short block. Not the l98 thats in the car. The plan is hopefully the car will drive long enough to finish the other motor so I can take my vacation from work and then swap the engines. But the motor in the car is knocking slightly and burning oil pretty bad. So I baby it hoping it don't brake. the knocking is coming from the bottom end somewhere. I know its not exhaust leak or valve lash I have checked and rechecked those (new manifold gaskets and set the valve lash and checked 3 times) plus stick a screw driver to the oil pan and your ear to the screw driver handle and you can here the knock very very very good.
But the stock bottom end and making good power is why i chose to go with the hotcam. I have read a lot of good things about them in street cars.

 

Hmm, well plan 3-7 days for the swap to account for complications, especially if you haven't swapped an engine before, I mistakenly bolted my engine block to my transmission bellhousing with the torque converter not fully engaged....had to pull the trans to make sure I didn't screw up the front pump, I guess its not all that uncommon a mistake from what I'm told. But now I know to put the TQ converter on the transmission side first, its a lot easier and less room for mistake...

 

Just curious, what kind of fwhp and whp would I bee looking at with this set up?

 

I would guess somewhere near 300whp-320whp if all goes well on a good bottom end.

 

wheel hp? wow that will be plenty. I'ed be more than happy with that.

 

Most hotcam setups with somewhat decent heads will do 300-320whp from what I've seen on here. Stock L98 heads with ported stock base, stock runners made 275whp, so complete aftermarket better flowing intake setup should easily add 25whp. I know bolt on TPI stuff on L98 vette heads will do 320whp from what was posted here a few years back.

 

Awesome, I plan on using a HSR and patriot performance vortec style heads. So I should be in the 320 range

 

Yeah, I think its quite possible, especially through a T5 tranny since manuals have less loss than an automatic.