Hey everyone! I need some help. I want to purchase a good head/cam combo for the Iroc.I will give you a rundown of my setup to give you an idea of what I have already. My goal is mid to high 12s and well my budget is $1200-1400 total. Please read whats done already to get an idea. Please understand I am a married soldier with a baby on the way. So don't say AFR's I just don't have the money for them right now. I am debating between the Trickflow 23* heads and the Dart Pro 1 heads. And a good cam to match the setup.Keep in mind this a weekend cruiser who will be picking fights occasionally and maybe go to the track once a month.

Engine- 30,000 miles since last overhaul on the L98. It is pre 87 block. It is converted to a carb setup running a Holley 600cfm carb and Edelbrock Performer Rpm intake and hooker 2460's shorties.

Trans- Freshly rebuilt 700r4 less the 500 miles, corvette servo, b&m stage 2 shift kit, non computer controlled lock up and stock new replacment converter "should of got a nice TCI stall"

Rear Diff- 2000 Z28 7.5/10bolt w/ 3.42s and ls1 brakes. About 80k on rear.

Suspension- UMI Wonderbar, LCARBS, LCA and Adjustable Panhard bar.

Please feel free to give any input. Please help with the HEAD/CAM SELECTION.

 

Seriously guys no help?

 

Dart 180-190cc intake runners. You can download camquest from comp to help pick a cam. A roller would be good...pricey though. Maybe a flat tappet around .480" 220* .050" 110-112 lsa..?

 

trick flows and a Comp Cam XE268H- since its a non roller block.

 

The trick flows and the comp cam sounds good. But would it be worth it to put a retrofit roller cam in the block? Or will the flat tappet net the results I want?

 

$1200-1400 won't get you there and the heads with misc. will blow your budget.

 

Retrofit roller lifters and cam alone will be >$800

 

So with trickflow heads and a comp cam depending on which one what numbers are we talking about? I am hoping in the upper 350+ crank hp range.

 

Yes, 350 easy. Probably between 350 and 400 hp at the crank. That is an older flat tappet cam but it is tried and true!
Check this link.

http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/te...i/viewall.html

 

Let's just isolate one part of this question.

Is a hydro roller worth the costs of a conversion??.

Well you "could" be one of the lucky ones not to round off a flat tappet cam.

Many have not.Aside from the break-in procedure be very sure that you have talked yourself into a lifetime of racing oils for every change.Joe Gibbs oil is one that comes to mind.

When a flat tappet cam goes bad,it pollutes the entire engine and the damages are a open question which can cost more than if you had gone with a roller conversion.Hind sight then being 20/20.

The protections the rollers provide aside,the roller cams do have that much of a better profile.

So when you say your on a tight budget,what I am telling you,is the flat tappet cams have a proven risk fact that IF something where to go wrong my guess you would never recover from it.

So it's kind of like this......from the old bald guy in the back.......

Oh Sir,just one more thing.........



We found this wallet with shavings in it,but all the money was GONE!!.

 

My last 350 with a 488 lift cam would eat a lifter or two every couple of months. Even took the cam out had it polished and all new lifters... did the break in to the book and guess what... ate one more about 3k miles later. High lift flat tappet cams some times just dont work. I know thats not the case for 99% of engines but mine was not loving it. I junked that engine and did a 1990 roller and she was good.

 

Vortec heads from scoggin dickey, xe268h and performer rpm vortec. 2800 stall. 12 sec car. 1000 bucks with money to spare

 

Here is your ultimate low budget roller conversion. Get a stock roller cam and send it to Delta cam and send him $70 for a regrind. Find some good low mileage lifters or even new replacements aren't very expensive. Also check out the low budget Dart SHP aluminum heads.

 

Thanks guys for all the input. To be honest I might just buy a used roller block and do a rebuild with cam/ head swap.But something else has been bugging me. Lm7 5.3 and the lq9 6.0! I know it's 3-5k for the swap but for the power I want would it not just be beneficial to do a head cam swap on a roller block rather then converting to a LS platform. I love the power LS motors make but the car is not going to be a Daily driver so I am just trying to find the right direction. The LS swap would take me about a year to do. Compared to a sbc build over a week. To have the motor pulled and built. That is of course do to budget. What would you guys do. Is it really worth it to build a LS platform motor for my goals... :/ grrr confusion

 

Not for 12's. full bolt ons L98 will touch high 12's when setup right in sealevel air. Mild cam on stock heads will push deeper into the 12's. cheap upgrade like vortecs will make 40-50 hp more than stock L98 irons and are only 550 bucks a pair from scoggin dickey.

Dont need a roller although i prefer them over anything out there. Flat tappet you need to watch your oil and put in proper additives.

Lsx stuff stock for the most part should be 12's in a good setup thirdgen. Even 4.8-5.3's made near 300 hp some higher stock. Some bolt ons and a tune they wake up. 6.0's are over 300 at the tires with simple mods and tune. Stock cam. Thats well into 12's.

But if thats all you want for now, you already have a carbed motor, might as well do simple heads cam to hit your goals and then save for better heads with roller cam for faster goals or go lsx at that time.

Its abit easier to go 11's in a 5.7-6.0 ls based motor but also not to difficult in a sbc, just need good heads and bigger cam.

 

Then I guess I am sticking with a sbc for now. So anything 87+ will be a roller correct? I might as well pick up a four bolt while I'm at it. Any preference in certain blocks?also what vehicles they came in?

 

Some are some arent. Got to look around. There are some 91-99 blocks that are roller and 4 bolts. Not sure what vehicles they come from, maybe vettes maybe some trucks i am not sure.

Summit racing was selling a machined block for 600$, stroker clearanced and roller with 4 bolt main.

 

L31 96 threw 2000 truck blocks are good roller cores.

 

i am surprised nobody mentioned the l98 aluminum heads with a good roller cam since your thinking roller block anyway they are real reasonable used heads and not much in the way of new look at zz4 heads

 

I would get the Trick Flow heads and leave the cam alone for now.

 

A good build has a starting point of a good foundation.Here is one:
5700

Generation I

The Vortec 5700 L31 is a V8 truck engine. Displacement is 5.7 L. It is the last production Generation I small-block from Chevrolet. The cylinder heads feature combustion chambers and intake ports very similar to those of the LT1 V8, but without the reverse-flow cooling. As such, the L31 head is compatible with all older small-blocks, and is a very popular upgrade. It offers the performance of more expensive heads, at a much lower cost. It does, however, require a specific intake manifold (a Vortec head has 8 bolts attaching the intake manifold as opposed to the traditional twelve bolts per head). The L31 was replaced by the 5.3 L 5300 LM7. The 2002 model year was the final year for the L31 5.7 L small block V-8 whose origins date back to 1955. The Vortec 5700 produces 255 hp (190 kW) to 350 hp (261 kW) at 4600 rpm and 330 lb·ft (447 N·m) to 350 lb·ft (475 N·m) of torque at 2800 rpm. It is currently being produced as a crate engine for marine applications and automotive hobbyists as the "ramjet 350" with minor modifications.