Hi and thank you in advance for any info/guidance you can provide. I'm a long-time lurker and first-time poster, so please be kind and I'll try not to screw up :-)
I'm getting ready to do a rebuild on my (currently) bone-stock 1988 5.7 out of an 1988 GTA. My plan calls for keeping the original intake/electronics and doing what I can to make it run just a little better, while hopefully allowing the factory EFI to keep doing its thing. My question to the experienced people out there is - what do you think of my combo? Will it run with the factory electronics or will I need to update the PROM? So, here's what I've spec'd out:
Eagle rotating assy, pnB15402L03053 (1988 CHEVROLET Eagle Specialty Products B15402L03053 Eagle Street Performance Rotating Assemblies with Speed Pro Pistons | Summit Racing)
Comp Cams K08-300-8 (206/212@.050, .480/.488, 112 degree COMP Cams K08-300-8 COMP Cams Computer-Controlled Cam and Lifter Kits | Summit Racing)
Fuel injectors would be 22lb Bosch from Southbay (p/n 3238) and would install an adj fuel pressure regulator.
Planning on using Dyno Don headers into one exhaust pipe, with a high-flow cat and a stock rebuild on the heads (new springs/valves/rockers). i was planning to use the Scorpion 1.5 or 1.6 narrow body rockers but just read on here that someone had issues with them not fitting under a stock valve cover.

Overall, not looking for huge power gains and want to keep it stock-looking and relatively stock running so I don't want to replace the intake.

So, what do you all think? Will this combo work with the factory electronics?

 

Why replace the rotating assembly with essentially the same thing? The stock tune might be able to compensate for that cam but any modification that changes the volumetric efficiency would benefit from (and may necessitate) a tune. It sounds like exhaust + converter + gears would be a more ideal upgrade combo for what you want.

 

Well, the engine runs good, but leaks everywhere and the entire drivetrain has around 300k miles on it with nothing but oil changes, a new set of injectors (about 15 years ago by my parents who owned the car originally) and an alternator (maybe a starter too), so it's time. At least one plug gets fouled over time with oil, I'm assuming from a leaking valve stem seal. Anyways, it's time for a rebuild. I'm wanting mostly stock, as I said, but, being a hotrodder at heart, I'd like to make it just a bit better. I'm comfortable with the idea of having a new PROM burnt to handle the "improvements", and, most likely, adjusting the fuel pressure.

 

"It's time," is not a quantitative measurement of wear. If you don't want to increase displacement, you'd likely be equally served by replacing your rings and bearings unless the bores do need to be honed. Even then you'd only need new pistons and different rings.

 

Hi Komet - totally get that. The rear main seal leaks, as does the oil pan and, as I mentioned, at least one valve seal appears to be leaking. In addition, one or 2 lifters rattle until it warms up. The trans also leaks out the front, bottom and back. My wife is tired of it dripping all over the driveway and garage and it has about 300,000 miles on it. So, my plan is to pull the entire drivetrain out and get everything rebuilt. I have a shop with experience and a good rep to do the trans and diff, so I'm not worried about those. Could I just pull the engine apart and refresh the heads and replace the main seal and such? Sure. But I've got the $$ and time to rebuild it, so that's what I'd like to do and not worry about it a year or 5 down the road.
From my understanding, the original pistons have a dish to them, while the replacement set is flat top, so that should up the compression slightly. We have 93 octane around here so there's no concerns there (I'm in central Fl). I know the intake will always be a limiting factor, which is why I'm wanting to just get a mild performance bump.
Depending on what the machine shop says, I may keep the rotating assy (will largely depend on $$ diff between replace and refresh options) and just do oversized pistons as needed. My main concern is how the ECU will respond to the bigger cam and better exhaust. It's smaller than most upgrades and Comp says "computer compatible", but I know the stock ECU can only handle limited changes. I will be doing headers and a high-flow cat, but won't replace the intake. If there's any efficiencies to be gained by massaging it, I'll look at that, but want to keep the stock intake in place.

 

Im running a huge cubic inch, solid roller, afr head, mini ram on a stock tune in my 89. You'll be just fine. Just freshen the shortblock, pistons, rings bearings.Maybe throw a balance at it and arp rod bolts. Heads, i would probably go with a aftermarket aluminum unit around 195. Cam, super profile l98 from tpis is fun. Has a little more than stock but still very ecm friendly.​​​​​​​dyno don or American racing have a couple great header options.

 

Hi TTOP - that's an impressive car! Way beyond what I want to do, obviously. Planning to keep the stock iron heads, unless there was an issue such as a crack. I guess what I'm trying to do is put myself in my parents' shoes and keep the changes to what I feel they would have done, kinda as a tribute to them. My dad put in a chip years ago, can't remember the manu, but it didn't make any difference, so he pulled it back out. I'm sure they would have gone with headers and a bit hotter cam than stock, but as this has always been a daily driver (hence the 300k miles on it), they wouldn't have gone crazy with heads and intake and the like. So I'm trying to keep the mods limited. I'll check out that cam for sure as I'm just no trying to go wild on this engine.

 

I looked at the TPIS Super L98 cam and it looks like a good choice with 1.6 rockers, so thanks for that! Does anyone have a recommendation for 1.6 roller rockers that fit under the stock valve cover? Remember, this is a mostly stock, street build, so I don't need something super high-end. I won't be hitting redline or anything like that. Just something reliable and relatively sturdy so I can "set it and forget it".

 

Use stock rockers, they really aren't holding you back at these power levels.

 

Komet - you're probably right about that. Rollers are just so much more sexy! But, saving a few bucks on non-essentials is probably a good choice.

 

So, I've been doing a lot of reading and a lot of thinking and a lot of planning. I've decided to follow some good advice from y'all and reuse as much as I can. Hoping to keep the crank and rods and maybe get away with a less than .030 overbore since the engine does still run good, for the most part. I've just started pulling things off of it in prep for pulling the engine and trans and I'm hoping I can get a good recommendation on a folding engine hoist. My plan is to pull the engine and trans as one unit, from the top, which is something I've done in the past on other cars so I'm more comfortable with the pitfalls that come with that approach (versus pulling just the engine from the top and then the trans from below, or raising the car and dropping the subassy with engine/trans attached). I know there's been a lot of back and forth over the different ways and each has its own pros and cons, but I'd like to stick with what I know.
So, my question is - does anyone know of a good folding 2 ton hoist that has the reach to pull a sbc and 700r4 from the top front? I'd rather not go from the side, but that would probably be my fallback. It looks like, from the lower part of the GTA beak to the middle of the TPI is about 50" and about 48" from the top of the beak (where it starts going horizontal) to the TPI. I think I'd need a hoist that can still have a 48"+ reach even as it is being raised. So far, looking at the common ones like the Torin Big Red, a few on Amazon and one on northern tools, they all look marginal for reach. Does anyone out there know of one that works? Help!

TIA!