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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 08:54 PM
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From: az
is there a difference between...

a 89 corvette tpi 350 engine or a 89 camaro tpi 350 engine.
im wondering that because my car supposedly has a 89 corvette tpi 350. and i have no clue what the hp an trq. thanks ahead of time
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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 09:13 PM
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From: NC
Car: 1991 Trans Am
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
The Corvette L98 would have aluminum heads.
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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 09:28 PM
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From: az
how can i tell if mine are aluminum? by just looking or can i see some pics to compare?
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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 09:42 PM
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From: Alton IL
Car: 87 aniv vert, 90 Iroc, 87 LT
Engine: LB9, LB9, carbed 305
Transmission: MM5, MM5 conversion, MM5 conversion
Axle/Gears: 3.45, 3.73, 3.73
If you have a stock l98 in a camaro, you dont have aluminum heads.
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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 09:59 PM
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From: az
but the guy said it came from a corvette .. so how can i tell.. i dont know to much about engines so this is why im asking specifically
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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 10:02 PM
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From: az
so pictures or somthing
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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 10:32 PM
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cant anyone help?

anything at all
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Old Oct 27, 2002 | 11:15 PM
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Grab a magnet. Stick it to the heads. Does it stay there? If so, its not a vette engine.
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Old Oct 28, 2002 | 01:08 AM
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Car: 1990 Iroc-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
How much more hp/tq did the vette alum. heads give over our iron-headed l98?

true that - try the magnet thing. sounds plausible.
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Old Oct 28, 2002 | 02:37 PM
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No such thing as a Corvette 350 in a stock Camaro. The guy was BS you to sell the car.
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Old Oct 28, 2002 | 06:02 PM
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Originally posted by Z28DJP1987
No such thing as a Corvette 350 in a stock Camaro. The guy was BS you to sell the car.
read his sig, it's not stock
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Old Oct 28, 2002 | 06:18 PM
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When L98s were 1st put in the Corvette, several came with Iron heads. So that isn't a sure fire way to tell. You need to get the casting numbers, and then check them. www.mortec.com is a good place to find casting numbers.

Edit: Didn't read properly. Gotta stop being in such a rush89 TPI Corvette would be aluminum heads.
Still a good idea to check casting number

Last edited by GTAracer; Oct 28, 2002 at 06:20 PM.
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Old Oct 28, 2002 | 09:11 PM
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Car: 1990 Iroc-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
I ran a quick check up on vette specs and I am surprised to see that the aluminum headed L98's produced a suprising NOTHING GAIN over iron headed L98's. What the dilly yo?
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Old Oct 29, 2002 | 10:15 AM
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Originally posted by D Stroy H8
I ran a quick check up on vette specs and I am surprised to see that the aluminum headed L98's produced a suprising NOTHING GAIN over iron headed L98's. What the dilly yo?
Well what I was told was that because aluminum transfers heat better then iron, that you lose the extra power that the heads will make.
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Old Oct 29, 2002 | 08:19 PM
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From: az
where are the casting #s located. oh i heard somthing about perimiter bolts on the cover and senter bolts.. and center is supposed to be aluminum.
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 01:29 AM
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Car: 1990 Iroc-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Originally posted by JimmyG-91Z
Well what I was told was that because aluminum transfers heat better then iron, that you lose the extra power that the heads will make.
Extra power? Like you mean - when first started and warmed, an iron-headed L98 will produce the claimed 245 at the flywheel, but after running for a while and heating, it will lose more than the vette L98?

So - to put it simply, the vette heads werent meant for power increase but rather power hang time?

I can see that.
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 09:22 AM
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All things being equal, the iron heads will make more power. Aluminum heads usually have better casting though. Additionally, to make up for the heat loss, the compression is bumped (the al. heads are milled). The aluminum heads are less prone to detonation, and can handle the extra compression.

The Vettes had a slightly better cam than firebirds/camaros.
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 01:48 PM
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Car: 1990 Iroc-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Ok - so if the Vettes had better compression with the Alum heads, and a better cam... how come they the power specs were exactly the same?

It seems to me kind of the like the Grand Am GTs w/ ram air - and dual exit exhaust: same power specs as the Alero (same engine) yet the Alero comes stock with single outlet exhaust and no ram air.

Its a stretch given - but thats my point, what the hell do the aluminum heads and better cam do for the C4 L98 than the 3rdgen L98?
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 01:54 PM
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Please direct me to what specs you are reffering to, or write them here. However, Stock Vette vs Stock Cam/Fire the stock vette L98 outperforms and makes more power. I don't care what any specs say. Better compression, better cam, better air intake, better exhaust. A couple of examples of specs...The 89 Turbo Trans Ams make 300 hp at the rear wheels, but specs say only ~245 bhp. The new firebirds and Camaros say ~320 bhp...and realistically are making that much at the rear wheels in some cases.
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 05:26 PM
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Car: 1990 Iroc-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Oh I realize that specs can be a little, shall we say, omitting.
However, why on earth would Chevy (GM) rate both cars the same as far as factory claim goes? Surely, Chevy would want the Vette's published numbers to be one upping the F-Bodies wouldnt they?

lemme go grab a link or two and show you bro =)
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 05:31 PM
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Car: 1990 Iroc-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Originally posted by Little GTA
Please direct me to what specs you are reffering to, or write them here. However, Stock Vette vs Stock Cam/Fire the stock vette L98 outperforms and makes more power.


http://www.ifrance.com/accf-sprtcar/.../specs/90.html

http://www.neptune.k12.nj.us/nhs/his...ette/1990.html

http://www.corvettetrader.com/vettestats/1990specs.htm

3 sources (and more im sure however i think 3 is sufficient) all say 245hp/345tq - now i ask, what are the better parts doing?
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 05:42 PM
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From: Destin, FL
1990 GTA specs:
235 hp @ 4400 rpm / 340 ft/lb @ 3400 rpm
From www.gtasourcepage.com
This is also accurate according to info I have on my GTA

I believe the 1990 IROC/TA specs in the tech data of this site are wrong. Usually the Camaro is about 5 hp higher due to better air induction system, and should read 240hp.
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 09:51 PM
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Car: 1990 Iroc-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: 700R4
Ok so all things final -
the vettes "better {intak, exhaust, heads, cam}" only make 5 more horses than the 3rdgen L98? Seems illogical to me but oh well ...
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Old Oct 30, 2002 | 09:55 PM
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From: Bergen County, NJ
Car: 1989 IROC-Z
Engine: L98
Transmission: T-56
the 350 tpi in our cars is sometimes referred to as a corvette motor because of its origins in the vette. it was first introduced on those cars.
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Old Oct 31, 2002 | 06:05 PM
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The right way to distinguish a Vette L98 over a f-body L98 is to look for a EGR crossover pipe on the passenger side of the intake manifold. It extends over the rear of the valve cover.
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Old Oct 31, 2002 | 06:12 PM
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Car: 2018 Camaro SS
Engine: LT1 w/Paxton 1500SL
Originally posted by IROC57TPI
The right way to distinguish a Vette L98 over a f-body L98 is to look for a EGR crossover pipe on the passenger side of the intake manifold. It extends over the rear of the valve cover.
ding ding ding ding we have a winner, that's a damn good sign of whether or not you have aluminum vette heads...
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Old Oct 31, 2002 | 10:40 PM
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Originally posted by fly89gta
ding ding ding ding we have a winner, that's a damn good sign of whether or not you have aluminum vette heads...
:rockon: no applause, please :lala:
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 05:48 AM
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Car: '89 GTA
Engine: a bunch of pieces
Transmission: still there - very stockish TH700
Another difference between y/f body TPI - it's in the fuel rail;, fuel lines for Vette is on its opposite side
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 07:14 AM
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Originally posted by z_power
Another difference between y/f body TPI - it's in the fuel rail;, fuel lines for Vette is on its opposite side
This is a good way to tell if the engine is out of the car. This is because a Y-body fuel rail won't work in an F-body. The Vette rails have the inlet-outlet in the rear, while the f-bodies have them in the front. It would be obvious if you tried to swap a y-body engine into an f-body that the fuel rails won't work.


Another way to tell is a y-body uses a big cap HEI, while f-bodies use small cap with external coils. The distributor can be swapped into an f-body.
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Old Nov 2, 2002 | 09:19 AM
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Car: '89 GTA
Engine: a bunch of pieces
Transmission: still there - very stockish TH700
Originally posted by IROC57TPI
It would be obvious if you tried to swap a y-body engine into an f-body that the fuel rails won't work.
Yep, looks like I knew something, but
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