Im rebuilding a L98 and want to try an get 300hp out her when done...not looking to spend a fortune and already have headers to go on...any ideas...thanx

 

If your talking about FWHP, that should be as easy as falling off a log. Quality rebuild parts, have a little pocketing porting/port clean up done on the heads when you're having them worked on. A ZZ4/LT4/LT4 Hot cam, which can be found used in good condition for a song, ported plenum and a cat back with your headers should make you golden. Now, if you want 300 RWHP, you might wish to rethink your budget. That's probably going to require serious, (expensive) head work or a set of nicely built Vortecs, bigger injectors and upgraded intake components.

 

First question, what is your budget?

 

around 2 grand budget on engine....new to the rebuilding thing..looking for 300 rwhp

 

budget is around 2 grand for engine...new to the rebuild game....looking for 300 rwhp

 

Ok, here is my next question. Does the engine need a rebuild at this time? Is it burning oil? Have you done a compression check to see if the rings are sealing? If it's not burning oil and it's sealing good I wouldn't waist money on a rebuild. If you have to rebuild it you can get a decent rebuild kit from summit for a few hundred bucks. The biggest thing you will be spending money on is the machine shop. Depending on the condition of your parts you should be able to reuse the crank and rods. So you are looking at new pistons, rings, cam (if it's not a roller), and bearings. I would recommend you get David Vizards book http://www.amazon.com/Build-Chevy-Sm...3050111&sr=8-4 It is full of great tips and advice. For 300 hp at the crank you could just switch to Vortec heads and you would be right there.

 

the crank is scarred a bit...bearings are worn...one cylinder wall is scarred also from a piece of the piston that broke off....would my intake fit with the vortec heads....its a tpi intake ...buddy of mine has a set for vortec heads that he would sell me...

 

No the stock TPI intake will not fit. You have to buy the Vortec specific one from Edelbrock. Try and find a used one though in the classifieds on here or ebay. Also the stock springs on the Vortecs don't like a lot of lift, they have retainer to guide issues. But you could run the crane compucam 2032 or something along that line with those heads and make over 300 at the crank no problem.

 

should i get different injectors?

 

buy another l98 short block that is in good running condition. check tolerances on the crank, rods, etc and replace the bearings or have the crank reground. It's better to start with an undamaged block and go from there. I bought a $300 "mystery engine" from another 91 z and it turned out to be a gmpp crate motor. The rebuild on that cost me $1200 to have the crank polished and throw in a cam. I got lucky and it came with forged pistons already but for 2 grand you should be set.

 

the engine was running fine when i tore it down....cylinder damage is really minimal...gonna take the bottom end to a machine shop and get the block fixed and dipped and get my own crank worked on...no need for another block

 

I wanted at little down time as possible before winter. Have you thought about a cam yet?

 

crane compucam 2032....car is in storage for the long canadian winter...lots of time to ask questions and get different opinions....was wondering bout injectors...how big can i go?

 

If you dont plan on making more than 350 hp 24 lb injectors should be fine

 

stock bottom end, vortec heads, edelbrock intake, chopped out air box{only filters there now}, airfoil, shorty headers ,no emission test needed so no converters either straight exhaust to the flowmasters and programmed chip...sowhat im saying is im not sure what kind of horse power all that will make...lol..anyone else have that kind of set up?

 

Im pretty much with all these other guys when it comes to keeping the TPI... it just looks so good its hard to part with. Guys will often say that you can make more power without it but that isnt the whole truth when youre looking at the big picture. Most carbureted 6000-6200RPM small blocks are putting down about 350-410rwhp or making 450-520hp at the crank. So are most of the LS swapped cruiser classics running around. The ones we dyno are anyway (reality and the internet get confused a lot in this day and age, but I digress). This isnt far off from what a long tube runner car can do.

There are plenty of builds on this page that you can read up on. These builds are from stock bottom end with a cam and top end kit, to crate motor terrors with FIRST intakes all the way to custom displacement, custom intake and cam combinations. So there is plenty to choose from.

Personally, I am doing a few experiments on the TPI system to see what effect taper has on the system and then from that data I will make a plan on what I want to do next. If I can get the peak power to look like Richard Holdeners TPI Mega Test video making 460hp and holding the peak until 5900-6000rpm I will be a happy camper. The best LTR TPI intake that was tested consisted of a ported plenum, large tube runners and ported base. This was ran on a 383 with AFR 195cc heads (Maybe the 180cc L98's, cant remember).

Whatever you choose, make a thread and keep us posted.

 

MrIROBZ, can you post a link to that video.

Also, you replied to a 13 year old thread. I would hope that the OP finished his project long ago.

Fred

 

There was another thread somewhere on here that I can't find for some reason now that was current and I swear it had the same title as this thread or very much like it. He very well meant to reply to it but got caught up in the Related Threads below it and his reply got into this thread by mistake.

EDIT: I think he was probably meaning to reply to this thread.

l98 rebuild example

The Richard Holdner Mega TPI test is below.

 

Thanks for posting Airwolfe.

Fred