To answer your question, yes you can make more power than stock by adding mods. I've gotten some decent results from working with TBI trucks. I wouldn't expect anything big power wise, but a mild improvement is easily done. The diffeerence is going to be adding maybe 20-25hp with just a cam change or 50-75 hp from a cam and head swap.

BTW, L98 heads from a Camaro are cast iron. It's the L98 Corvette heads that are aluminum and 58cc chamber.

 

Here some data for you since you seem to know what you are talking about more than I do I guess.

Chevy L98 Alum 163cc Intake runner/- 1.940/1.500 valves 58 comb. chamber no pipe
120/100-83.3% @.200
163/129-79.1% @.300
189/148-78.3% @.400
199/164-82.4% @.500
199/167-83.9% @.600

Chevy L98 Ported ET Performance Alum 184/- 2.000/1.550 no pipe
129/104-80.6% @.200
187/146-78.1% @.300
228/175-76.8% @.400
242/188-77.7% @.500
247/193-78.1% @.600

Chevy Vortec L31 Iron 170/61 1.940/1.500 64cc with Pipe on exhaust
70/49-70.0% @.100
139/105-75.5% @.200
190/137-72.1% @.300
227/151-66.5% @.400
239/160-66.9% @.500
229/162-70.7% @.600

All flow numbers from http://users.erols.com/srweiss/tablehdc.htm#Chevy

 

I totally agree with you.

 

Aren't the heads your discribing LT1 heads? Aren't LT1 engines reverse flow coolant engines? I didn't think the reverse flow stuff was compatable? However I really don't know the much about it?

 

I appreciate everyones input, but so far YenkoST is the only one who remembers my $$$ flow restrictions. I can't afford Vortec heads that max out at .450 lift and the other brand are crazy expensive. The L98 would work within my budget.



My concern is that they are reverse coolant flow and my truck isn't?

Also where can I find the L98's for $200?

 

No, LT1 heads is from 93-97. L98 aluminium heads are from the Corvette during the TPI years. They are the same head as the zz4 head. The casting number is 113. Check out ebay...you can find some good deals for those heads on there or the C4 Corvette forum.

 

The main reason the vortecs are so popular is that the flow is generated, with a relatively small port volume. What this does is keeps the bottom end numbers from sliding. When you hog out the ports, yes they flow better up top but you sacrifice air speed at low rpms. So with that in mind if you want the ultimate power, and don't mind having to add a tourque conver, the L98's work great. Just be carefull with the amount of porting you do. As I've said earlier, I built an 11:1 stroker using completely stock heads. The limiting factor was the cam, not the flow. Stock anything head with the right bottom end and cam are good to 400ish hp, alot better than the 210hp stock. The other consideration is the tbi itself, if your head flow great and you run a stock tbi or even the bigger one you still can only flow 670cfm. All I'm really getting at is head flow numbers and cam size are like pissing distance, yeah its nice but its not everything.

 

Thanks for the info, very helpfull, if I can find some L98 on the cheap I'll get um if not I'll build around the swirlies for now.

 

Yea...if you go with the swirlies...just port and polish the exhaust, mille them down for more compression and you should have a good combo for tons of torque.

 

OK, thanks for the advise. I think I may have found a bone yard with some L98 Corvette heads, $100 bucks each if I pull um! I'll probably go that route since there so cheap. I just wander what the max lift is on the stock springs?

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