heads/cam/carb swap 350 tbi worth it?

[Rusty Nail]

The compression ratio is rather dismal initially given the stock dished pistons... 58cc heads will ROCK BALLS says personal experience with that swap. You'll feel it in your foot!
I ran "copper shim" head gaskets too, no problems even with slight milling to ensure clean/flat.
Permatex blue,brush-on 'gasket sealer' around water passage holes and on the intake gaskets+new bolts
Torque-to-yield, head bolts stretch. I'll not recommend reusing head bolts.
I WILL recommend getting the most out of it and installing aftermarket rockers at that time. Crane makes an excellent self-aligning 1.52 roller tip that is CHEAP.
DO EEEET!
Variables in factory rocker tolerance are embarrassing. None lift the same, that's a fact of life. Put big boy panties on and buy rockers before you will EVER make good power.
Anyone that says different is a fool behind me.

 

[Rusty Nail]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EGFp7saTQEU

 

[slowburb]

This SBC vs. "LS" swap monkey business is getting old. I am not a proponent of the "LS" swap fanboys. I don't even like to call them "LS" engines. The L98 heads are inferior to the L31 heads. The increased compression of the smaller combustion chambers will NOT offset or surpass the architecture, flow characteristics, or chamber design of the L31 vortec heads. Flow beats compression every time. Let me rephrase that so all readers can understand...FLOW TRUMPS COMPRESSION EVERY TIME. Period. End of story.

Now that we have that out of the way, I'll now say roller tip rockers are a waste. Use stamped steel stockers or go full roller, and don't cheap on the rollers. Crane golds are very nice, and also the only aftermarket rockers that made their way into an OEM application (see corvette old school sbc). My experience from A-B-A testing with 1.5 and 1.6 rocker arms did not offer the results people read about on the internet. Gains were nominal at best; thereby shunning their use by the $/hp ratio. Dialing in a TBI or carburetor and distributor (free) will yield more power than swapping for 1.6:1 rocker arms.

I say sell the "LS" to an "LS" fanboy. Use the dough to pick up a set of L31 heads, vortec carburetor intake & TBI adapter plate, carburetor or bigblock TBI, and properly specced cam (and other minor necessary parts). Tune the out of it, and enjoy.

 

[Rusty Nail]

128 heads >193 or 187 heads.
In his application 58cc>64 or even 76cc heads, nobody knows what he's working with. That swap is both cost effective and offered rewarding horsepower per dollar at minimal effort/upkeep.
It's win/win.
Aftermarket rockers of any kind > stock rockers. Not only because of variance between cylinders, decreased oil temp further promote cylinder BALANCE. It's important to making GOOD power.
Crucial really. Especially knowing that a dismal 12cc dish in a stock TBI 35o will find valve interference at even .440 lift, 1.52s is a great choice, nobody said 1.6... Mostly to make them ALL THE SAME.
Sounds familiar...

NOT a vortex vs. TBI debate. Read what is written instead of what you want to see, it's all very specific .

I'm not hating on votrex fanboys or swap monkeys, what I say is that a modified TBI is superior from the standpoint of RELIABILITY, COST, UPKEEP. Great power is possible very cheap. WAY cheaper than using a vortex engine. Period. OK? Let's get that out of the way.
Vortex heads require intake swapping. 128 heads with 1.52s is a very wise choice for maximum power with minimal money. Clearly stated it's a toy, play with it!

yeah, it"s worth it.

As soon as you go vortex, the thrill will be gone. So will your money.

 

[slowburb]

We can agree on the L98 heads being better than TBI/swirl port heads. We can agree that the OP would not need an intake swap to run the L98 heads. I think it stops there, because the "vortex" (sic) heads will spank some L98 heads all day long, even with stamped factory 1.5 rockers fastened on top of them. Call me (or anyone else who says it) a fool all you want, roller tip rockers are a WASTE of money...always have been, always will be.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

We can agree on the L98 heads being better than TBI/swirl port heads. We can agree that the OP would not need an intake swap to run the L98 heads. I think it stops there, because the "vortex" (sic) heads will spank some L98 heads all day long, even with stamped factory 1.5 rockers fastened on top of them. Call me (or anyone else who says it) a fool all you want, roller tip rockers are a WASTE of money...always have been, always will be.

I have to agree with all of this.

 

[Rusty Nail]

I'm not convinced we're having the same debate.
OP asks if a head/cam swap worth it for TBI.
I say Yes.
Dudes start talking about vortex...?
Op asks about great L98 heads.
I support this. Bang per buck is HIGH. Minimal effort minimal cash, play with it!
Has nothing to do with Vortex. Especially not Vortex vs TPI heads....
Then every guy ever that ran aftermarket rockers was 'wasting his money'? really? Forces one to wonder why they make those deals....
Me - valve train interference can come early stock and you will find cylinder balance. It is good.
VORTEX!
VORTEX HEDZ OMG PWNNNN.

60 years worth of r&d , trial and error (SBC) vs less than a decade of documented unreliability, headache and troubleshooting that stems from poor design - in the name of saving the planet- that leads to catastrophic engine failure. (Internal coolant leaks causing bearing failure - that suck the fun out of "toys"(vortex) .

It's gotta be the shoes!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm5HKlQ6nGM


I'm done here.
Tell me Elvis ain't the king. Go on, tell us!

Maybe somebody will yell bigblock. Everyone knows this thread is about Elvis just as much as it is Vortex ANYTHING.

128s are great . Maximize your efforts and find balance+equality with 1.52 roller tips. When all cylinders/valves lift the same -their advertised amounts- life becomes better and reward comes easier. All you need is a buck fiddy worth of rockers OP. Best wishes.

*edit"
For the record I meant Comp Cams rockers, not Crane. I run them in MY L98. There are a million different articles regarding rocker arms, but I guess they are all wrong too.

I searched three seconds for this. Tell SUPER CHEVY Elvis ain't the King.

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/sucp-0202-rocker-arm-ratio/

There are sixteen of those things operating at 6000 rpm. It's only good sense to disregard them!

 

[daturbosix]

yeah im talking bang for the buck here with minimal monies invested.
because lets face it, eventually for me it will become LS swapped, but probably not for a year or 2 until i have all the parts compiled for the build i want to do(which is basically just a cam 5.3 with some good heads, and a LSa blower top end on E85, which should be 600ish HP)

 

[daturbosix]

this is my shop. https://www.facebook.com/GoodFellasGarage/

we mainly alot of muscle car work, efi conversions, and late model LS type stuff.

 

[99'Subourbon]

Vortex.... Vortex.... Vortex....

Holy friggin ignoramous posts going on. Sorry, call me a Nazi - BUT IT'S A GOD DANG "VORTEC".

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