new to chevy engines

[soma]

hey guys just recently picked up a 86 el camino,got to looking under the hood and surprise,L65 chevy 350 4 barrel version.anyway ive never really screwed with chevy engines much aside from fixing them when asked.performance wise i know its a bit of a boat anchor in stock form and im not looking to go nuts just junkyard stuff,is it better to find a pair of older fuelie heads or upgrade to the 96 to 2000? vortecs and manifold?also what would be a direct bolt on(assuming the older style fuelies) and what would need fabrication/what have you?

if it helps block number is 3970014,heads are 3998993

 

[Matthew Goeke]

LS SWAP BRO

 

[L67ss]

^no lol

 

[L67ss]

For bolt on buy some junkyard vortec heads and an edelbrock intake

 

[soma]

thats what i was thinking really,any incompatibilities i need to be aware of?push rod length?acc holes?i know the intake valves are completely different and needs a matched intake

 

[soma]

LS SWAP BRO

lol while that would be fun just not in the budget.i got this car pretty much for replacing a fuel pump and power steering pump for free.was looking for a truck anyway so its a win win on my part but still dnt envision myself dropping real money into this when i still have my cutlass =P

 

[383_GrandPrix]

Vortec heads need self aligning rocker arms or you will need to machine them to accept push rod guide plates. The intake needs to be compatible with the vortec heads as the centre intake bolts come in at a different angle. Also if you plan on going with a decent size cam you will need bigger valve springs and that will require machining the heads.

 

[383_GrandPrix]

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/97458/

 

[soma]

awesome thanks for the info and link =)

 

[Bar50]

Just grab a pullapart vortec 350 and freshen it up with rings and bearings. Add an LT4 Hot Cam. Use LS2 blue valve springs. Comp 787-16 retainers. Keep the pushrods and roller lifters. Grab a dual plane intake and drop it in. You will need an electric fuel pump.