to L98 or not ?!?

[axisg]

I remember reading something about the L98 engine and the heads were specific to it.

Any ideas what kind of internals the motors ran ? I am interested in one out of an '89 GTA and wondered what a set of stock Vortec heads & ZZ4 cam would do for the motor. Or would I be better off trying to keep the TPI and the stock 245 HP ?? Or does someone sell a carburated intake for the motor ??

Just so you know my goal is for a nice street motor around the 325 +/- hp mark so I don't start breaking transmissions and rear ends.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

Well, a GTA would not have a L98. It would have an engine similar to an L98, but without the aluminum heads. A real L98 only came in the Corvette. As for the L98 heads, they are nothing special other than being aluminum. The Vortec heads are not a bolt on swap for a TPI engine either, unless you get a special lower intake manifold designed to take the Vortec bolt pattern. I think it is sold through Scoggin-Dickey, but it's not cheap. Anyhow, in a G body, a stock F body TPI 350 with a decent set of gears (3.23-3.73) would probably run mid 14's. That means it will get it's *ss handed to it by SRT-4's and Cobalt SS's, as well as a mild B16B swapped EG Civic hatch. It's a good cruiser, but not really a fast combo anymore.

 

[axisg]

thought " A " is to ditch the TPI and run a Vortec head and Intake on top of the ( claimed ) L98 bottom end

" B " Ditch the TPI and find a carburated intake for the L98 Heads

" C " run it as-is and try to get the TPI funtioning.

Which is the better combo ?

This is a fairly low-mile orig motor with a fooked auto -trans apparently out of a GTA for reasonable $$

 

[86oldsgbody]

From what I hear, the engines from the trans-ams and z28s, the heads on the 305s are supposed to be pretty good. Don't know what kind they are or if they're on the 350s too but from what I hear, I've never looked into it, the heads are what is good from this motor.