red88L98convert

ive got an 88 with l98 engine with 134k. im thinking of getting a low mileage vortec engine to swap in place of the l98. edelbrock makes a high flow lower intake with the vortec bolt pattern, so that isnt really an issue. what im curious about is if the stock l98 accessories will bolt onto the vortec engine without any modification or having to chase down any other parts.
specifically, the accessory mounting points on the ends of the heads. anyone do a similar swap, complete engine or just a head swap. please lemme know either way.

thanks in advance, james.

4bblC4

I've done it. 383 w/ vortec heads. used the block that was in the car. NO problems w/ hooking stuff up.

These are great heads! If you can port heads, or know someone who can, do the exhaust. it'll really help. Also, get some good valves, like manley race-flo's, or get a 3 angle valve job on the stock valves.

cv67

All you need is a head swap...Summit sells a 175 and 205 cc hiflo Vortec iron head now. They are drilled for both Vortec and non vortec applicatuions. Seems like a good deal

4bblC4

this motor dynoed 470hp at the crank. like I said, good heads!

Pete K

Edelbrock makes a tpi lower base for the vortec heads? I was only aware of the Scoggins-Dickey manifold. This would be good news, especially if priced right.

red88L98convert

those are some pretty good numbers, but a little more than i need. this is just a cruiser. ive got a fast car (71 trans-am with a pumped 462 ci), so making the corvette a screamer isnt the main issue. i just want a more efficient engine and dont want to spend a whole bunch a dough. plus, reliability is an issue since this is primarily my wife s car.

okinawa86vette

I've been unloading money with scoggin dickey for a long time and I just finished a new motor install with a crate built by them. They are the only ones that sell the vortec tpi baseplate, but it's machined for them by edelbrock. So, technically it's an edelbrock intake, but only available through them. I remember when they first started toying with the idea back in '98.

I'm running the edelbrock e-tec 200cc heads. All of the accessories bolt up fine, but there's issues with fitment of the spark plugs, being straight and not angled, so they don't clear the headers very well. Originally, I had the stock manifolds and it was a pain getting those to work. A lot of playing with the heat shields to get it to work.

red88L98convert

oh man okinawa, your vette is beautiful!
so with the stock manifolds, the plugs were an issue??
what set up do you have now?? is it the stock block? did you get new vortecs from s/d, or used ones??

sorry for all the questions, i just dont know much about these engines.
ive always had gtos and trans-ams, i could tell you just about everything about those cars but im clueless about the vettes.
my current pontiac is a 71 t/a.
thanks, james

okinawa86vette

I always loved the old Goats.

Everything is brand new. The block is the GM Perf 383 shortblock(3.8" stroke crank and normal 350 bore to make the 383cui). I had the bearings upgraded to Michigan 77 ones. The block is decked to give a 10:1 compression with the bigger cubes and the whole deal is balanced and blueprinted.

The heads are the bigger e-tecs, LT4 hotcam(maybe should have gone bigger, but I wanted good mileage and driveability), scorpion 1.6 roller rockers, hooker longtubes, scoggin dickey intake base, super ram upper stuff and a bbk 58mm t/b.

There's also numerous other random stuff in it, like an Ed Wright burned chip, SVO injectors, etc.

There were some issues with almost anything you can think of and then some. You need to use a fluid damper for an externally balanced crank. Some massaging of the crossmember's needed to get it to clear. I believe Summit or Jegs has a standard type 6 3/4" dampener for the ext balance motors.

The plugs are straight and not angled, so there were some clearance issues on one or two of the plugs.

Chris

GeosFun

I had discarded the vortech idea in my '88 because I understood from Scoggins Dickey the smog equipment does not hook up to vorteck intake(In my case I was considering the fast burn 385 or ZZ383).

How are you guys dealing with the smog equip issue? I have to pass Ca smog. I am not trying to divert this thread, I think it still fits the original question.

cv67

With those heads in my above post, you can reuse your factory intake with all the emissions equiptment. No need to buy a vortec intake

okinawa86vette

Same here. On the F-bodies, the AIR crossover tube at the back of the intake has to be welded on, but everything bolts right up on our cars.

I'm not running any of the AIR stuff, but it's all there to hook up.

Chris