Ok so I have purchased an 85 Z28 with a 305 TPI and auto trans for $500.00. The car doesnt run. About a week later I came across a 87 Formula 350 TPI for $300.00 that does run but the body was beat and I know from the guy I bought it from ran the car hard. So I stripped the Formula and junked the chassis. I have a 355 short block that I bought off a guy for $100.00 that had about 3000 miles on it before it pulled a rocker stud out of the head. He got mad and pulled the engine and sold it to me. I have the 5.7 TPI heads, 5.0 TPI heads, 5.7 TBI truck heads, and a set of 882 heads. I am going to run this 355 short block with flat top 4 valve relief pistons. I assume that the L98 heads from the 5.7 TPI would be the best flowing heads out of the bunch but want some opinions on it. I was also looking at what cam to run. I am trying to put this tgether on a budget for now and get a little crazy on the next engine build up but for now I want to optimize the stock induction system. I will be running the 87 L98 computer and wiring harness, with the 700r4 and bw 9 bolt with 3.27 ratio. Thanks for the help.

 

wow thats a story. first i must ask what year the tbi motor is.
second is how much money do you plan on spending on this?

 

This motor I do not want to spend a bunch of money on this engine because I plan on building another engine later with the HSR ,Dart heads, and a T56. I guess about $1000 - 1500 on this engine with sending the heads out, new cam, gasket set, and other misc just too get me going. I put a LT1 in my bosses 79 Monte and want something to run around with him. The TBI heads are off a 91 K1500 pick up. I know they make some good tq down low and I am pretty happy with them on my K5 Jimmy but I dont know if they flow like the L98 cast heads.

 

well if i were you and i had 1500 bucks....
to be honest i would pick up a set of votrec heads from Sdpc2000.com
and the base. you could also throw a gm hot cam in it.that should be good for about 300-330hp.
the vortec heads make 30hp over the L98.the L98s or prone to predetenation.

 

Up too $1500 bucks would be at the most and that would include sending the heads out to gone through at the machine shop I use. A camshaft and lifter set because the one in the block I dont know the specs on. Rering the short block (it has been sitting under a work bench for a year and needs to be honed). I pulled the crank and used it in my K5 when it spun a main bearing and had to be at a mud run the next day so I have to buy crank kit. A gasket set, fluids, filters, tune up parts and a prom to help with the cam. I just want something that I can have a little fun with while I build the other engine. I agree vortec heads would be a great upgrade but if I just plan on replacing them later with pro1s and an hsr it sort of makes it hard for me to justify buying them. So what about cam choices with the L98 heads and stock intake. The emissions legal cams they sell in summit? Are there some better choices out there that work well with this intake? The block I am using is a flat tappet cam so that narrows my options a little. Thanks again for the help.

 

they have a crane emissions cam i was looking at in a summit mag. dont remember the part number tho. the stock base and runners are very restictive, if you plan on keep the tpi setup get new ones. any aftermarket base and runners are better than the stock ones.id also get some roller rockers.of corse make sure that your machine shop knows the spec of your cam. and ratio of your rockers.


crane cam pn in summit mag- CRN114132
1600-5400rpm 210/216 der .440/.454 int/exh use some 1.6 rockers on that and youll be good to go. they say this cam works with the stock prom. so you save money there too.