Thread: too slow, what r my options?

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I've been driving my 1984 vette for a couple months now. It has low milage and is in great condition, but damn that cross-fire injection is slow...I dunno the specs on this car but I have a feeling they suck. I heard that it was the worst year ever performance wise. Only good thing is the milage I'm getting.

What are my options for getting more horsepower? I don't know much about engines but I really want to learn, and I'm in no hurry, so I have a lot of time on my hands to rebuild. I just don't want to take the easy way out and buy a crate engine. Another factor is cost, I probably don't want to spend more than 5 grand on an engine. I want to do all the work myself, well at least the stuff that is possible for me to do. I can borrow tools from friends.

So with all that said, what are my options? Can I build on the block I have? And if so what do I get and what do I do? Can anyone recommend any good reading out there for kiddos like me? I like to read, learn, and dirty my hands. Thanks a bunch, guys.

Just FYI your 'vette has only 205HP coming out of that 350.

For starters get a TPI fuel injection setup from a '90-'91 TPI equipped 'vette, Firebird or Camaro. Use a harness from painless wiring to hook the ECU to the system. Your crankshaft HP should then be about 245. From there get headers and a nice free flowing ehaust setup built which should put you in somewhere around 260-270 HP. From there you can cam it or chip it or do any number of things to it, but by all means ditch the crossfire setup.

Abe

P.S. A couple of links to get you started

http://www.painlesswiring.com/catalogframe.htm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33554

www.tunercat.com

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33553

Thanks Abe, I'll check out those links.

When you say cam it or chip it, you mean getting an aftermarket camshaft and a chip? What makes are good for cams, and what other parts do I need? What kind of hp gains can I expect from a new cam setup? How much work is it to change the cam?

I can get help because I have lots of family members who are into corvettes, I just haven't talked about this stuff with them. But please point me in the right direction, because I'd like a lot more horsepower.

My budget for the next year will be 3000, and then possible another 3000 the year after that. How can I achieve a shit load of hp in a cost effective manner? Thanks guys.

Nick

You have to tell us what your looking for as far as performance. You wanna drive the car everyday or do you wanna drive it just once in a while? Do you mind if it has a lope to the engine or do you want it to run smooth? There's plenty of good aftermarket cams out there. Isky cams, Lunati cams, and Erson cams. A lot of the cars now you'll have to buy a chip for the computer to let them go above the specs that were programed into your car computer or on the chip that you may now have. A good set of headers will also help you get more horsepower and a crossover tube in your dual exhaust will all help. You'll have to ask someone else about the fuel injection, I don't know to much about it. I've always carberated mine because, I don't want it to break down and not be able to fix it on the side of the road.

-VEGAS

Vegas, I'll be driving this car everyday, so I'd like a nice idle, and I'd like it to run smooth, although I don't really care if it's rough, I just want to be able to pull away from a light without having to floor it, lol. I don't mind running with carbs, but it would be nice to start right up on a cold morning; I remember it was hell trying to start my porsche in the mornings (not allowed to park in the garage). I guess it just comes down to what you guys recommend performance wise - if the gains aren't huge from switching to carbs then forget it...which I am wondring, what are the advantages of having carbs rather than injection? Or is it the other way around? Yeah I guess it would be nice if some of you could recommend some good literature about this subject, I like to read and that would probably eliminate a lot of my questions. Thanks.

Nick

Nick the list I gave you including cam and chip should be around your budget for the next year. That setup can push you well over 325 HP pretty easy without doing anything internal to the engine.

When you say you want a shitload of hp how many are you talking about? Keep in mind that running more than 400-450HP in a daily driver can start to be a pain. If you just want short bursts of massve acceleration you could always use N2O.

If you want to do some reading up, there are quite a few books out there (SA Designs prints allot of them) that can show you various ways of increasing your HP.

Abe

Ok Nick ;
Abe gave you some good advise,with fuel injection you'll get better throttle responce,but I like Berry Grant carbs so I used to run those,I also used erson cams probable in the range that you want to run, they have a [T.Q.] or torque series cam. I've run the TQ 20 in a 350 buick smooth Idle. Pulled good off Idle up to about 5500rpms/ I also ran a TQ 30 in a 302 ford this had a rough Idle. But from 2000rpms to about 6000rpms IT felt like it was gonna tear your head off.And I drove this car every day and loved every minute of it. needles to say the car that I loved the most got stoled. I hear Isky cams have better RPM range though,but I've never used one of their cams. hope this will help you,but remember there is no substitution for Cubic inches.That's what make torque and gets you down the road!

Vegas

I hear Isky cams have better RPM range though,but I've never used one of their cams. hope this will help you,but remember there is no substitution for Cubic inches.That's what make torque and gets you down the road!

So Vegas does that mean I should buy a stoker kit? Sounds like fun...but there are a few issues:

1. I hear that the 84 with crossfire injection has potential as far as being a collectable. So maybe I should keep this engine and put in a whole new 350. My uncle has given one to me out of a '72 chevy pickup. It threw a rod and needs a rebuild, and he's willing to work with me on it. Would this engine fit in my car?

2. Seing as how I just wrecked the 84, I'm looking for used parts. One of which happens to be a hood. Because of the cross-fire injection, I have to get an 84 hood -- no other year. My plans for an engine rebuild are a few months down the road, but my plans to get the car back on the road are immediate. If I'm going to go to a TPI setup, should I pick up an 85-91 hood as well?

3. If I were to buy a stroker kit, would it work with the '72 350? Would it be within my budget? Budget is now 3000 tops for parts and machine work. Tools and labor are covered. Maybe I should just stick with switching to tpi and use headers, exhaust, and a hotter cam...?

4. Uncle said don't mess with the cross fire injection, it's all wired up to the ECU and it will be too much of a hassle to switch to anything else.

Please point me in the right direction here guys. I want the most driveable horsepower possible within my budget, and I don't want to risk trashing an otherwise "collectable" cross-fire setup. I don't really care about gas milage, but a smooth idle would be nice, unless you consider a lopy idle to be drivable. Thanks for your advice, I really do appreciate it.

Nick

ps - don't forget we have a few cars for sale if any of you are interested: '91 zr1, '72 vette w/ 454 balanced, '70 and '72 911's, '78 ferrari 308gts, and a delorean.

Nickelex86,
Changing it from a crossfire injection is not that hard it just depends on how much you want to spend. You can go with MSD box and distributor to get away from your crossfire injection along with intake carberator changes and a camshaft, it just depends on what you want to spend. If I had the money thats the way I would go. A lot of the new stroker kits are nice it can all be done if the price is right. If your going to run the a/c you'd be better off with a smooth idle, if your not going to run the a/c and you dont mind the lope in your motor, you'll get a little more horsepower and a lot more fun.Hope this helps.

Vegas

Also, keep in mind, that a lot of times, the EFI is tied in with a lot of nice little computerised options. Being an 84, that is going to be a lesser problem, but if you want to get the most bang for the buck, keep the EFI, chip that sucker, the MSD box would be a good idea, and keep the Crossfire systems parts in case you decide to sell the car to a collector later. Thus, my two cents.