[calvin]

So I think I might have a bad head gasket, because my engine keeps stalling out when I try to start it (I have to give it a lot of gas just to get it going and it sputters real bad, then once I let off the gas it stalls). I've noticed lately that I've had a little bit of white smoke/steam coming from my exhaust, but I have chalked it up to the recent cold weather. I looked in my coolant reservoir and it is significantly lower than the last time I checked it. These symptoms make me think it's probably a blown head gasket.

So here' my dilemma. I've been planning on putting in the 290 hp GM Performance Parts 350 crate engine to replace my L-48 in the coming months anyway. But since I can't even drive it right now, and I'll have to take off the heads anyway to fix the gasket, I figure why spend the money on a crate engine when I could add new heads and maybe even a whole top end kit and get more power than the crate engine? So I'm looking at the Edelbrock 2098 top end kit with the Performer (60899) cylinder heads. Also, this kit includes the same performer intake I planned to get for my crate engine. Anyone have any experience with these heads and/or kit?

The benefits of the crate engine are pretty obvious. Most notably the fact that everything is new and it comes with a warranty, whereas if I add these parts/kit to my engine and something breaks I am SOL. Of course with labor and misc other parts the crate engine will end up costing me quite a bit more $$$. What do you guys think?

Here's some links for reference:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-2098/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-60899/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/EDL-7102/

 

[ZZ71s]

How many miles on your stock engine?
Remember to get those hp numbers you will pretty much need to copy there engine. You will need to use the same parts as like there carb and headers with true duals and the compression ratio they used .

 

[scrappy78]

Year One has crate motor I've been looking at that's a steal of a deal. 400 horse ,415 FT lbs for $2900.00! If your interested I can post the link.
J

 

[calvin]

Hey guys thanks for the feedback. I've only got about 65k on my original L48. I know I won't be able to get in the 400 hp range that Edelbrock advertises since they got those numbers off of a ZZ4 with 9.5:1 compression. But I figure it should still give me a significant boost. I should have noted that I planned to get a set of Hooker ceramic headers either way (And a new carb, Holley probably).

Scrappy, was this the engine you were referencing?

http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/fbshopmain2.asp?cat=Q

I looked at it, but I am pretty sure if I go with a crate engine that the GMPP 290 hp engine will better fit my needs. I don't necessarily need 400+ horsepower. I'd rather have around 300 and a 3 year warranty.

 

[Rod75]

At a stock rated 165hp on your L48, any improvements would be welcome!
You may want to do some searching here, or talk to other fellow CA residents about your emissions laws, and what it'll take to pass 'em with the mod's you're talking about. Don't know if they visually match anything, or just tail-pipe it.
Also beware that not all intake manifolds will clear your stock hood. The only two Edelbrock products I know of that clear our hoods are the Performer, and the Torker series.
Consider the air cleaner as well. I currently use an Edel Performer intake and a drop base air cleaner for clearance. (these can also run interference with some carb fitments and linkage) If I remember right, I had to run with a shorter than 3" high filter element also.
It's fun buying Vette stuff! :cheers:

 

[scrappy78]

crate

The link you listed doesn't work but I'm sure you found it
Although I didn't realize the warranty was that short.
Of course now days it seems like nothing has a warranty longer than 1 year. A three year warranty is a good deal

http://www.yearone.com/serverfiles/fbshopmain2.asp?pid=CT350PC1&c=0&e=1&hid=Q13VF73496&cat=Q&trk=

J

 

[Spezzy]

'75 and older don't need to have emissions equipment/smog in CA. Lucky you.

I plan on doing a top end kit on my '76 to hold me off til I buy a new crate motor. Pretty good results can be had, there is a member here with a '76 that did the same. Palmbeachvette was something like his alias.

 

[Slow & Leaky]

The GM warranty isn't nearly as good as it's advertised to be unless you have it installed at a dealership. If you're gonna install it yourself, most other rebuilders are better about honoring warranties.

I top ended my L48 and it didn't end well. Knew the risk going in, did it anyway. Sometimes it works.

 

[Spezzy]

The GM warranty isn't nearly as good as it's advertised to be unless you have it installed at a dealership. If you're gonna install it yourself, most other rebuilders are better about honoring warranties.

I top ended my L48 and it didn't end well. Knew the risk going in, did it anyway. Sometimes it works.

Care to elaborate what happened?

 

[ajrothm1]

Year one crate 350 is the best/cheapest way to go. Vortec heads, hyd roller cam....$2900 for around 400hp, with no worry of the cam going flat.

Warranties are not worth the paper they are written on, not even GM....the 290hp 350 is basically the exact same motor as your original L46 other then it has a 222*@.050 flat tappet cam or around that range. Basically, the engine is an underpowered turd, just like the original 70s Vette smog 350s were.

If I was on a budget, I would do the Year One crate 350 for sure. You can't build one that cheap and throwing a $1500 top end on an old wore out short block is just a waste.

 

[calvin]

At a stock rated 165hp on your L48, any improvements would be welcome!
You may want to do some searching here, or talk to other fellow CA residents about your emissions laws, and what it'll take to pass 'em with the mod's you're talking about. Don't know if they visually match anything, or just tail-pipe it.
Also beware that not all intake manifolds will clear your stock hood. The only two Edelbrock products I know of that clear our hoods are the Performer, and the Torker series.
Consider the air cleaner as well. I currently use an Edel Performer intake and a drop base air cleaner for clearance. (these can also run interference with some carb fitments and linkage) If I remember right, I had to run with a shorter than 3" high filter element also.
It's fun buying Vette stuff! :cheers:

Thanks for the heads up on the clearance issue. I'll definately have to take that into account. I'm actually moving back to Texas in less than a month. But since you mentioned it, I double-checked emissions laws in Texas and apparently in certain counties you have to go through similar stuff as in CA. Spezzy, if I'm not mistaken, we're only smog exempt in CA as long as we keep our cars stock, but maybe I've been misinformed.

Good news is that it's running again. Dunno why, but when I went back it started up first try. Go figure. Still got smoke/steam coming from my exhaust, which still makes me wary to drive it around more than a few miles away from home. Anyway, I hope that I can put off whatever I decide to do until I get home to Texas (I'm having the vette shipped).

Thanks for all the input, guys! :thumbsup: I am definitely rethinking the Y1 engine. Anyone here run that engine and/or other Y1 engines? Are they a reliable, quality build? And I was planning on having a dealership/authorized mechanic install the GM engine so that the warranty would still be good. I can do basic repairs (and my vette gives me plenty of opportunities to improve), but I just don't have the experience nor the tools/equipment/space to do an entire engine swap myself. I figure'd I would leave that to the pros.

 

[Spezzy]

Thanks for the heads up on the clearance issue. I'll definately have to take that into account. I'm actually moving back to Texas in less than a month. But since you mentioned it, I double-checked emissions laws in Texas and apparently in certain counties you have to go through similar stuff as in CA. Spezzy, if I'm not mistaken, we're only smog exempt in CA as long as we keep our cars stock, but maybe I've been misinformed.

Good news is that it's running again. Dunno why, but when I went back it started up first try. Go figure. Still got smoke/steam coming from my exhaust, which still makes me wary to drive it around more than a few miles away from home. Anyway, I hope that I can put off whatever I decide to do until I get home to Texas (I'm having the vette shipped).

Thanks for all the input, guys! :thumbsup: I am definitely rethinking the Y1 engine. Anyone here run that engine and/or other Y1 engines? Are they a reliable, quality build? And I was planning on having a dealership/authorized mechanic install the GM engine so that the warranty would still be good. I can do basic repairs (and my vette gives me plenty of opportunities to improve), but I just don't have the experience nor the tools/equipment/space to do an entire engine swap myself. I figure'd I would leave that to the pros.

From what I know, '75 and older is exempt period. I think on the DMV page they say we cannot modify our engines or what not and that it will not pass inspection; I wasted money on my '76 having all of the emissions stuff put on to pass a 'visual inspection' only to not have them even check for anything except the vin numbers.