Thank goodness my divorce is final and I can back to work on my car but I need to do it on a budget! I need some suggestions for a crate replacement for my '92 L98. It will continue as a one or two day a week driver. I want to keep the TPI and dual cat exhaust for stock appearance and cost. I was wondering how much additional lift, duration and compression or other power mods were possible and still use my HyperTech chip and ECM. I can't afford a laptop or custom tuning. It's registered as a "classic vehicle" and doesn't have to pass ANY emissions test in PA. Remember to keep it cheap - I'm still paying my attorney bill...

 

AFR 180's, Edelbrock intake, Dyno Don dual cat headers, LT4 hot cam or LPE 216 cam.

With that, your TPI intake would be the weak link for power. Ditto the Hypertech. You can get cheap aftermarket tunes for L98 engines. $200 or so.

 

Ditto GGZ28's suggestions. Except I'd also toss in an inexpensive lockup-style torque converter with a 2400 RPM stall speed, plus scan the thirdgen.org classifieds for a used set of SLP runners and perhaps that Edelbrock intake. Then, take a die grinder to that plenum and clean up the entrance to achieve best airflow. Then, go to Craig Moate's website and get the stuff necessary for blowing your own chips. You can then noodle with the tuneup all you want, whenever you want. It's not that expensive.

 

I bought this engine. It's made for TPI equipped cars. It's $4,095
http://www.sdparts.com/product/SD360...ripEngine.aspx


Or you could go with this Vortec crate for $2,690 http://www.sdparts.com/product/12486...ateEngine.aspx
And this TPI Vortec intake $399 http://www.sdparts.com/product/E3860...boltHeads.aspx
and save a little money

 

You ever dyno that sucker?

 

Not yet, but they say 360hp 416 lb/ft at 4,200rpm on a Mustang Dyno with aftermarket runners and headers. I'm going to dyno/tune next week. It's in the shop now getting SLP runners and an adj. fuel regulator.

I have no stock exhaust. All 3" from headers back with a free flow cat. and underdrive pullies. Hopefully that will help add a little.

 

I take it You've decided to give it another shot before going with a carburetor.

 

Yea, It sucks to have very little knowledge about F.I. I'm going to have a local shop go to Moates and see if they can buy/understand the stuff to fix me up.

 

Crate engine plus cheap does not equal good. Find someone local to you who knows how to build later model EFI engines. Make sure you stay with a roller camshaft, the extra cost is worth it.

If you cant do your own chip tuning and nobody around you can, then you're severely limited in the duration of camshaft you can use. Something 210 or smaller with 113 or higher LSA. The lift depends on what cylinder heads you use.