Update: Got the car back!I will post new pics of the engine bay soon. The engine temp doesn't go above 180 now,and the oil pressure is about 20 idling,around 40 cruising,and around 60 full throttle! So that's a big improvement. Cam is just right,no extreme loping,idles fine. I just got home so I will post exactly what was done to it from the finished work order tomorrow. The only issue I am having is this: The car idles great with no problems, but after about 10 min of open throttle down the road the check engine light comes on and it feels like I lose a good amount of power and I feel light grinding,clanking under the seat, however if I shut the engine off it's fine till another 10 mins down the road and it's dejavu? The only things I can personally think of is
1.Not tuned( the guy at the shop didn't feel it needed it after it was done seeing as I planned on installing headers in the future,and it runs great. I'm sure I will get ripped for this so...)
2.Stock converter not holding up(due to the feeling I'm getting)
3.Knock due to roller rockers,etc.(didn't change the knock sensor for an lt4 one)

Alot of this can only be answered once you know what's been done to it, I know and will have this updated tomorrow. In the meantime I appreciate any help with this, I need to get this check engine light figured out

 

Get it scanned and there is no guesswork. You'll know exactly what is throwing the light. If I had to venture a guess though, the banging around you hear could be causing false knock and a good bit of timing retard also throwing the light.

 

I'm in the same boat, Head Gasket, Rebuild or Crate....Good luck

 

If you have the money&time...crate=LS

 

Talked to a retired GM mechanic today that I deal with, and he said it could be the O2 sensors throwing light because they weren't changed. I'm going to see him Friday so I can get all this figured out...I need to buy my own OBD-1 scanner eventually

 

As promised here is the work list that was done to car:
1.1.6 Proform roller rockers
2.ARP head bolts
3.Cloyes billet timing set
4.Professional Products 52mm TB
5.AC Delco lifters
6.New PCV valve
7.New EGR valve
8.Removed AIR pump
9.fitting they had in stock for manifold
10.Installed Autolite 106 plugs
11.Bosch oil filter/w Mobil 1 synthetic 5w30 special
12.New Prestone 50/50 (green) antifreeze
13.New oil level sensor
14.Melling high vol. oil pump/w upgraded driveshaft
15.Installed Edelbrock Aluminum cnc matched LT1 heads
16.Installed Edelbrock LT1 Intake Manifold
17.Installed Edelbrock performer-plus cam
18.Installed Accel Ultra Optispark 2 for LT1
19.Installed new radiator
20.Hyper 160 Stat (not installed until it's tuned,headers,etc.)
+painting the new intake manifold and valve covers

Parts:$1,396.84/Labor:$877.71= Out the door:$2,400
Not including heads,cam,opti,manifold,plugs or radiator in parts

Not bad, I'm satisfied with the work and service so far. The car has not been tuned yet, had headers, bigger injectors, or a bigger converter. I plan on dyno-tuning it at their shop when I get headers installed, and the rest when it hits me, the only issue I have had yet is this light which I'm sure isn't a very big problem. I will know this Friday what exactly it is...

Pic of new engine bay in garage

 

#1,#4,#14,#18 - keep an eye on them. Those are parts I wouldn't have used, but hopefully they will work out alright for you.

 

Yeah I've been told but I will have to see now...

 

Update: Took the car to my mechanic today, he hooked it up on his computer and one of the o2 sensor's was reading dead while the other was very poor. So he's going to replace them both and give it a street tune, the car is running very lean to the point you can smell it. I left it with him and should have it back early next week

 

Got the car back, and the problem is fixed. It's running alot better with a tune now...