Question: Hp?

[Bad Habits]

Just bought my first vette, 1981 with L81 engine. The engine has a EDELBROCK PERFORMER SERIES 600 CFM, ELECTRIC CHOKE CARBURETOR, Edelbrock performer intake and short headers. It also sounds like it may have a little more than stock cam. My question is, roughly how much HP does the engine have now?

 

[Peer81]

From the stock 190 maybe between 210 and 220. The stock intake and carb are almost the same as the edelbrock stuff. The short headers could be a little inprovement but the stock exhaust also has short headers. A bigger cam could help but again with the bigger cam the compression goes down so without going with pistons with smaller valve reliefs (to get the compression back up) the cam doesn't help much on itself.

Greetings Peter

 

[Hib Halverson]

Just bought my first vette, 1981 with L81 engine. The engine has a EDELBROCK PERFORMER SERIES 600 CFM, ELECTRIC CHOKE CARBURETOR, Edelbrock performer intake and short headers. It also sounds like it may have a little more than stock cam. My question is, roughly how much HP does the engine have now?

As long as there is a lower restriction exhaust system behind those "short" headers and the carb has been properly calibrated, I'd say more like 10-15-hp increase. Maybe a little more if the engine has an aftermarket camshaft, but how much would depend on the specs of the cam.

 

[Bad Habits]

I'm pretty sure the exhaust is aftermarket, but sounds a little weak. Would you recommend cutting the cat. off? Im looking for a more aggressive sound but not sure which way to go.