Upgrade engine for a 1980 l-82

[pbronson]

Upgrade engine for a 1980 L-82

I am thinking of upgrading the engine in my 1980 L-82. The #s on this car all match, so I think my best option would be to pull and save the original and put in a crate engine. The original only has 32,000 miles on it but I would like a little more HP and performance. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, how difficult is the engine switch out?

Thanks.

 

[C3L81]

I am thinking of upgrading the engine in my 1980 L-82. The #s on this car all match, so I think my best option would be to pull and save the original and put in a crate engine. The original only has 32,000 miles on it but I would like a little more HP and performance. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

My suggestion is with that low of miles is to keep it stock. As far as collector and value wise. I mean you could always make your own HP beast. You could even look for a vette without a motor for cheap. Thats just my opinion.

 

[Jack]

I am thinking of upgrading the engine in my 1980 L-82. The #s on this car all match, so I think my best option would be to pull and save the original and put in a crate engine. The original only has 32,000 miles on it but I would like a little more HP and performance. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, how difficult is the engine switch out?Thanks.

Seems your '80 L-82 has automatic trans ... if so, which one is it? ... is it a 3 or 4 speed w/ overdrive or lockup? I agree best course is stow OE motor for posterity ... eliminate risk of blowing OE motor up/slinging a rod through side of OE block. Torque is most of what you'll feel on street ... more so than HP. How much more do you want? ... How much $ in budget ... what's mods are practical/legal in your domain (smog nazi)?

On the other hand, '80 L82 already has about 9:1 compression ration ... and could use a different cam than OE. Another thing is the stock single exhaust ... true dual exhaust will help a lot ... so will a better ignition curve. Dunno which rear gear ratio you have ? ... but a change to lower gears (higher numerical ratio) will do a lot.

No matter what you do, FIRST, very FIRST thing is to check w/ your local & state jurisdictions and CONFIRM what you can & cannot remove/change in regard to exhaust/emission parts. Including: heads, cam, carb, distributor, intake manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic convertors, smog pumps etc. If there're any real, monitored legal restriction in your area ... you'll wanna know about 'em before you do anything.

Motor is not difficult to R&R ... but care must be taken w/ an eye for personal safety and preventing car body damage.
JACK:gap

 

[brandywine]

Drop a SBC crate motor into it. It's an easy swap, you can get them in 50 state emissions legal trim, or not... You can clean up the engine compartment while the motor/trans is out. Buy a set of headers, and watch the rest of the drivetrain closely...

 

[pbronson]

Thanks for the info. Will the stock tranny handle the higher HP if driven moderately?

 

[brandywine]

I don't know what shape your tranny is in, nor do I know what specific model automatic came with a 1980, but I'd certainly rebuild it if you are going to pull the motor. You have the opportunity, and certainly have the motive...