im looking for more info on good rockers,i heard zzp was selling them but I couldn't find them for the 3800,how much HP do you get from adding these? i know you cant have a custom cam with custom rockers and the rockers seem easier to install,could anyone give me an idea where to find these and the gains they offer?

 

If you're looking to do rockers, get 1.9 modded stockers. Good bang for the buck, cheap used, and have near stock reliability.

You can do an aftermarket cam and rockers together. For example, I have 1.7 rollers with an is3 blower cam. You just need to understand what the heads can handle as far as lift. You're not going to be running 1.9s on a huge cam with stock heads, for example.

Gains from rockers are less than from a cam. If youre doing an engine swap anyways, that is a good time to put a cam in.

 

I might do the cam (depends on how bad im ready to get the engine in lol) but since I have all the time in the world on this project id like to do some stuff mainly for acceleration,most people in my town just do redlight to redlight and I don't have a drag strip anywhere close to me,do you know where I can ick up a set at? zzp sells them for $249 for 1.9 modded stock rollers is that a fair price? and what about running a small amount of NOS? would a bigger cam be required to handle it?

 

If you have any intention on doing a cam at all, do it before you put the engine in. It shouldn't take you more than 1 extra day before the swap if you've never done it before with lots of buffer room.


If you still want to go with rockers, I think ZZP is the only place that sells them 'new'. They do pop up on various w body forums used on occasion. I picked up a set for my old gtp years ago for $175.

As for nitrous, I expressed my opinions pretty thoroughly in the other thread. I think it's a waste at your level. You're leaving a lot of easy power on the table by not doing a cam, intercooler, headers, e85, etc - I would much rather put the money into maximizing the existing setup before adding spray.

I could understand if you were trying to hustle people street racing, but it's hard to play the 'sleeper' card with a blower sitting on top of the engine. Also, because of the supercharger and general intake layout, it makes it harder to hide your nozzle. I have seen a few slick setups spraying inside a modified stock airbox, but honestly I just don't see the point.

 

yea..you do have a point there,i guess nos would be my last resort but even if I was going to get an engine tomorrow I probably wouldn't put it in the car for atleast another few months just to go ahead and get everything I want done to it,another good idea would be weight reduction? would that help if I could find a way to shed a few pounds? or would it even be worth all the cutting and fabbing to make it lighter?

 

I gave up on trying to make my car all that by keeping every ounce off. Ended up putting in my aftermarket audio and the carpet kit etc. I was never going to be that guy who is a real contender, so I figured might as well be happy just having a fast car.

 

I don't want to go that route (if I don't have to) but if im going to keep up with the v8's id like to do it,everyone here has a cammed or tuned Silverado,my town is over populated with them lol,i would think the monte could kee up with them,does anyone know from experience?

 

The hard part about weight reduction is that the cost ramps up quickly. Removing carpet, seats, radio/speakers, airbags and such is free and has a great impact but also takes away comforts that some people can't live without.

Beyond that, the price starts to go up quickly- lexan windows, carbon body parts, aluminum hat brakes, lightweight battery, light wheels, etc etc - the price gets out of control really quick.


As for keeping up with Silverados, it depends on the engine and what is done. There are 4.3L v6s that shouldnt be much of a problem, but there are also 6.0L ls based engines and diesel options that can make big power with mods. Depends on the year too since that name spans more than a decade.

 

my friend has a 2002 Silverado with either the 5.3 or 5.7,its pretty quick but I know they all shut off around 100 mph,i think all it had done is a new tranny and exhaust,i want to be able to shut him down,i figured I could get a lighter battery,wheels and take the spare tire out and that might help a little

but to get the thread back on topic il probably get the 1.9 rockers,cam,tune,and a few other bolt ons and think about the turbo if I feel the need (want) for it,thanks for all the input guys,i know I couldn't have figured this stuff out by myself.

im actually in the middle of pulling the engine now,the only thing holding me back is the axles,i need to get it out of the trannt without have to take the axle nut off as I don't have the socket to get it off and im on low budget now but I might break down and get one thursday

 

As for planning 1.9 rockers and a cam, I think that is a bad combo. 1.9 rockers are going to severely limit your choice of cam, especially on unmodified heads. The problem is too much lift. You can run aftermarket rockers with a cam, but IMO the best bang for the buck at the starter level with the engine out is just a cam. Sure you could do some 1.7 rockers and a cam, but IMO the $250+ on rockers isn't going to be worth it power wise. That's why most pepole say cam or rockers to make it simple.

As for leaving the axle nut on, you should be able to pull that off. I don't see any reason why you couldn't unbolt the suspension so that only the axle is holding it on (supported of course), and then just pop the axle out.