installing L89 heads at dealer, 68 camaro

**92646** · #1 10-09-2008, 08:13 AM

I have heard of the opposite where people took the aluminum heads off of their cars and installed cast iron heads. Look at all of the welded up aluminum 842 and 074 heads out there.
Mark Sheppard

**black69** · #2 10-09-2008, 08:33 AM

in any case the block should have the l89 code with no exceptions? to be considered a real L89 car?

**Kurt S** · #3 10-09-2008, 10:03 PM

Correct.

Keith Tedford · #4 10-09-2008, 10:58 PM

Even with the few L89 cars that were built I heard early on stories about the rocker stud bosses breaking off and valve seats falling out, especially in race situations with heavy spring pressure. As far as installing aluminum heads, dealers would install whatever you wanted if you were paying. It wouldn't be considered a true factory L89 car though. Probably voided the 5-50 warranty.

**olredalert** · #5 10-10-2008, 05:37 PM

-----I went to a Chevy dealer in Columbus Oh. in 1968 to see a black 1969 L89 convert that had been delivered from St.Louis the week before. The salesman neglected to tell me that the car was in the service department awaiting a new short-block and one new head. A seat had fallen out on start-up as the Vette was coming off the truck. Believe it or not he still wanted me to buy it but that was the last L89 I persued. I ended up with a non-L89, 435 riverside gold coupe from Ed Stinn in Cleveland. The funny part,,,,that 435 froze a wrist-pin and at about 1200 miles it had to have a new short-block........Bill S

**Xplantdad** · #6 10-10-2008, 06:54 PM

Ah, the good old days...right Bill?

**MR-427** · #7 10-10-2008, 08:40 PM

I HAVE THIS AC DELCO FACTORY TACH CLUSTER..ITS NOS AND I HAVENT A CLUE..COULD BE BUICK,OLDSMOBILE OR PONTIAC???..THANKS FOR YOUR TIME....MIKE.

**black69** · #8 10-13-2008, 10:50 PM

thanks for all the info, it looks like these heads were prone to failure. does an 68 l89 car have any other unique codes to look for? different sway bars? carb numbers? besides the block stamping ofcourse. and if 69 l89's we failing when they arrived at the dealer (using that one example) were they even worse at failing in 68? i know from owning the 65 396 vette i have, the early 65 l78 cars dropped a lot of their valves toasting the blocks (so i was told yrs ago), so that was fixed towards the end of production of the engine (and luckily my vette is at the end of the run and has its original block). from just reading this thread, i would think most of the l89 cars eventually toasted their blocks? unless tucked away and never beaten ofcourse.

**olredalert** · #9 10-14-2008, 04:38 AM

------Bob,,,The broken valve spring problem didnt end in 65. My 66 427/425 Vette (bought new) suffered 2 broken valve springs in the year I owned it. Neither happened at any kind of RPM. Actually, both springs failed on cold start-up. Because of that the inner springs managed (at very low RPM) to get me to a dealer for warrantee repair, but a number of my friends wernt as lucky!!!......Bill S

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