A curse on free will! A little help deciding please

[Doubt_Incarnate]

Ok, suddenly i feel like a noobie who has never seen a piston.

My current project is a gen2 3.1 in my '86 J-body. the motor has roller rockers, total seal rings, rwd pistons 1mm over to yeild a 11.39:1cr, crane h260-2 cam, and thats about it, i think. the tranny going in is a 4speed manual original to the car.

some people say i will have a hard time tuning due to the high cr, some say i wont. i've been rethinking things since i want to move away from the cold and somewhere warmer (bad for high cr). and even though i'm close to completion (pretty much 1 wire, swap in the '90 z24 ecm, install the motor/tranny, and hook up the exhaust. all of which requies me getting off my lazy butt...) i'm a chronic fretter, i worry about stupid things, like it not working, and me going insane trying to get it to work.

the old motor is an iron head MPFI2.8. its complete, and i know it works with the car. since the newer motor requires a diferent downpipe (over $115! does that sound right?) i was thinking i could just swap my iron head stuff over to the 3.1 block and save myself the trouble of a high cr in 109*F Arizona (where i want to move). It ends up i think at 8.6:1 or so, and it should bolt right up and in.

the bonus is i'm pretty much like stroking the 2.8, so it still looks the same. and the newer block is a little beefier in the valley. there shouldnt be any need for an ecm swap. so it should be easier, simpler. and just work to start with.

I know there is a perfomance sacrafice, but its "works vs ?" right now. Oh yeah, did i mention its a convertable, and its getting warm out, and i havent driven it in like 3 years (too lazy to finish), and i'd like to have my "Smurf Mobile" for fun in the sun. I guess i just want it right now, with as few obstacles as possible.

[geoffinbc]

That compression wont be too high with a 260 cam. You may have to run mid to high grade gas but thats ok. Computer tuning may be a minor issue. But it isn't anyhting that cannot be fixed

[EspanolaGuitarista]

Theraml coating...

Does wonders for detonation. Some of the pro engine builders are puting 13:1 on pump with these high-tech coatings. I wished I owned stock since I talk it about it so much.

[Doubt_Incarnate]

one of the problems is the exhaust hook up. i'm still not much of a fabricator, so making a downpipe is a little on the difficult side for me. i priced what i think is one, its for an '87 z24, 115-189 bucks from carparts.com. i was hoping for say, $50. i'm just nervous because i converted my truck to FI, and its been a nightmare, wont idle right, and hesitates to the point of stalling, sometimes it just dies as you drive down the road.
i'm just afraid that i'll put the gen2 in and it will be a nightmare to. i need some wires for the crank trigger, and the tach, and then hope she fires. i guess if it doesnt want to work properly, i'll just put the iron on, i know that works.

I think the big thing is the ease of installation. i know the stuff it has bolts right in, and the newer stuff, needs a pipe and some wire.

[Doubt_Incarnate]

Somebody hit me, i'm losing sight of my 200hp goal.

i checked, just to torture myself, to see what the difference is in the accesories between my motors, its not worth just swaping the tops anyways, too much different on the front. I'd have to strip both to short blocks and move what i needed over, and since both motors are 98% complete, thats a little excessive, to many parts floating around to mix up.

I did check Advance auto for a downpipe, they say $25, and i forgot i need an alternator with a pulley and gen2 PS lines and something to do with having no AC with this motor. maybe i'll rig an electric pump drive for the water. i think i can manage that.

Also got ahold of some 1st gen z24 skirts! no door panels, but i dont like that look anyways. As it gets warmer and i feel like going outside, i'll get more confident, like airbrushing the car myself.