jared C.

i have a stock 88 tune port 305 and i want to put a better cam in it. the engine is in an 84 S-10 pickup. when i did the engine swap i pulled the engine, tranny, computer, and wiring harness. so anthing for a fire bird will work in this (except for suspension). i want more from me engine but i dont know what cam to use . the tranny is a 700r4 with a shift kit and the stock stall converter. i want to keep the stock converter and i want to know what's the biggest cam i can use? i plan on doing other mads to the engine in the future ( runners, throttle body, intake, pullies, adjustable fuel pressure regular, and anything else i can think of) it all ready had shorty headers. if anyone could help me out it would be greatly appreciate.

thanks in advance
jared

new87

Stock LT1 or after market of the same grind (just cost more) the 305 responds very well to them. I went from a 15.4 to a 14.6 with a small B-body cam. I know have two f-body lt1 cams in my possesion. We will see how well they work.

jared C.

so just find a stock lt1 cam and that will go right in no problem...ok sounds good to me how much do they go for? best guess. thanks

Ed Maher

If you're going to do all the work of a cam swap, why would you go back in with a stock GM grind? Sure it'll work better than a peanut cam, but beyond that, it's not a performance grind by any stretch of the imagination.\Wouldn't you rather buy the cam you want and only have to do 1 cam swap, rather than save a few bucks and count the days till you have to rip the whole engine apart again to get the stock GM cam out.

1991tealRSt-topGuy

ed- thats my exact point on this too
i need your advice on my 350 buildup
i am going to be using 305 (416) heads until i can afford better heads
what would be a good cam for me to use?
i am planning on Pro Lightning heads when i can afford them
this is a daily driver, so i need something that will idle, lol
i also want to burn my own custom chip for it
i have a 5 speed and a 3.42 rear so theres no converter to figure into the equation
??????????

thanx for your help

oh yeah, my comp ratio is gonna be 10:1 with the 416's and when i switch over to the Pro's it should be about 9.35:1

1MeanZ

iTrader: (9)

jared i was in your boat last winter with my 86 IROC. before any cam swaps i suggest headers and a good exhaust if you havent done so already. i installed a lingenfelter cam with 214 224 duration @.050. and somethin like .444-.465 lift in my 305.(that is a flat tappet cam, you could run a bit more with your roller setup) i also ported the plenum and added a throttlebody air foil. i love this cam, it idles kinda choppy, but above 1800 rpm makes alot more power than my stock peanut cam. the only problem i have is my stock torque converter stalls too low, hence my 93.5mph trap speed with only a 14.8 ET. i am installing a converter this winter to rectify the situation, i think the motor has enough power to get the car to a 14.5 with the better converter, i think that is pretty respectable for an otherwise stock 305. i strongly suggest the cam i listed and a higher stall converter. those 2 mods along with at least 3.23 gears will totally change the truck. i think others here will support me on that. cam, converter, and gears can totally transform almost any vehicle. if you want a noticeable gain, do the cam and converter too.

jared C.

i allready have shorty headers and dual 3 inch exaust all the way back. i think the LPE cam will prolly be my best bet seeings how i have the stock converter. where can i get it and how much? thanks

new87

Ok here is my case in point. 1MeanZ has an after market "performance grind cam" and is running .8 and 3 mph slower than my very mild LT1 cam. I'm sure that cam is $200 or so, my current cam was FREE and the two I have now cost me $15 each. All he is looking for is to improve a 305, moderation is the key to a quick 305. I have searched and read just about all post about the 305 for the past 2 years I've been a member of this board. Just about all 305 with higher duration and lift cams are slower than my little 1996 B-body LT1 cam. I now have cams from a 95 and 97 Z28. specs as follows 201/.447 intake and 208/.459 exhuast LSA of 117. I run the stock chip and the car is a blast to drive. But if you want an after market cam go for it, this is my real world results.

jared C.

hummm....i dont know what cam to get now. i think im going to have to do more research. on one hand i have a factory GM cam in a different engine. and on the other i have a aftermarket cam. what a perdicament

new87

Who's faster? Good idea to do a little more looking around. Do a search for cam changes in a 305 see what comes up.

Ed Maher

I'll give you that youyour combo runs pretty strong for what it has. But then, it's not out of reach of what any non-peanut cam 305 can do. Sure there are guys with aftermarket cams running slower. There are 350 swap guys running 15s too, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea. Then again, there are 305 cars with mild cams like the ZZ4 or even a little bigger running mid 13s and 100mph or more too.

72LT1VETTE

If you want to remain basically stock. The Summit 5000 cam brags 30 to 50 HP increase. Sales for I believe $159. Designed specifically for 87-89 TPI's

bigals87z28

hummm that summit cam sounds nice... do u have the specs on it?

1MeanZ

iTrader: (9)

well new87 my car may be slow by your standards but as i stated that was with the stock converter and stock suspension and street tires. i see that you had slicks, drag shocks, and suspension parts. i will let you know what i run this spring with my converter and suspension work. dont waste your time putting a cam as mild as an lt1 cam. it is a waste of time. it is not enough bigger than the stock cam you have to even **** with. and as i stated, we will see what my 305 does with a converter and the same suspension work that new87 has

72LT1VETTE

Here they are as listed on Summitracing.com site.
Part #SUM-G5000. I believe this is a non-roller
type cam.

Summit Racing Equipment
Product Line: Summit TPI Cam Kit
material:Cast Iron

Up to 40 more horsepower for your TPI engine
Chevy: 1985-87 Camaro 305, 350, 1985-87 Corvette 350;
Pontiac: 1985-87 Firebird 305,350, 268/278 degrees duration TPI camshaft kit

Advertised duration: 268 intake/278 exhaust
Duration at .050 in. cam lift: 204 intake/214 exhaust
Gross valve lift: .420 in. intake/.442 exhaust
Lobe separation: 112 degrees
Stuffed in an '86 IROC Camaro with a 305 TPI motor and an ADS Super Chip installed, our TPI cam kit made 40 extra horsepower and knocked almost a full second off the IROC's 0-60 times--and the computer worked perfectly. This kit includes the cam, lifters, springs, retainers, and lube. If your car has more than 30,000 miles, we suggest you add a new timing chain.

TPIterror

What if you have an 88-92 305 TPI? They dont list a cam for that.

72LT1VETTE

Yes, CompCam #CCA-08-300-8 for basic stock engines
1987-1998---305,350
You want to go bigger, check it out.

Specifications:
* Advertised duration: 262 intake/264 exhaust
* Duration at .050 in.: 206 intake/210 exhaust
* Gross valve lift: .450 in. intake/.480 in. exhaust
* Lobe separation: 112 degrees
* RPM range: 1,000 to 5,000
* For factory roller engines with stock TPI and computer

bigals87z28

wait... that summit cam is not a roller cam, but is made for 87-89 tpi engines? what is with that one?

72LT1VETTE

It says the Summit cam is for 85-87 TPI engines with tappit lifters, not 87-89.