I know it's a roller cam engine and works best with TPI...but I like the simplicity of the L69 carbed setup. I've heard that the M/C will compenstate for the bigger cubes and the rest can be tuned easy enough. it would be nice to have a new 350 and use my L69 stuff thats almost new too,instead of picking up a high milage complete TPI and doing all the conversion work. I saw this engine in another post http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...id=128&pid=105 ,it looks like a good alternative to upgrade to a 350 from a 305 (my 305 H.O. is in rough shape,due to extreem overheating from car theft)........well enough of my lifes story,what's the differences of the L05 longblock and my L69 longblock that will stop me from doing this exchange??

sorry I messed up the link,but it's fixed now. it goes directly to the page with the 5.7L caprice/fleetwood L05 long block. it looks like it comes with the T-chain cover and balancer and not much else. could I use my flywheel,oilpan,oil pump & pick-up,intake (I'd probably get an aftermarket intake anyways),mech-fuel pump,......basically everything from my '84 Trans Am's 305 H.O. L69 engine,V-belt accessories,HEI distributer...I'm on a budget!! I'm sure this engine would make decent power for a daily driven car,I would most likely swap in a better cam before I dropped it in too. I wouldn't expect it to crank out 300+ horse out of the crate but it would be a better engine to build on than a 305 HO,right? I think my 305 is toast anyways......I like the idea of having a "roller cam" which I've heard gets better response and is more effecient than the "flat tappet" engines. I tried to check out the tech. artical on "TPI to carb conversion" since it seems to be similar to what I'm trying to do,but it won't open for me....wtf?? someone please fill me in,I know this can be done. thanks.

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'84 Trans Am......Eibach Prokit,PST polygraphite front-end rebuilt,KYB-GR2 struts,strut mounts,shocks,Hotchkis LCAs & adjustable panhard,16x8"IROC rims w/khumo ecsta 245/50/16 Z rated. 305 H.O. which mysteriously overheats ever since recovered from theft.....Hedmen TPI shorty's,Borla cat back,700r4 which amazingly still works!!...B&M mega shifter,and my favorite....10 bolt 3.73 posi. accesories: new keylss entry & starting system (creativly installed by some amature criminals ) stereo: ......boy I wish I didn't park my car in D.C.!!

does anyone here have first hand experience with this company or this particular crate engine?

Are they saying that that engine is basically the same as an L-98? It must be pretty similar, probably a different cam in there. I would just swap in a good roller cam, something more performance oriented. Your intake will fit witha little modification to a couple holes on each side. Other than that, your good to go. Your carburetor and ECM won't care about the 45 extra inches and the rest of your stuff will bolt right up.

that's the same swap i'm planning on doing but instead i'm using tpi. Back to the subject at hand people at my job r telling me that the 87 and up intake bolts are at a different angle so the 85 and below won't work unless u round out the holes which i'm tryin to avoid.

aren't there aftermarket intakes made for this purpose?? I would imagine the L98s being the same block w/a better cam......but the stock caprice is pretty quick for it's size. definitly a good aftermarket roller cam,better intake,reworked Q-jet & my headers & exaust....I think this engine would do just fine. I may not need my 3.73s anymore! do roller cam engines have roller rockers too?? (sorry if that's a dumb question!). $1450 wouldn't set me back too much,considering the cost of shipping & extra equipment & parts I may need to do the swap,I'll say $2000 just to be safe. I'll be doing this right in my front yard in beautiful Buckroe Beach,VA.....I think I'll fit right in

Yeah, there are aftermarket intakes made for 87-later heads. They're a bit more expensive, though. I wouldn't think that this engine would come with roller rockers, but if you want em', now would be a good time to add them.

You will need an electric fuel pump as there is no provision for a mechanical pump. The LO5 is a TBI engine, it uses an electric pump. I think this is a great motor for someone on a budget who wants a new block, heads, etc. A side from the intake and fuel pump,yu will need a different dist. gear fo the roller cam. Everthing else should bolt onto the LO5....

Not true.

True, but that doesn't make your first statement true.

the mechanical fuel pump should bolt up as long as the cam has the lobe for the pump. you can even see where the pump goes in the picture (it has a cover plate over it).
I'm concerned about the distributer though....I've never heard of roller cams having different distributer gears. I'm definitly changing the cam before the engine even goes in,so..what should I look for when chooseing a cam?? otherwise,I can just change the little gear on the end of the distributer shaft?? that wouldn't be hard,in fact I vaguely remember seeing something like that in Jegs,but I still don't remember ever seeing different kinds of gears....

thanks for all the tips. sounds like it won't be to hard to get this together....and I'm sure the q-jet won't know the difference!

You need a "melonized" gear to go with a factory-type roller cam. It's listed on the GM Performance Parts pages (such as http://www.sdpc2000.com/search.asp ), p/n 10456413.

It is easy to change on the distributor. Drive out a roll pin, pull off the old gear, put on the new gear, drive the roll pin back in.

The LO5 does not have a provision for a mechanical fuel pump> I know because that motor is used in many Caddy/Caprice cabs up here........ If you think I'm wrong just call up Jim Pace, i ven states that there is no provision for a mechanical pump (last time I checked)......... I'd hate to see somebody do this swap and have it held up because of the wrong infomation........

so....what's a good way to run an electric pump without messing with the tank??

as far as I know the L05 has provisions for a mechanical fuel pump. just because they come from the factory with an electric, with a plate over the fuel pump boss doesnt mean you can't take that plate off and put a mechanical one on there.

i would call the distributor of the motor up to verify this, because it is obviously in dispute here with one person saying it does not, while others tell you that it does have provisions.

JYD,

First of all, TBI heads generally suck and I would avoid them if you want any performance. They're just late model castings that crack and don't flow.

Secondly, if you need a 4bbl Q-jet '87 intake (off an SS) to fit late heads, email me.

Thirdly, if the block has a block off plate, then you need the right cam and the motor will take a mechanical pump. I believe later in the '90's they deleted the mechanical boss from the block, and some of the cams in EFI cars had no lobe on the cam, but if both those items are present, you're good to go.

Matthew

thanks Matt,your right...only the manufacturer/dist. can fully answer my questions here. I tried to email them,but they have't responded yet. I have recieved lots of good insight here though,and created a L05 thread for others to look up in the archives...so no one has wasted any time here. the block is a good price,but if the heads are for TBI and just plain suck,maybee I should go for a L98 longblock or build a custom engine from a 350 shortblock?? that intake sounds like a good idea,I hope you still have it when I get my $$ together,I'll probably never lose the q-jet..just to keep it looking original under the hood and simple to tune.

should I pull my 305 HO longblock and dismantle it to see why its overheating when it runs??? could the ENTIRE engine be warped and cracked from being overheated? or should I flush it out and pressure test the radiator first?? (the engine was run with out radiator cap off until the radiator ran dry)

HEY, GUYS I AM DOING THAT SAME SWAP
I GOT A 92 CAPRICE ENGINE FOR $ 300 AND I HAVE THE OLD
HEADERS AND THE PERFORMER INTAKE
WOULD THEY BOLT RIGHT ON?

86-older intake won't fit. 87+ intake will fit.

WELL, I HAVE A 87 FIREBIRD WHICH CAME WITH THE 305 CARB.

I haven’t read this whole post but I used the same engine in my car and has some info to add.

First you can’t use a mechanical fuel pump because where the mechanical fuel pump port on the block is fully cast in and would have to be machined out.

This engine is a great deal for the money, it has the same pistons and rods as a ZZ4. It also has a nodular iron crank. More specs can be found here: http://www.paceparts.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=42937

I sold the heads on ebay for $300 and bought some new ZZ4 heads off ebay for $500. I also bought a ZZ4 cam off ebay for $100. So I got a cheap ZZ4 long block (minus the forged crank and 4 bolt main) for $1800!!

I would definitely change out the cam and put some different heads on, it’s a great reliable starting point though

I discovered the truth of that some months after I made my statement above. I tried to clean up any posts where I mis-spoke, but obviously missed this one.

for your intake problem, why not throw away those horrible L05 heads, take your 416 cast L69 heads have bigger valves cut into them and install them, that way your intake as well as any pre 86 intake would work. That would give better performance then the L05 heads and solve the intake problem.

Depends upon who you're talking to.

'87 LG4 had 081 heads. '86-earlier had 416 heads.

Either way, what you're saying is correct. Use the heads off of your LG4, put larger intake valves in them (and I'd recommend cleaning up the bowls at least while you're at it), and use the intake from your LG4. Sweet combo in the end.