Street Lethal

iTrader: (16)

Recently nabbed an 88 for cheap, and this is the first Third Generation I've owned that came with TBI. Still a little unsure as to what road I'm going to take with this one... but the 400-sbc is just about finished.

I wanted to ask you, when you had you're 305, and when you yanked the stock intake off... did you notice if you're passenger side swirl port had an EGR port prevalent? It's strange, I yanked off mine a few days back, and noticed the passageway missing.

I thought to myself, hmm... maybe the previous owner installed a drivers side head from a donor LO3 to eliminate it. I honestly went with this concept (as it's not out of the ordinary), but what's strange is, I came across another 88-TBI (Camaro) in the local junkyard, and it too was missing the EGR ports in the passenger head.

I started to think, hmm... how wonderful it would be if GM, somehow, did not install EGR equipped heads on the 88 model year (making them EGR exempt). I did a search in the TBI archives, and there was one poster from awhile back who posed the same question (who happened to have an 88 himself).

If so, then the 88 model year would seem to be quite the exception.... first no speed limiter, and now (possibly) no EGR (even though the intake manifold visually houses one). Again though, TBI is not my strong point... so I don't know much about it's history.

Interesting... nonetheless!

kyles88bird

im pretty sure u got a limitor, i hit mine at 115(88 tbi rebuilt and i got a 5spd) egr i couldnt tell u, maybe they used a diff method?

Street Lethal

iTrader: (16)

Hehe, this 88 was on it's last leg when I towed her home... so I was not able to see for myself. Disabling the speed limiter (if the 88's do in fact have it) through the ECM will definitely be done, if so.

Also, I thought the 5-Speed's were not speed limited?

Edit: Yes, both tranny's had the limiter.

kyles88bird

all u gotta do is splice a on/off switch in line wit hte vss, when u get close to the 115 mark, flip the switch to off and u can keep going.

dimented24x7

iTrader: (2)

The limiter is disabled in the 88 cals that Ive seen so far. Guess they figured the low horespower would do the limiting for them. Ive seen rumers that the 88's only made 150 HP. Just a rumer, so take it with a grain of salt.

As far as the egr, Ill check the heads on my 400 lb paperweight when I get home. Can you post the casting #s of the heads you have?

EDIT: As far as the egr goes, it is fully enabled in the stock calibration that came with my ecm. It must work somehow, or be completly disabled in some cars.

kyles88bird

got me on the egr. as for hp rating, it was 170 and 240lb ft. i ahvent done a high speed test, i was in my buddies 91 formula(same motor and tranny as me) when i found out. i dont see the point in going over 80mph really. and besides call me a wussy but i dont wanna end up as a stat

Crusin' 1980's

What is an EGR? what does it do?

Street Lethal

iTrader: (16)

Head casting is 14102187. After double checking the junkyard heads as well... it too shared the same casting. It's strange. The intake itself has the EGR, with ports, and when I yanked it off, there was heavy carbon deposits everywhere.

It was even on the head (the carbon deposits) in the shape of the ports, in which I initially thought that the EGR head ports were plugged... only to then find out (after scraping the deposits off with a razor blade), that there were no EGR ports even there (on the head)!

Again, when I first noticed this... I thought that previous owner was responsible, but being that this car is ridiculously stock, why would someone swap out one head (and do absolutely nothing else along with it). But still though, I was nonchalant about it.

After coming across the same exact thing though in the junkyard, same year, 88... this is when I got a little curious. Just imagine if these car's (88 model) were accidentally EGR exempt. Hey, with GM's history, anything's possible!

dimented24x7

iTrader: (2)

Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve. It allows a small ammount of exhaust to be taken back into the engine and reburned at part throttle. This cools the combustion and reduces NOx emmissions.

kdrolt

A thought --- did the light trucks for the 88 model year have EGR? If they didn't and the engine plant was running low on the passenger-car 187s, then they might have used some of the 187s for trucks that (possibly) lacked the EGR port.

A lot of undocumented things can happen along a production line to keep the line going especially if the things don't cause failure and later finger-pointing at the factory.

TZFBird

I have an 88 LO3 from california
But, the car ended up in Nebraska with me. I'm building a new motor, but I'll tear mine off and take a look when the motor comes out. That is a very interesting idea. I doubt that is the case with mine because I am always throwing EGR codes. That combined with detonation up the ___ led me to build a different engine.

If this post is still around, I'll let ya know.

Crusin' 1980's

Is there any performance benefit to modifying of removing the EGR?

BronYrAur

iTrader: (1)

No. EGR is actually good for your engine.

buzz12586

There is no limiter on the 88 305 TBI 5spd cars. I have had mine up to 130 or so.

Street Lethal

iTrader: (16)

I knew I heard this from someone, somewhere, but wasn't quite sure when. Thanks!

thedogs

IT's possible you had a warranty issue and they swapped in new or available heads at a dealership and that would explain your otherwise stock engine but different heads.
I've TPI heads on my car and theres no reason for it but the one above.
I think it was shifty who explained that.

dimented24x7

iTrader: (2)

Checked mine... 187's and they have functional egr ports.

Randy82WS7

ill be yanking intake on my stock original 87 truck L03 engine tomorrow, it has an EGR valve, ill see if it has functional egr ports in both heads or not and post here

heh