Tech / General EngineWhy is my car making that sound? My car won't start! Combination questions? Don't see a board for your problem or have other technical or engine specific questions? Post them here!
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Ok. Well I stopped working on the Camaro for alittle while but I decided to get back into it.. If anyone remembers I had this issue with the fact the engine that was installed into my 87 Iroc came out of a truck.. Well not sure why i never did but I finally contacted GM Goodwrench... Gave them the engine part number and they gave me the following specs on it...
Based on the number you provided, 12520268, the engine was a new Goodwrench
5.7L, V-8. It is a 2-bolt main, has a cast iron crank, flat lifters, 8.5
compression, and approximately 190 hp.
The engine was an OEM replacement for truck and van applications between
1987 and 1995 that were manufactured with the L05, 5.7K engine option. It
has been superseded by part number 12568758.
Now when I contacted Summit Racing the tech guy was telling me that all parts that I can find for a 87 350 would work on my engine because all 350's were the same that it didn't matter what car it was in.. But I find that hard to believe since when I purchased the intake baseplate, headers, and runners the install shop had nothing but fitment problems.. just wondering if anyone could give some info now that I have these numbers and specs.. should I look for performance parts that would work on a truck or something or how do I go about this?
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I am looking for info on how to find what parts will fit this engine.. Like i said I had purchased headers, intake manifold baseplate, hi flow runners, cap, rotor all based on 1987 350 engine and all items had fitment issues... so how do i find what will work and fit properly to get power out of the engine.. i want to hit 350+hp... but how can i find out what will work with my engine.. when i called up summit they were like just look for 1987 350 and all parts that say they fit will work and i did that and no luck.. all parts had fitment issues.. on top of that my car is not TBI it is TPI.. so when i but things like cylinder heads and camshafts do i put in that i have tbi or tpi... they seem to have mixed and matched a bunch of parts and now i have no clue what i should be looking for..
If they had fitment issues on the TBI heads, they would have fitment issues on the TPI heads. The intake bolt patterns are the same, as are the exhaust bolt patterns.
Cylinder heads don't care about what intake system you bolt up to them, or what year block it is. As long as it's a Gen I sbc, which both TBI and TPI (from the factory are), they will bolt up, as long as the intake bolt patterns are the same (in 87, GM changed the center 2 bolt angles to 90°, previous to that, all were perpendicular to the intake mounting surface). As far as the heads themselves are concerned, any Gen. I head will bolt to any Gen. I block. Intakes come one of 2 ways, either pre-87, or 87-up. Correlating to the angle of the intake bolts.
If you're looking for a cam, chances are you have a roller block, but flat tappet cam. Trucks were set up like that. Cars, if they got roller blocks, they got roller cams. Based on your previous inquiry to GM though, you've got a truck setup. Look for a casting number on the back of the block, just above the bellhousing, driver side. That will tell you exactly what block you have.
When you bought the parts, you bought them for your car with your year car and tpi injection, right? Headers never fit to well, but fitment issues on a cap and rotor? thats new to me.
It sounds like you may be new to high performance cars, and I think it is great that you want to start, just be sure to research everything as much as possible, and learn from other peoples mistakes before you buy any parts. Parts selection can be tough for anybody, and tpi cars really need to be built right, so run it buy these boards what you have, how much power you want, and what is the best way to get there.
I would also consider a new shop to install these parts, any experienced person should have either been able to install these, or look at them and tell you that you have the wrong parts, there is not a lot of different chevy stuff, and the difference in parts is usually very noticeable.
Like everyone else said, as long as you ordered parts for your car everything should have fit. You should order parts for the car you have an '87 TPI 350.
I hate to be negative, but 350+ HP from a block with 8.5:1 compression is really reaching. Thats compression is nowhere near what it needs to be to support the heads/cam combo that you need to make that kind of HP. Also the TPI doesnt do well for high HP/RPM's. Its great for low RPM torque, but above 4500 RPM it falls flat on its face. I would set your goal at 300 HP unless you go into the bottom end of the motor and plan on doing some mods to the induction system also.
My advise would be to save up until you can build the entire engine.
Heads and cam would be the next single most restrictive item on the list. The low compression dished pistons aren't going to help, either. TBI heads, as cast, are swirl ports. Which are notoriously inefficient at making any forms of horsepower in their stock form. If you want 350+, you're looking at higher compression and/or more efficient heads. This is where the "what's your budget?" question gets asked.
Well the budget is pretty flexible....Let's just say the funds are up there and shouldnt really be much of an issue. My goal is to have a nice street/show car.. It will be rarely driven however when it is driven I want to be able to take almost any car on the road.. For example my brother has a supped up 07 Acura TL.. his car is quick as I think his 0-60 is something like 6 secons and the quarter mile is I think 14 seconds.. not def on that... but i want to be able to destroy when it comes to racing... I just dont know if a truck TBI motor in a camaro will get there or if I need to start with something different...
Last edited by fearthisinc; 01-08-2009 at 01:44 PM.
Your TBI: it's a truck motor, designed for low end torque. You'll be better off in the long run getting/building a purpose-designed platform better suited for your needs.
