Hello everyone, I have a 1989 Camaro IROC-Z with a 5.7/350 TPI rebuilt 30000 miles ago running 15w-50 full synthetic oil (My oil pressure gets low, now i do know that camaros have lower pressure; but at an idle i dont like it....so maybe thinner oil will help even?). It is an every day driver but I want minor bolt-on mods and/or tips and tricks to increase hp without running my wallet dry. So far i have a Magnaflow 1into2 muffler, Jet stage 2 computer chip, and a 160 degree thermostat. I'm about to put in a shift kit, a ram air hood w/ the intake setup (with k&n filter) that goes with it, and e 3 spark plugs. The reason that my buddy got a brand new 370z nissan and says he could smoke my camaro. Guys, gimme some help so i can show this kid that no one messes with a camaro. Any and all help will be GREATLY appreciated!

It's not uncommon for the oil pressure gauges on these cars to go crazy so you're oil pressure might be fine. I would test it with a different gauge before making any assumptions. Just my two cents.

Hey thanks a bunch, yeah i've heard things about the oil pressure and I will check it out. And if you or anyone you know has any ideas for me, deffinately run them across me! Thanks again.

Sounds like you're off to a good start. Air intake and exhaust are the biggest restrictions on the tpi engine but it looks like that's already in the works. One thing you can to fairly cheap to really free up some exhaust flow is a good set of headers. Those stock exhaust manifolds suck. I see that you're not in an emmisons state (I'm originally from Ohio too) so no worries there. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the e3 plugs. I've got them on my car and love them but some people don't like them. Be sure to install a good set of wires and change out your cap and rotor at the same time to make sure you're ignition system is at its peak performance.

I would do a full exhaust from headers back, also a hi-flow TPI set-up will help also (TPIS, Accel, Edelbrock).

put some springs and 1.6 rockers on the heads

hey thanks a bunch, yeah i saw e 3s on horsepower tv so im excited to try them. now an intake sounds good but the only one i've found is the stealth ram which you have to buy holley fuel rails for it as well, and right now i dont have the money. any intakes you know of for a throttle body that isnt crazy expensive?

thanks for your input, yeah ive been looking into catback exhaust systems, just tryin to find a deal lol

perfect yeah thanks, i wanted to adjust the valves anyway so now i'll go in there regardless

oh and guys, i was playin forza 3 on my xbox 360 and when tunin up one of my cars, it claimed that replacing the flywheel for a lighter one with help bring the rpms up quicker, is this true and is there any other advantages? and if so is it worth the money? (by the way my tranny has to come out in a couple weeks here cuz i have to replace a soft plug so i can get to the flywheel)

I agree with the 1.6 rockers. You can get more lift out of that stock L98 cam than the stock 1.5s will allow.

just like any other rotational mass item on a car it's a nice upgrade to go lighter . just As your forza game said, it will help the engine rev slightly faster so forth.....

on the other hand i could think of a million things i would do before getting in to the very expensive nitty gritty stuff like that.

personally i'd go with a good tuneup.... stick with delco or autolite plugs. fancier platinum is fine unless you go to an after market cdi system. add roller rockers, valve seals while you are there and springs if you can get a set cheap. that should help a good bit, next i would do would be full exhaust or air intake mod (cut the bottoms out of your dual filter tpi box and run dryer ducting down to your grille).

also porting of your intake can go a long ways.

awesome guys, all great ideas! boy i got my homework cut out for me, just want i wanted. All these ideas im excited to get workin on my car, but keep 'em comin! all ideas are really appreciated, thanks everyone.

for the valve springs, any aftermarket ones would be better? or is there something i should look for in them?

Well, for starters you have an Auto so you have a Flexplate not a flywheel - a flywheel is big and heavy like a giant brake rotor - because it "is" - A flexplate is light and "flimsy. So chances are you don't have any need to change it.

Changing the stock flexible rubber intake tubing can help with turbulence for air entering the engine. Check your timing and make sure it is accurate so you get good numbers.

I think a pretty good bang for your buck would be as was already mentioned - headers.

Most of the TPI intake upgrades seem like they cost more than they are worth. What I mean by this is that it seems like switching to a carb wouldn't be that pricey in comparison but you can get pretty good SBC intake manifolds cheap. I got a pretty good one used for about $30. But, since then I decided against the swap because of the "hidden" costs and aggravation (such as the fueling situation.)

The same goes for a cam, it's unfortunate how cheap standard SBC parts are in comparison to ones designed for out engines! The 1.6 rockers will be beneficial to you - it just sucks to have to buy self aligning rockers.

I think if you go with the 1.6 rockers and headers you will see a reasonable benefit for your buck. Just don't forget that if you get headers you will want a heated O2 sensor.

Like what was already said ignition upgrades are great, though I personally wouldn't get too extreme on the wires since it's not exactly an extreme engine. Get some that are good but you may not want to overbuy as it probably won't be very beneficial.

Last but not least - Hey, you friend's car is modern and designed with performance in mind. If you compare his engine to GM's current performance small blocks the GM products would whup his butt! (think LS7, even an LS1 would be a step above what he has in torque).

Good luck taking down a 370Z, atock for stock not accounting for driver error they are quite a bit faster than a TPI car.

He has nearly 100 HP on you, on the other hand he's several hundred pounds heavier and suffers from a torque deficit. If it's s 6 speed he might suffer from the same issues that pluaged the 350 and G35 cars, under hard launches the trans can be nearly imposible to shift. I dont know if it was resolved witht he new car or not.

It's a worthy foe though, good luck

If you have the intake appart it's easy to knock down the EGR dams behind each throttle opening, it's said to give a good result on the but dyno but my car has to many issues for me to tell.

Several people have claimed to have good results (on actual dynos) siamesing the factory base while leaving the runners either stock or non siamesed aftermarket pieces. The theory is that when the individual TPI runners run out of steam at 4200-4500 rpm the ports are able to "borrow" air from the neighboring runner to allow the power to continue to rise.

Since you have a 350 I assume you have an auto. You dont have a flywheel to replace but they do make light weight flex plates, since the stock plate only weighs a few pounds it's not the best path to power.

The stock converter is quite heavy though but it's hard to justify a $600 or more converter unless the trans is replaced or rebuilt to a higher spec.

All totaled you are looking at $3000 or more, not exactly "budget" lol.

But if you are willing to drop the trans you can swap the stocker for a replacement Corvette or 4.3L V6 converter. It's no lighter than yours but it'll offer a slightly higher stall thats about perfect for a stockish TPI car.
I would never recomend a used converter but you have a budget to stck to and it's a judgement call.

Also instal a trans cooler while you are at it.

wow guys awesome stuff i really really appreciate it. right now im working on my business's semi truck but once that is out of the shop my camaro will be going in. oh and thanks guys! "muscle beats import, every time" right? haha

One word... NOS, best bang for the buck.

haha, that's funny. Horrible idea but it's probably his best "shot".

hahaha yeah my luck ill blow the motor sky high haha. but hey guys here's a question. my motor was rebuilt 30000 miles ago but there is 130000 miles originally and i am not the first owner....or second....or third...for that matter haha. as far as i can tell i have stock suspension on my car. when do the struts go bad on camaros, would you say? cuz it rides pretty rough with brand new tires.

yeah, its been "long enough". You're suspension is pretty much shot unless those original 130,000miles were on a dyno...

yeah i figured hah, and will i need new a arms? or is that more for performance?

Well, I can tell you that my Formula has 120,000 and the previous owners destroyed every part of the suspension and steering. Not the physical metal components but all of the wear items. With cars like ours in order to be safe and drive like intended you really need to have everything solid and up to par.

You don't need replacement A-Arm's what you do want are replacement Rear Lower Control Arms - bushings for the stock ones are 50 something anyway. There's a guy on ebay selling LCA's and panhard rods pretty cheap right now. $60 for the LCA's with ES bushings (greasable) and $48 for the panhard rod with ES poly bushings. Not a bad deal if they are to spec.

Shocks and struts are generally considered worn around 50-60k miles but it depends on design and driving but, it's safe to say you could use some if you think you do. Look for deals - I got a set of stock Delco/Bilstein units for $20 shipped that still work better than a new Monroe - to think a OE Bilstein shock that lasts over 20 years!

Look at your suspension for anything with a joint - bushings, balls, etc... and replace them. But of course use discretion - If you have great balljoints leave them be, just check on them. But if you have marginal swaybar bushings you may as well move on to Poly or Thermoplastic.

If you are on a tight budget - go under the car and try to wiggle everything steering/suspension - if it wiggles replace it. Push up/down on the bumper - if it clunks/clicks/squeaks find the part and replace it. Push/pull on the fender above the wheel (like you are trying to push the car sideways), get it REALLY rocking - if it clunks/clicks/squeaks find the part and replace it.

wow thank you for all the useful information. i'll go on ebay tonight.

oh hey i have 2 more questions. do throttle body spacers really work the way they claim, and is it worth the money? also, what lb. fuel injectors are stock, and would aftermarket injectors help me any?

they work with a bigger throttle body, as mentioned before with a TPI setup the more air the better, so a 58MM throttle body and a spacer certainly won't hurt

the 350 TPI comes stock with 22 LB/hour injectors, bolt on mods do not warrant bigger injectors and you will probably hurt yourself if you do change them....unless your supercharging or building a 383 but thats not budjet minded is it

the 350 TPI comes stock with 22 LB/hour injectors, bolt on mods do not warrant bigger injectors and you will probably hurt yourself if you do change them....unless your supercharging or building a 383 but thats not budjet minded is it[/quote]

oh okay thanks, yeah that won't be happening for a long while haha

here's another one guys. i want to change the gearing, right now i have 2.77s and i would like alotta low end grunt but still be able to go 110-120 mph, i have a 700r4 trans. is there a sweetspot gear that could give me these results?

3.73 is about perfect for an automatic in my experiences....4.10 is too much 3.55 is not quite enough....don't get me wrong 3.55s are good but if its racing you plan on doing 3.73 is the way to go

Okay thanks, now I do plan on drag racing it occasionally, but it is still my every day car so how will 3.73s act in overdrive? i have a truck with 4.10s and it revvs a little too high going down the highway in my opinion. I want a car to purr at 55-65 but be able to light the tires up off the line. 3.73s all the way?

nope do not ever put 3.73's on a tpi car ever..... 3.23 will be enough

3.23s or 3.42s are perfect for TPI motors. DON'T go any higher you will regret it.

Don't waste your money on a throttle body spacer either. They won't make any difference. And also your stock throttle body is capapble of supporting about 300-350 horsepower. Plus, going to a bigger size will take away from your throttle response on a stock motor. Save your money

It was suggested before, since your tranny will be out why not upgrade to a better converter. A lot of people underestimate the benefit of a higher stalling converter. A new 4.3liter S10 converter can be purchased for around $200-250.

Use the search function on here to find the list of "free mods" for your car. These should give about 20 hp at the most and only cost your time to do them.

Most importantly, weight reduction. Take out your spare tire and jack, rear seats, passenger seat maybe. Run on about a 1/4 tank of gas and so on.

The other mods listed like full exhaust, porting your intake, and upgrading valvesprings and 1.6 rocker arms are your best bet for a budget upgrade.

Also, check the main page and look for the Technical Articles section. Lots of good info there too.

And don't forget about your rear suspension as well. All that new power will useless if you can't hook it up.

Good luck and let us know the outcome either way.

Just skimmed most but didn't notice coolant bypass, corvette servo, underdrive pulleys, 4th gen alum driveshaft, lighter wheels, adj fuel reg, air foil. Few more common ones.

Coolant bypass would be under free mods. As for underdrive pulleys and air foil, they really don't do much if anything. But the lighter drivetrain is definately a good idea.

Air foil is helpful when you start sucking a lot of air(if your induction isn't stock and restrictive as heck), stock you won't see much diff, why else would aftermarket TB's be cast with one pretty much.

Pulleys well the aluminum are lighter than stock and as some1 already stated less rotating mass zips up a bit faster, also the tad underdrive. Same as lighter flywheels driveshaft 10" converter, just different weight reduction ammounts. Up to you how much it's worth, wouldn't bother with steel underdrives(prob why some say they aren't worth it)

Also if your gonna swap your springs get the comp cams retainers they are lighter, weight matters on the valve side.