Hi there...need some advice on tuning on my 87 Camaro.
I have a 305 engine in it that is just about 100% stock.

Want to tune it for a little bit when the New Year arrive...

I have only a few plans on the tuning procedure:

*Performance Cam with Valve lifters. (I have roller cam)

*New Intake Manifold

*Headers

*Mayby new Cylinder Heads

I know this is easy steps to change but I have as the topic says an E4ME quadrajet carb that I really like (don't ask me why)

How would it be to change those things I mentioned above if I want to keep my ccc-controlled carb??..Would that cause me a big trouble like VERY rough idle and rough riding and things like that???

 

The computer controlled carb system in good working order is probably MORE tolerant of those kinds of changes than a FI system. Keep cam duration under 220* and the LSA aroud 112* or more and it'll run good with the stock stuff. There are improvements you can make from there, but you first need to just get it together and get it running again.

 

Ok...sounds great....Yeah I have heard that i should keep the duration under 220 and the LSA around 112....

My Computer carb system is in good working condition now....
Have newly checked the Dwell rating and everything looks perfect..Idling perfect and running perfect on high RPM's....

 

I have run the old L82 cam in a CCC Q-Jet carbed 305 with good street manners, no real hit in gas mileage, and nice sound.

224/224 @ .050, .450/.460" lift, 114.5 LSA

 

You don't need new lifters, just a cam if you stick with a roller version.

Performer is about the only '87-up EGR version available. The stock one isn't that bad. Clean up the ports, gasket match it, and it'll be just about as good as the Performer, anyway.

Hooker 2055HKR. And all new rest of the exhaust for '86-'90 TPI single cat application.

About the only thing that works all that well on a 305 is the World S/R 305's, and they need port clean-up to be any better than stock. But, you would have more intake manifold choices available. Your current heads with basic port clean-up, 1.94" intake valves, new valve springs (a must with an upgrade cam), positive-type stem seals (requires cutting the top of the guides - a simple operation for the machine shop, and gives you more valve lift potential), and pinned or screw-in rocker studs, would work just about as well as the Worlds.

All of this will really wake up your 305. Depending upon how big you go with the cam, you might want a higher stall torque converter as well. I had all of the stuff in the sig except the cam (Crane 2050 compucam) on the 305 before the 350 shortblock went in.

 

ZZ4 heads work GREAT on a 305, as do 059 casting 305 Vortec heads.

 

Aluminum Vette/ZZ4 heads will lower the effective compression ratio. They would need porting of their own to out-perform ported stock 081 heads.

Vortec 305 would require a Vortec-specific intake manifold. Not all bad, but they don't share all of the benefits of the famous 350 Vortec heads.

Neither of those heads have the exhaust cross-over, so if you want to keep EGR functional, you'll have to plumb exhaust up to the intake externally. If you want to delete EGR, you'll have to back off your base timing a little bit.

Although not "bad" choices by any stretch, I don't see the cost/benefit improvement of them over ported stock heads.

 

The ZZ4 heads have the same 58cc chambers as the 416s that are currently on his engine. The only difference is a cc or two from the larger diameter head gasket.

The 059 casting Vortec heads share ALL the same features of the L31 heads. High flow, raised intake ports, fast burn chamber, revised spark plug placement, etc.

I put 423 FWHP out with a pair of lightly ported 113 ZZ4 castings (GM P# ending with 463) on a 305 with alot of modifications.

 

The greater heat loss through the aluminum material lowers the effective compression ratio. That's why 58cc heads were used on a 350 - to raise the static CR to regain the lost power. Putting them straight on a 305 would lower the effective CR.

Like I said - ported.

 

Ok..Thanks for the advice here...So since my economy isn't the best in the world I could just buy new cam with retainer and spring kit?...
And this hooker headers you were talking about and then Port my stock heads and intake???


I have been reading a lot on this Porting head job, and since I am working on a machine workshop it doesn't seems so hard. I think I could manage to do it myself...

But what did you mean by gasket matching??...You said clean up ports and gasket match it, on the intake manifold??...

 

Gasket matching is just that - put the gasket on the head or intake manifold, scribe around the opening of the port, then open the port out to the scribe mark. Blend to the rest of the port.

It's described and photographed in detail in the Standard Abrasives instructions.

 

Yes i see...I was planning to write again before you answered but thanks alot anyway. I read this BIG article with pictures in how to port the heads and intake..And it doesn't seem so dificult, but I also have a little bit experience handling a Grinder cause like I said I am working in a machine workshop so I use a lot of this tools...

Just 2 simple questions then:

1. Is there any special type of intake/head gasket you need??...Or is the stock gasket holes a little bigger than the ports???

2. I see you have to ports heads and intake manifold...But what about the exhaust manifold or Headers, if I buy that...Wouldn't there be the same problem???..Or am I asking a dumb question now??...

 

I had never ported anything before doing the Worlds on the Camaro now. I had an old head I practiced on, did one cylinder intake/exhaust/chamber.

The intake gasket is typically larger than the port in the head.

The general rule of thumb is the down-stream should be the same size or slightly larger than the upstream. Therefore, don't gasket match the intake if you don't gasket match the heads, but gasket matching the heads without gasket matching the intake isn't as bad. Ditto on the exhaust - the header port should be larger than the head port, or both the same size.

 

Just a question about the cam here...I have looked at this Crane 2050 CompuCam on Summit. And comparing to the information there this is recommended on 5.7l (350) engine and not 5.0 (305) engine?..Or will it be okay to use it on my own engine??...I also see the Basic operation range is from 2800-6000RPM...Isn't that TO much??....And the beginning and ending years is from 94 to 96??..I just don't understand how this can fit then??

 

2800-6500. It may not be too much for the system, but it's probably more than you want. I'd be particularly concerned about the rod bolts.

You'd probably be happier with the Powermax 2032. 2000-5500, .452/.465, 214/220 @ .050", 112 LSA. $280 from Summit.

New springs/retainers required.

 

Ok...Yeah I know about this springs and retainers..My plan was to change those anyway...

So what do you think about this Upgrade:

* Porting the heads and intake manifold. Gasket Matching intake and heads.

* Powermax Cam 2032

* Hooker 2055HKR

Guess this would be an OK upgrade for my engine??..If I want more power I think it would be easier to go for an 350 or something...

 

Add air cleaner upgrade to the list. Make your own dual snorkel if you can't find a factory one. And 3" cat-back.

Those mods would make it a whole different car. Going with a 350 is always the "easy" way, of course.

 

I already have a 3" cat back system...Just neeeded the sound when I bought the car....

Air cleaner upgrade shouldn't be the biggest problem i guess...Can you find factory upgrades???..

 

I've had mine since 2001. They were getting hard to find then. They're even harder to find now. You can get a custom unit from these guys http://www.ramairbox.com/ , but it won't have the thermovac system (useful when the engine is between cold and fully warmed).

 

Yes I found the kit on their site....Thanks

It was not so good that they don't have this thermovac system, though this is a very cold country also..Most of the seasons here we have temperatures around 10degrees celcius except the summer of course.....

Do I really need more Air for my car actually???

 

You need more than a stock single snorkel can provide. Add another snorkel like it on the other side, and that will be a lot better.

 

Are you sure the name of the cam is PowerMax??..I can only find the Crane 2032 Cam...That has the same RPM range you mentioned and the lift of course..

 

On the Crane site, they call it "Powermax (formerly CompuCam)". http://www.cranecams.com/?show=brows...tType=camshaft

Summit still has it listed as CompuCam.

 

Okay..Thanks again..I only have one question more about this RPM tange on cams...I have understanded the most of a Cam's spec's now but I am a little bit confused on this RPM range...On this cam says it has a RPM range of 2000-5500RPM....What would happen when my engine is idling at 750RPM???
That would be a big problem or what??..Or do I have to tune the engine so the idling RPM is about 2000RPM????...

 

It's exactly that - the "power" band. Below or above that, power drops off, so you should have a converter that stalls above the lower end (or keep RPMs above that with a standard transmission), and shift when the RPMs get to the upper end.

Typically, the higher the power band, the higher you'll need to have it idle.

 

Ok..That was what I thought it was....In other words my car will use a lot more Fuel also?...That is not the BEST investment with the gas prices in norway....But don't misunderstand me..I know my car will Use more Fuel of course if i Tune it.....But I was thinking that mayby the MPG will be better with some port polishing and a newer cam, but mayby I am wrong there yes...

But if I am not to wrong..I see a lot of Cam's that has the lower idle at 500rpm and 750rpm and someplace there....But they don't make this much difference I guess since the LIFT is much lower or???