Okay I am in the research phase, but am planning on starting around 10/1 with a swap. Can you help me answer some questions?

Since I am not a mechanic I have someone who knows helping with the swap. Since the 86 does not have a carbed 350 made for that year I will use one out of a truck because I want a carbed 350. This will be a rebuilt 350. I will drive the car in summers and prepare it for shows but eliminate it as a daily driver. I want more power and performance than the 305 offers as long as the conversion can go smooth, otherwise I rebuild the 305.

recommend mechanic suggestions:

1. Edelbrock Performer RPM Intake

2. Extreme Energy xe274 cam

3. new timing chain and 2 piece cover.

4. New cap, rotor, wires, plugs

5. Adapter from Quadrojet that is on the current 305 to the new intake

6. TPI headers

7. Sub frame connectors because I have Tees

8. 350 gasket kit

questions for the experts:

1. Can I use my old distributor from the 305? I want to keep the computer?

2. What can I eliminate and still pass emisions?

3. Which brand headers for this 350?

4. Are there many swap problems with using a truck 350 since carbed 350 never came in Camaro's except for the missing 50 that were made that everyone talks about but can't find(History board issue/debate)?

5. Do I need sub frame connectors?

thanks in advance.

 

The 350 does not need to be a carbed one in order for you to use a carb on it. The block and heads do not care what induction you use around them.

There is one thing, the most important thing of all, conspicuous by its absence from your parts list: heads. Power lives in the heads. Without good ones, no amount of other bolt-on stuff will make your car fast. Stock truck heads will condemn your motor to be a pig no matter what cam, intake, exhaust, or anything else you put on it.

That cam will not work well with the computer system. It will "work", yes, it will run and all that; it can be made to run fine at the top end and produce plenty of power; but you'll have non-stop driveability problems... very hard to drive when it's cold, dying at stop lights, erratic idle, etc. etc. That's simply too much cam for that system.

You need subframe connectors. These cars all need them. Put them on, you'll instantly see what I mean, you'll wonder how the car has survived this long without them.

Don't waste your money on that kind of timing cover. Use it on some heads.

I thought everybody puts new tune-up parts on a new motor. That's something you should do without asking. Same for the gaskets. Yes, of course you'll need gaskets, that goes without saying.

IIRC Edelbrock makes that intake with a Q-Jet flange. Do you know whether it will fit under your hood? You might be in for a rude surprise. An adapter will only make that problem worse.

For headers, SLP is probably the best; Edelbrock TES is OK; Dynomax is another brand that you might consider. Whatever you do, get a set of application-specific ones, with the y-pipe and hardware and all that; a set of cheap headers will end up costing you more than expensive ones by the time you get them installed. Get a new cat and a cat-back exhaust to match. Definitely use the TPI parts, or l69 ones, instead of LG4 ones; anything that fits LG4 will retain the tiny Y-pipe which is the thing you most need to get rid of.

 

First of all where do you live. If you live in an area where they dont do emissions test then scrap all of that crap. I did and it is very easy to do. Then you can treat the car like a muscle car from the sixties anything goes. If not then you can get a 350 from anything from 1980 to 86. I think 1980 is right. The reason for that is so the dipstick will be on the passenger side. Anything older and it will be on the drivers side which may cause interference with the exhaust manifolds.You may be able to use a driverside dipstick motor with headers. But i am not sure about the emissions legal headers. I know the non emissions kind you can use the driverside oil tube. Now all you have to do for the swap is unhook everything from the 305 and put it on the 350 I would not use a cam as big as the one you listed it is way too big for the computer and stock heads and such. If you are going to use the computer crane offers a line of computer friendly cams. They are called compucams and you can get them from summit.Also the maifold you are using cannot be used with emissions equipment. You will need an edelbrock performer with the egr for your swap if you keep the computer. Or you can use the stock manifold off the 305. Basically you will just swap the 350 block and heads for the 305 and keep everything else the same. With the carburated computer system the computer will not know the difference in the two motors. Then just buy any camaro performance parts you want and put them on the 350 just like if it was the 305 all of it will fit.Let me know if you have anymore questions.Also yes you can use the same distributor if you are going to use the computer. If you get rid of the computer then you can't keep that distributor.

 

Thanks guys. I have saved both of these post and I may contact you later as I get closer to the big day. Wich heads do you reccommend?