FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

I was thinking of doing some mods to my 305 when a member suggested that i swap a 350 in, which would be cheaper......someone mentioned to my about a direct bolt-in 350 which i had no idea could be done........

I have a 1992 Camaro RS with a LO3 5.0 TBI

1) Where would i go about finding a used 350 engine?.......more specifically from what year & model 3rd Gen??.....Also i want to keep the TBI unit on there, no carb or tpi swap.....

2) What other parts need to be changed with the 350 engine specified by Q #1?? Where can i purchase the parts for this also??

3) What is the average gas mileage for 350 engines that was mentioned in Q #1?

4) How long and difficult is this swap.......no prior engine experience, no engine lift, and no garage or tools to work with so that means a shop will have to do the swap.......meaning labor is gonna be a PITA, but it would be cheaper then building a 305.....


Thanks in advance..........

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...id=128&pid=105

Not the greatest engine, but a good 40-50 HP jump up from the 305, and price isn't bad. Take the part number to a Chevy/Pontiac dealer, they can get it for you.

Figure a good $500-$800 for install and misc.

Exhaust upgrades would also help. Headers, high-flow cat & cat-back, about another $1000 or so installed.

------------------------------------------------
For reference, modifying your 305:
World Product S/R Torque 305 heads, about $750. Another $100-$150 for pocket porting (really needed).

Cam, ~$250.

Headers, same as above.

Getting heads & cam installed, about $500, I'd think.

With the right cam and headers, that combo would put out around 250 HP. About the same or slightly more than the new 350, with potential for more with TBI mods and chip burning, for about $1000 less.

Guest

Why dont you read up on what Jon Prevost did. I'd follow that if I were you.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

I was hoping to not have to shell out the money for a new crate engine........maybe finding the most compatible 350 engine from a 3rd Gen......

Guest

Well, that could be expensive anyway. Are you planning on a rebuild? Once you say the word L98, the price goes up. You'd be better off getting a 350 out of a truck or something, throw some different heads on there that are ported, and a different cam. Gets expensive real fast though.

I built up a 350 almost 10 years ago, when crate engines werent really a popular item. Had there been the choices there are today, I never would have built it, I would have just gotten the crate engine instead.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

Alright thanks guys, i was under the impression you could easily swap one from another 3rd Gen........

89RSOwner

d00d,

Ive done this swap 2, count em, two times, it aint gonna be cheap anyway you do it. Any 350 will fit, so go to a yard and find a old caprice or "family minded" car with a 350. And don't tell them its for a camaro/camaro swap. If you do they will charge you double, trust me. Then when you get it home strip it and add perf. parts. If you get one from another 3rd gen its a wiring and compatability mess with the sensors ecm and all.

There are alot of custom things you have to do for the swap. Any questions post em here or email me.

-Rabid

Guest

Easy depends on how you define it. If you really wanted, you could get a used L98 from heads to pan, drop it in, bolt up your stuff, and drive away. Risky IMO, but you can do it. Just make sure you know who is selling that engine, or at least what its been through. Used engines from unknown sources can be lots of headache.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

Let's say i was to go with the crate engine that is linked to above....
http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...id=128&pid=105

I did a search and realized that i would need to get a new 350 knock sensor, a 350 computer chip........That's it?

Then everything else with just mount right up to the new 350 engine(brackets,water pump, TBI intake & unit, headers, misc stuff........)

I'm not planning on doing this swap tomorrow, but it would be nice to find out what i need to get and how much all the parts wil cost so i can start saving up with a goal in mind......

Thanks......

89Irocz23

Yeah thats it, but id proly switch to a dual fan set up which is easy to do. Also maybe a higher flowing water pump but that still isnt neccassary. Also possibly some injectors from a 350 TBI truck or something.

Guest

Wish I knew more about that engine, they dont say anything.

Everything should bolt up fine, but I am not positive the intake will. It really should. Do a search for LO5 and verify that. You'll also find cam specs and compression. IIRC, thats not too bad of an engine, and really its a good base point. Brackets and headers and such are universal, a small block chevy is a small block chevy for the most part. You'd really have to get something odd to run into problems, and that crate motor isnt odd.

If you swap to a 350 chip, might need 350 injectors. Im not sure if they are different 305-350 on a TBI, but probably are. Might be better off sticking with a 305 chip if you arent gonna run different injectors... and if the injectors are actually different. The knock sensor, I wouldnt worry about that unless its not working right once you get the car running and stuff. I think it'll be fine from what Ive experienced. From what I know after talking to an aftermarket rep that makes replacement knock sensors, you just need to add a 100k ohm resistor into the wire and it'll convert a 305 knock sensor to a 350. I didnt do that though, and its working just like it should in my 350.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

Thanks for the heads up, The 305 TBI in my car is getting old 135,000 miles, it's slow, expensive to get good times out of.........

I rather start off with something new, now that i think of it...........

I'm NOT looking forward to labor for this thing......

Since all Small Block chevy's are universal, I think i will start looking for performence parts for good deals as they come along......

Does the LT1 cam work as well as it does in the 305......and is it an improvement from the stock cam?

Thanks for all the help madmax and others.......

Guest

I would think it would work just as well in a 350. Might be able to use the LT4 cam though, in general with more cubes you can run a larger cam and retain driveability and computer happiness. Kinda depends on what you do to the engine too. A stock type engine will favor a smaller cam over a bigger one, to an extent. They might just end up fairly close in power... hmm... might be time for a desktop dyno run.

Yea, a new engine is a really good starting point IMO. And that LO5 is new, so it says.

Labor? Not installing it yourself huh? Ouch. Get some mechanic/gearhead friends over and do it yourself

I should add that I'm not sure what the cam specs are on that LO5, the LT1 cam might not be much different. Maybe I should look huh?

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

The LO5 uses the L98 cam IIRC.........The LT1 cam will void the warranty for the engine so i will have to look into something else to gain some power....

I'm good friends with a mechanic so i'll have him install it, hence looking for something that is a direct bolt-in to save the money, installing it myself is out of the picture....

The 135,000 mile 305 TBI should be outta there, hopefully by summer and replaced with a LO5...... .....should be able to afford a few preformence goodies along the way...., but the body work needs to come first....

I read these threads, and got loads of info, here are the links for anyone that wants to read up on the swap....
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...=LO5+cam+specs
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...=LO5+cam+specs
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...=LO5+cam+specs
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...=LO5+cam+specs

Guest

How's about some 1.6 rockers?
If something does go wrong, you can easily yank them off.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

A few questions

What are the disadvantages of going with a rebuilt 350 LO5??

There is a big price difference between the two somewhere around $600, BUT is there any difference in reliability, performence, etc??

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

it's ashame you weren't closer to myself, 1200 and you could have my proven 225/310 at the wheel stock L98 with a full custom 3" exhaust and i'd even help you out by having it dropped in for a hundred or so.

you'd still need a harness though as i need mine.

your not in a hurry obviously so keep your eye out.

i know something like mine tpi and all for 800 or so is a cheap quick fix for power and there are cheaper out there.

good luck with it!

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

If it were still around in the summer, i would drive up there and take ya up on that offer, but i heard the L98 wasn't compatible with the TBI system, and the TPI system is a major change for my car....

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

well i don't know the specifics, but i know i could get the complete setup working relatively easy.

just find a cheap 350 or 305 tpi computer and have the chip burned to match the setup....use the proper harness and drop her in.

it can't be much harder than that can it?

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

Well if you look on the main page, it's actually a little more work...

You need to replace the fuel lines, fuel pump and a slew of other misc, items

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/tbitotpi.shtml

92RSZ

iTrader: (6)

This is purely a matter of opinion,but... For cost effectiveness, you could buy a used l98 350 with the computer, harness, and transmission and get more out of it than youre going to get building a 350 with that tbi on it. I swapped a b4c l98 into my 92 rs and i got the whole thing complete with only 40,000 miles on the engine for $2,000. i did 5 months worth of research and i can tell you that a 350 (especially a built one) cannot breathe with that stock tbi. Youll end up needing to replace it and the manifold any way. once you boil down the cost of building a 350, replacing the chip with a custom and changing your transmission's shift points, youll end up paying way more than if you got a used l98 and probably less performance. The swap took me a solid month, but i did it all myself with my dad. Im more than satisfied with it, and it was basically a drop in affair. If you want the specifics email me and ill give you all the details. Just an opinion, but my tpi eats up 5.0's and anything the imports can throw at me.

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

well, like i said. my engine as it was bare stock longblock was pulling mid to high 13's on bare stock 245 street tires.

i figure if you could get something like my engine for say even 700 at most; pull a harness and computer somehow or find one for less than 400 and get yourself a good intake. you could have everything for around 1500 and have a good performer. about the same price back in the day you would have paid to have the 350 version.

the expense to go fast isn't cheap....but at least you aren't into the extreme going this route and if you get the right parts you could have a very dependable and respectable setup.

i'm sure you could do it for cheaper but i'm just throwing out numbers i've seen things go for. either way, there is a big difference in how the car will feel doing this type of thing.

My85IROC

This last summer we swapped a 305 out for a 350. It cost 1145.00 for the 350 and thats because we didn't have a core (350 to turn in). Presently we are running the complete intake from the 305. We did change the chip. Thats it.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

That's the plan.....

This car is gonna be a daily driver for the next 4 years at minimum, and it's gonna be alot of highway miles also, so good gas mileage and reliable set-up is in store. Just this summer I'm going on a 5,500 mile road trip. I would also like to get into the high 13's and low 14's with this set-up also, and the more i look into it a 305 TPI with some modifications, that's the way to go......

I'm gonna do some more research and hang out on the TPI board, and see what i can come up with.

What's the asking price these days for a 305 TPI with sub 65,000 miles?....

Thanks

92RS shearn

If you want to stay with TBI, you could get one off of a 454. There are plent of people on the TBI board who have already done so. If you still want to go TPI, I have one for sale

ontogenesis

just a thought, gm made a 350 H.O. conversion kit for our cars, came with the engine and all parts necessary to swap it, supposed to keep the cars smog legal too. They stopped making the kit but scoggin dickey still has two...worth consideration

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

Let me know what you guys think about this??

A L05 crate engine(brand new, link below) with a used TPI system on it?? What kind of HP numbers can i expect from something like this?

http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...id=128&pid=105

Also how long does it take to do a motor swap and tpi swap for someone that is very good with thirdgens? I know no exact number, but a approx number of hours needed to do the swap??

Thanks

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

seeing as how you will need to have a computer and harness to match up with the maf or speed density tpi intake you choose your just adding the price onto your project rather than going with a used 350.

now if you can't find a good used 350 then it's probably an ok deal....but, if anything i'd try to find a nice used l98 longblock and do some clean up work and refreshen it...save you a little money or at least be even and then you can add some better parts as well rather than spending that kind of money and having to add more parts down the road.

straight out of the box without knowing every little detail i'd say somewhere around 190 at the wheels would be sufficient...but, i'm not an engine guy. just giving you experience from what i've seen done.

good luck.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

Bad news - I have to do this swap with a budget of $2,000 which must include labor.....

Which means this will probally be a used L98 350 TPI swap......

Can it be done for under $2,000?? Swapping a 305 TBI to 350 TPI??

Thanks

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

i wouldn't see why not but your going to have to shop.

if you can find a good engine for under 1,000 you should be good to go. if you can find a harness and computer used for under 500 even better.

it's to bad your not from around here i'm certain i could get you up and running for 1500 or less.

good luck with it, once you get use to the power you'll want more. i couldn't believe the difference a 350 makes compared to all other versions.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

What about this engine?

86-91 Corvette L98 240-250 hp

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

There is a pick of the engine I'm mentioned in the above post....

Will it work?

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

just about any small block should work....size wise they are the same. just need the proper wire harness and computer to make everything link up.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

What would be an acceptable price to pay for a L98 engine, one from a corvette or camaro??

The above engine comes complete? I don't know if that necessarily means the computer...

Kandied91z

iTrader: (7)

depends on mileage....i've seen just the tpi intake go for 500 with porting and such.

a bare stock engine with low mileage of 60,000 or less i would say anywhere around 1,000-1500 would be a good guess. like i said i'm selling mine for 800 but it's also got a ported plenum and a few other little things.

the biggest thing is to know the reason behind the selling of the engine. some people run across them at a junk yard and sell them cheap not knowing the history. that's trouble. your better off if you can find one that you know the history about and can get it in an average price range no matter what the mileage.

these engines are strong and will last if taken care of....how many do you see that are actually taken car of? the ones you do are the ones that are kept. i never thought i'd sell mine, i don't even really want to...but i could use the money and i don't have the room so someone's going to get a great deal.

good luck with it.

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

How many miles you got on your engine?

Will i need to get a computer also, or just the harness? The computer can just be bought from hypertech or something right??