91zconvt

I need a little help, or gudiance..

I'm going to have someone swap my 305 for a 350 out of a chevy van for dirt cheap. My 305 is a TPI with a 5 speed. The van has a 350 but it is TBI. I've heard a lot of bad things about TBI, and am just wondering if I am going to gain any power by doing this. Both my 305 and the 350 are complete, but I was wondering if my heads and TPI setup would swap over to the 350 without any problems, because I assume it is a better setup. Any help would be appreciated.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Your TPI will swap over to the 350 but you are fighting a losing battle here. Your 305 TPI as it sits right now makes the same power (actually more if it is a later 305 TPI) as that 350 TBI. If you cannot dig up a better cam or heads for the 350 I would use the cam, and heads from your 305 and put them on the 350. I would on'y stick with TPI for simplicity sake. TBI will yeild more high end power in the long run over a stock GM TPI set-up but the effort involved in the swap would leave you dissapointed your first trip around the block. I would use the 350 base and save up for good parts before you do anything to it.

level

i'd stay with the TPI swap the parts over to the 350 and get a set of new heads and a cam.. something descent 210/215 with a set of world s/r torqers will yield descent power.

91zconvt

Money'sn kindan tight right now, so what should I do to yield the best power until I can upgrade the cam/heads/intake?

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Keep your TBI and swap the heads and cam from the 305 to the 350. If you went with TBI you would need everything from the donor car and then some. There will be more hidden costs then if you just stay with what you have now.

91zconvt

Sorry, was that go with the TPI or TBI?

Here's my situation. I have two complete donors. I have the 305 TPI in my 91 Z right now, and I have a 350 TBI in an 80's chevy van. Both motors are complete. I don't have much money right now, and want to know which parts I could piece together to make the most power wih what I have.

Also, I have an 84 berlinetta with a 305, but it has one of those edelbrock intakes on it and a carb...don't know what size, but I could check. Is that useful? I could carb the 350.

Just want to know, for right now, what would give me the most power?

Thanks

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Yes, TPI not TBI. Sorry for the missleading typo. Basically everything found on the 350 is junk except the short block. Now, everyting on your 305 is better but not the best. Throwing a carb on the 350 won't make it any faster if you keep the heads and cam. If I have all 3 motors at my disposal Iand I didn't not have any money past the expense of gaskets and such I would do the following.

Use 350 short block
Use heads and cam from 305
use carb and intake from the 84

Now the easiet and most "bolt on" appraoch is to take everything from your 305 and slap it on the 350. That way there is no harness changing, ect ect.

91zconvt

Ok, I went and got the casting number off the block. It was 10054727

This is what it said on Mortec.com...

10054727...350...86-up...2 or 4...one piece rear seal, some "Made in Canada"

Anyone able to tell me anything else about the motor? It is the stock motor for a GMC Vandura 2500

91zconvt

Ok, ShiftyCapone, I think I'm going to go wih your advice of using the 350 block with my 305's TPI heads and cam and my other 305's carb and intake.

I just have one more question though. With going to the carb, is there anything else that has to be changed? For example, someone told me I would have to buy a new distributor because the one I have will not work with a carb, because it is computer controlled and a carb does not use a computer. If that's the case, then which distributor do I need?

Oh, and one more thing...The stock gauges would not work with this setup, would they? Not that they work right now anyways....

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

Well switching to carb will give you the most power it won't be the cheapest route. I suggested either going carb or retaining your TPI (cheapest route). There are a few things that need to be done to swap to carb from EFI. Check out the article on swapping from EFI to carb in the tech articles section found on the main page. It iwll outline what exactly you need to do along with what you have to buy/convert.

91zconvt

Alright, just going over some specs from Chilton's on the two motors.

For the cams, In chiltons it says hat the journal diameter for the two are the same. For the 88 350 TBI it's lobe lift In. is 0.2600 and Ex. is 0.2733. For my 305 TPI it's In. is 0.2750 and Ex. is 0.2850. The Endplay on the 350's is 0.004-0.002 and the 305's is 0.004-0.012

Honestly, I have no idea what those numbers mean, someone just conform that the 305 has the better cam And why does that not match up with the specs on TGO?
(I don't really trust chilton's, after reading that a '91 305 TPI only makes 140 HP...)

Another thing, I know that in '91 for the 305, two different cams were offered. How do I know which one I have?

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

If I recall correctly the RPO optioned G92 cars got the same cam as the L98 did. Trust me that the TPI cam is better than the TBI cam.

91zconvt

just dismanlted the 305m in my other Camaro (Carbed) It's an '84. The heads are 14014416. On mortec.com it says:

14014416...80-86...305..........1.84"/1.5" valves, 58cc chambers

Just making sure, but the heads on my '91 305 are better, right?

Also, the edelbrock intake that I have is a Torquer 2, and a Carter 650 cfm 4 barrel. I'm probably going to go with the carb'd setup, just want to make sure these will all work good together.

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

I wouldn't say better. The 601's 416's and 081 heads are all on par performance wise. The 081's just have the provisions for center bolt valve covers, self allinging valve trian, and slightly different intake bolt pattern. These were the differences they made to the 305 heads when the 87 thru 92 motors came out.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

If you're going to a carb, the 601 & 416 have the more "common" intake bolt pattern used for aftermarket intakes. But, you're going to have to use perimeter bolt covers on those heads.

91zconvt

But the Edelbrock Torquer 2 will bolt on to either, right? The guy doing my motor said it doesn't matter which heads, the intake will bolt to either. He said I should go with the one's from my '91 though, just because they're probably in a little better condition.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

The angle of the center two bolts on the 081's is different than the rest of the bolts. You can bolt the Torquer II on the heads, but you're going to have to elongate those center holes in order to do it. The older heads, and almost all performance manifolds, have all the bolts at the same angle.

The condition of the heads would be about the last consideration in the decision on which ones to use, as I see it (cracked heads notwithstanding). In order to get the most out of them, you're going to basically redo all the wear areas, anyway, so who cares how many miles are on them?

BTW, is all this coming from the same guy that recommended that manifold? If so, suspect everything he says.

91zconvt

No, He didn't recommend it. It's just msomething I already have, and I'm on a very limited budget. I'm getting the bottom end of he 350 rebuilt, and swapping over the 305 heads and cam into it. Then I want to put a carb on it to eliminate the computer, and because I'm a novice at this stuff as you can see, so going with a cam is a much simpler approach. Everything is nuts and bolts and I'd actually be able to work on it myself. So, yeah, I have a Torquer 2 and a Carter carb off of a parts car I have, so that's what I'm putting on.

Pretty much all I want to accomplish with this swap is identical power o the 305 TPI setup I have now, maybe even a little more (Don't know, how much power do you guys think it'll make?) But he main reason I'm doing it, is to have a 350 to build up as time goes on. You know, save up for a better cam, intake, heads, etc.

91zconvt

I was doing a little searching on E-bay, and found that I could get a L1 cam pretty cheap. Would this work on my motor?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Only if the block is '87-later, and only if the bosses for the roller cam provisions have been machined.

91zconvt

Yeah, the block is an '88, but can you please xplain what you mean by the bosses for the roller cam provisions being machined? I know absolutley nothing about cams, except that the LT1 cam is decent.

91zconvt

Anyone have any opinions on the LT1 cam? Or would an L98 cam be easier be worth it for he price?

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

L98 cams can be had for less money but there isn't much difference when deciding between the two, as far as TBI is concerned. Try a few searches. 99.99999999999% of all TBI guys who do a cam swap go with some sort of LT1 cam (b-body or f-body). Even I went with one.

91zconvt

There's a member on here who's selling a Weiand Stealth intake for $40. I've heard that this would be much better for my application than a Torker II. Just wondering, is that the name of the intake or the manufacturer? Is there only one model, or should I be checking on which model this is?

ShiftyCapone

iTrader: (7)

You will want an intake for post 87 cars. You can use pre 86 intakes but you will be required to elongate the 4 center bolt holes on the intake.