Hey, i just got an 88 one piece rear main seal shortblock with vortec heads. I was just wondering, or more like I need an advice, on what to do. I checked the block and its in an incredible shape. Comes with everything including lifters and all the great stuff.
The piston cylinder walls are perfect, not even a single scratch of any kind. It looked like it was well maintained and it had about 105k on it. Now I was wondering if I should dissasemble it and get the parts machined, or just cleaned. I was thinking of putting new rings on the existing pistons and cleaning the block.

I need your opinion since the heads and the block are in great shape.
What do you think, maybe I should port the heads, and clean up the rest of the block.


P.S. Poor college student who got the block from a friend for 250. I probably have about 300-400 to spend on it and put it in... myself

Oh, yes.. other than the computer what would I need to get for the block thats different from the 305???

 

a shortblock doesnt normally come with heads, that would make it a long block. Are you positive it has vortec heads? If so, it will need a vortec intake manifold. Vortec heads are kinda like corvette engines. Every head is a vortec head and every 350 comes from a vette. If it were me, I would get the casting numbers off of everything first, and make sure you know for sure what you have. After that, spend the money on the shortblock. I wouldnt use a 100K+ mile motor without freshening it up some. At the very least, all new gaskets. If the heads arent vortecs, find out what they are. Go from there.

 

Ok, my shop will charge 250 to dissasemble the block 50 to clean the parts (hot tank) and put them back together. For 10 extra bucks they will check all of the components for wear. It sounds like a good deal to me. At least, I can get the rings and re-ring the pistons. I am not sure if am right here, but the 305 (89block) came with vortesque heads??? Would my 305 intake fit with the vortecs.
I am not sure if they are vortecs, but they seem like it, plus the guy who sold me the engine is a fellow member of my f-body club.
If he was a liar, he would try to sell me a 305 as a 350!
Anyways, do you guys think what I said is a good thing to do for about 300 bucks???

P.S. How can I tell if they are vortecs, and what stuff can I re-use from my 305??

 

They wont seem like it, they are or arent. Check the casting number on the head, its the only way to tell. If they are vortec heads, your intake will not bolt up. You will need a different intake.

 

Ok, I checked the casting number (14102193) and all it said was
87-up, 305-350 heads, 1.94"/ 1.5" valves

What does that mean??? Could you tell me what kind of heads are those and are they good???
Plus I will probably prot them.

 

Well the 193 heads are not vortec cylender heads. If you checked Mortec.com, witch i think you did with that discription they list what heads are the vortecs, 906 and 062 are looked at being the best. 193 heads can still be ported and freshened up to perform well. Search around and you can find articles on how to port those heads. I would definitly send it off to the machine shop, that sounds like a great price if they are going to do all the work on the block and measure it. If you wanted to save even more money, buy a book on engine blue printing, if you have mics and feeler gauges, you can measure it your self, and while its appart you can send it off and have it hottanked for cheaper. But if your new to working on the engine, then have them do all the work.

I would add a new cam, but besure to match the rest of the valve train to it. Its going to require more tuning, but you have to tune anyways, and this way you get the best performance out of your worked 193 heads and the 350.

 

What kind of cam would yield some good numbers??

Also, I am installing an electric fuel pump (edelbrock) I belive its 7psi. Would that be enough??? Also, its either going to be a TBI (which I like and would like to see it make power) or TPI if I find it for cheap.

Got a laptop and I am wondering if there is a computer that I can program on the spot for the 350 instead of burning chips???

The only reason I like TBI is because of the air cleaner. I know that carb has it too, but I like that its Fuel injected.

 

There isn't a cam that will yield good power with 193 heads. Those are swirlport LO5 heads, dime-a-dozen, great as the factory used them, not much good for anything above that. Porting won't yield enough difference to be worth the effort.

I wouldn't necessarily say your bud lied to you about the heads. It isn't lying if you're ignorant.

 

Hey I am glad that the engine was a 350 (5.7L next to the casting number) I was thinking that I was being fooled for another 305. So, when I looked at the casting number I was happy that I did not really care about the heads.

What numbers are we talking with the heads, hp wise. If I port them and go with TPI intake with more aggressive cam would I be looking at 300hp (my first goal). Also, is it hard to transfer fom TBI to TPI (I know there's a thread for that and I will read it).

 

By doing the normal "hot rod" stuff, you can probably get it to run about as well as a stock L98 would. With better heads, it would run much better.

 

Ok, would those heads be good for 300hp.

How well would the 350 perform with a 305 intake and 350 throttle body??

Should I just get the TPI intake instead???

 

Intakes are the same, 350 TB had larger injectors so that's the right way to go.

 

Bringing this one back (SORRY) I had to.

Ok, my horror story first.

Took my engine to a highschool shop where the teacher is a good friend of mine, and offered to do all the work on it for free. Kinda like, teach the kids how to do stuff on it (scary, but he does almost all the work and supervises when they do it).
Anyway, he took it apart and the measurements are pretty close to the minimum of what they should be. He searches for the right measurements and looks up LT1's and calls me up with a wrong crank numbers telling me it was grinded down .30. So I go buy 30 under ****, but than he comes back and tells me that the numbers are all good.
They cleaned up my engine, put in all the stuff that i bought (oh, my mind aint working right now.)
School gets out tomorow, and the kids are out already, my engine is still in pieces, since the dudes (19yr old and younger) in checkers gave me wrong parts. I specified that I need shallow groove rings, and they gave me the deep groove ones. So, I am running tomorow morning to checkers in middle of nowhere in colorado to get the shallow ones. And my teacher and I are putting the thing together on the last day of school for the faculty. I just feel like crap. Like on one side I got a really nice guy offering to do my engine for free, but on the other nothing seems to work out.

Sorry about the long story, just had to bitch.

Now, to the questions.

1. I am getting new injectors and 350 LO5 chip ( or caprice one)
what compression would I have if I bolted on my 305 tbi heads on it? what kind of fuel would I be runing??
2. How is the 305's stock ingintion and distriubtor on 350?
3. My 193's have rust on them, is there a way that I can clean them up, or should I just get other heads (which I'd hate to do, but hey)??

Thanks for all of your help!

 

If you put your 305 heads on, compression would be something over 10.5:1, depending upon what gaskets you used. I'd stick with the 193's.

Where is the rust? If it is on the head gasket surface, that's not too good, but if it's just light surface rust and not pitting, brush it off. A light powdery rust isn't uncommon or much of a problem.

The 305 ignition is fine.

 

What kind of gas could I use with that kind of compression, and would it work with a stock 350 chip.
I think the rust is mostly around the intake ports, and its just on the surface, not in any major areas. however, I want clean heads, any tips.
Thanks fiveseven, u wanna look up coloradof-body.com, its whole bunch of cool people.
Peace.