I got a 1985 Z28 got the L4G 305 in it now what would be the best Engine for that car?Easest insatall,price and hp?

 

What do you want it to do? How much can you spend? How much of the work can you do yourself? Do you have people to help out when you need it?

Just questions to try to 'un-broaden' the question a bit.

General concensus on this board, though, seems to be that if a 305 is coming out, then you'd be well advised to at least look at dropping a 350 in. A 350 will make more power than a 305 with the same amount of money, and often actually less money. A 350 with a similar build to a 305 will make about 10% more power than the 305 will. Gas mileage difference between two similar builds, one being a 350, the other a 305, is usually negligible.

 

Well i cant do any of the work dont know any one who can unless one of you good people live in north west FL and can help me? Im looking for a Engine that basicly is the best bang for the buck i dont have much to spend.Thanks

 

Another ? L4G has a Carb so what do i need to do go for a carb Engine to a Fule inj? How much will it all cost me? Thxs

 

19Kilo,
IMPO - Going from Carb to Fuel Injection is not a good choice if you're on a limited budget. You will need to purchase a bunch of items to replace parts you already have that are probably still serviceable (i.e. Carb, Intake, Wiring). You will have to change the ENTIRE wiring harness in the compartment AND behind the dash. IMPO - Not an option for a limited budget.

The best bang for the buck is probably a Crate 350 Long Block (Block & Heads) from one of the big name outfits; Jegs, Scroggin-Dickey, etc. That will set you back anywhere from $1700-2000 after shipping is added in. A Crate engine would keep you from having to do any internal engine assembly that you apparently are not ready to tackle.

IMPO - If you can't do any of the work yourself as stated in your previous post, you better save a bunch more cash....... Probably $3500++ before you even think about swapping in a new engine. Just the little stuff; plugs, wires, fluids, belts, gaskets, etc. etc. adds up really quick I know because my son and I spent nearly as much money on "STUFF" as we did on machine work for his 350 swap.

What's wrong with the 305 that make you want to change it?

Sincerely,
Kurt

 

the 305 in it now runs perfect it has 146,000 miles on it tho but alot of the stuff have been replace or rebuilt over the years but runs fine 155 hp? Im not a big racer but i want some more then that and i dont know if i should dump 800 bucks on header and what not with a engine with that many miles i am 100% new to 3rd gens. thanks

 

19Kilo,

LEAVE the 305 alone! IMPO - If it runs that well don't even think about putting in a different engine!

I am sure some of the guys with more advanced knowledge than I have can give you some good pointers on items that can be added or replaced on (or around) the engine to coax a little more HP out of your 305. Most of those parts can be transferred to a different small block a couple years down the road if you end up NEEDING to make an engine change in the future. 140,000 is not that many miles on a V-8 if it has been properly cared for from Day #1.

Some upgrade thoughts.
1.) GOOD Top Quality headers and 3" Catback exhaust (make sure you comply with emissions if necessary in your area). That will add some HP.
2.) Computer compatible camshaft. That will also add some HP.

Just my opinions,
Kurt

 

Kurt is giving you solid scoop. Putting a larger engine in the car won't do you a bit of good until you address the primary reasons the LG4 doesn't have more than 155 HP - the exhaust, and I'll add, the air cleaner. The cam is the next limiting factor, then the heads.

Putting a larger engine in won't help until you address the exhaust and air cleaner. The $800 on headers and exhaust is money well spent, and should either be done first, or included in the engine change list.

If you do that, the 290 HP GM crate engine is a good choice. Now, don't go comparing the 155 LG4 HP to this 290 number, because they're based on different standards. You're looking at around 210-220 HP from the crate engine using the same standards that the 155 is based upon.

 

The difference between flywheel gross and flywheel net is 5%. Flywheel net being closer to the wheels. So you need to take an extra 5% off from that rating of 290 hp. The 290hp is rated in flywheel gross rating. so 5% less of 290 is 275.5hp This would be comparable to your 155 rating. I believe the way that was stated was not right. 210 hp from 290 seems like a very steep loss.
Although I could be wrong.

 

290-220 is a 25% loss, and is more like a rear-wheel value. So, that was a little over-stated.

However, 5% is definately understated. For example, the HO 350 Camaro Conversion Kit the factory used to offer used the ZZ4 crate engine, rated at 355 HP. As-installed, it put out in the neighborhood of 310 HP at the flywheel. That's a 15% loss. That didn't use headers, but the 290 HP crate wouldn't benefit as much from headers vs. the ZZ4, so even if you assume a 10-20 HP gain from headers, you're still only at 255-265 HP net as-installed. That's 20 HP better than the best rated 3rd gen V8 from the factory.

But, you are right, I did over-state the loss.

I've never seen what the factory had on that 290 HP crate when they did their dyno pull, but you can pretty much assume open long-tube headers, the engine not driving any accessories, and a Holley carb of some sort on something better than the typical production intake manifold.

FWIW, using calculations based on 1/4 mile performance and down-the-track weight, my combo comes out at 293 RWHP. Assuming 25% drivetrain et al losses, that's 366 at the flywheel - 10 more than the ZZ4. Without actually getting it on a dyno, though, and running it under standardized conditions, that's little more than a good guess.