I am getting ready to take a badly knocking 305 out of an 88 Camaro and put a 77 305 back in.I want to leave the car as stock as possible.Do they make an adapter plate to put the TBI onto my 2barrel intake or will I need to switch it to a 4barrel intake?Also will the 88 exhaust manifolds fit on the older 305?Also what type of egr should I use on the engine once I get the TBI back on?I want to know as much as I can before I start to take everything apart.
any help is appreciated,
thanks, Jeremy

 

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org!

I think I'd pass on the '77 engine, for these reasons:
- Poor heads.
- Different style rear main seal (not a problem if it has a 153-tooth flexplate)
- Dipstick on driver's side, stock exhaust manifolds get in the way of the tube.

None of these are insurmountable, but do make it a less than desirable choice for replacing your '88 engine.

 

If it's got a bad knock, can he swap just the short block out?

I know they have different flywheel/balance issues and the dipstick is in the wrong spot, but that doesn't seem too bad...

Just curious!

 

The flexplate is a $20 fix (new from PartsAmerica.com).

The dipstick is a hassle, can be fixed with careful bending of the tube, a flexible dipstick (like from Lokar), or headers.

It's sure to have dished pistons, which will drop the compression from the existing decent 9.3:1 to 8.5:1 or less. Also going from roller cam to flat-tappet, which is sure to be pretty lame.

I have a .010-under one-piece rear main seal crank & bearings in good shape sitting in my garage. I'd be willing to let it go for whatever it would cost me to get it out the door. I'd rather see the originator take that and put it in his engine than use the older 305.

 

You're quite a good sport, Mr. Moderator!

Good advice is hard to get sometimes, Jeremy, I'd go with his if I were you...