Has anyone ever bought one of these engines from jegs?
I thought it would be a pretty nice engine to get, I would have the money by about a month from now, but I cant really deside what engine I really want, cause I dont know if that engine would be "hard" on gas (it would be somewhat a everyday car, but maybe cut down driving it so much)
I already know all the things I need for it and I already have the intake, carb, shorty header, etc for it. I still need to get the knock off sensors, 350 chip, and a new starter.

here's the page to it
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/store...ll=item9&pos=9

 

Carb? Knock sensor? I'm confused, a knock sensor is only required with a computer controlled set-up. Are you putting this into the '91 RS TBI?

Many people have used it. JamesC is one who comes immediately to mind. The Vortec-specific intake and no exhaust cross-over are the primary issues when doing a computer-controlled set-up.

It won't be that hard on gas if you set it up smartly.

 

Dont have this particular engine in any of my current Chevy's but if it's what you need / want, pretty nice way to go. Here's another site you might want to check out b/4 you buy from Jegs:
http://paceperformance.com/index.asp

 

yes, its going into a TBI RS, I guess I forgot to say that, when I get the engine, im putting the fuel injection on then later putting on a carb.
I've been looking at getting a new engine for about 4 months and been checking around which engine is better, but yet I still want to drive my car around and not have to worry I'll run out by the end of the week I filled it up.

Thanks, I'll go look at that site before buying, I have noticed jegs and summit are kinda pricy, but still great sites.

Also, my teacher that does engine classes told me that engine may have to take 87 octane fuel, but it doesnt say on the site, does the engine take octane fuel? (and I do know what octane fuel is, I just dont wanna pay more for fuel then unlead gasoline.)
Thanks.

 

In Montana, like Colorado, "regular" unleaded gasoline is 85 octane. Mid-grade is 87 octane, premium is 91 octane. It has to do with compression ratio of the engine - the higher it is, the more likely the engine will ping - higher octane gasoline suppresses the tendency to ping. That engine is 9.1:1 compression, your stock engine is 9.3:1, so if you're burning regular unleaded 85 octane now, you should be fine with it for that engine. My engine is 9.7:1 compression ratio, so it's happier with 87 octane gasoline.

Did you have plans for upgrading your exhaust? That engine will be choked with stock TBI stuff.

The most likely issues you'll have are poor performance with the stock TBI computer. The TBI forum has a lot of information about the effects of increased engine displacement, improved exhaust flow, etc. Getting that to run right will probably involve expenses that will all be money down the drain when you go with the carb (the knock sensor being one example).

 

Getting the TBI to run that engine will require some dedication. Either put a carb on it from the get go, or go with TBI and stick with TBI. If gas is a concern, and you said it was, TBI may be better in the long run. Just expect to put a lot into learning to tune if you don't already have those skills.

 

ahh, ok, that helps alot, (the gasoline)

My exhaust.. hmm, I may later, but I think it has a plenty air flow (but yet, I could be wrong )
true duel exhaust with glasspacks, and Im putting in new shorty headers I got for christmas, I havent had a chance to put them in cause I dont have a heated shop, and I thought it be better if I'd just wait since now Im considering getting the engine.
right now it has the stock manifolds on (SP?)
but I think it may be plenty air flow.. it seems like it..

as for when I get the engine, Im staying with the same intake, and the fuel injection (as the double barrel thing.. I dont want to call it a carb, cause I know its not.. but I dont know what else to call it)
and later on, I may consider on putting in a eldebrock AirGap Intake and a holly four barrel carb. but I want to see how its like on gas...
because even for my little 305 now, its eating a good deal of a full tank before the week ends.. but I drive the car up and back an hour from monday to friday for school with the car, and to work, since I dont really want to start up my other car (POS 68 Ford Tornio... wont make it for very long and I dont want to put any money in it)

 

The 2 barrel fuel injection on the L03 is the TBI that I refered to in my post above. You cannot just put the existing fuel injection on that engine without changing anything and expect it to run. It may idle, who knows, but it probably wont be drivable. Not only is it way to much of a change for the computer to handle, it needs a lot more fuel than your stock TBI induction is capable of providing. You cant just put a 350 chip in it.

In order to make your existing TBI fuel injection work you will need a new fuel pump because the stock TBI fuel pump will not feed that engine, probably a vacuum referenced fuel pressure regulator to go with the new pump, new larger injectors, the bores may need to be expanded for sufficient airflow, and you will have to learn to tune your own chips and make a PROM for it from scratch. There is quite a bit more to all this, I just threw this list together. Either way, making TBI run on that new engine requires a bit of work. TBI was not made for high performance applications. It can be made to perform just as well as any, but not in stock form. It takes a lot of modification, money, and time.

This is why you need to decide now what you want to do. If you want to make TBI work you better start doing some homework. Start reading the TBI forum and the DIY-PROM forum. Get a feel for what has to be done. It would be a tremendous waste go through all this work to make TBI work just to swap over to a carb later.

I run TBI on my 350. I am still using the stock fuel pump and fuel pressure, but I only have about 220 horsepower and she stays below 4200RPM. I already have larger injectors for my 350 and they are maxed out by 4200 RPM (where I shift anyway). Any more HP and I am going to need a new fuel pump and a vacuum referenced fuel pressure regulator. I tune my own chips and enjoy the incredible level of control I have over every aspect of my engines performance. Fuel and spark can be tweaked and perfected. I have a wide band o2 sensor that shows my actual AFR which is a valuable tool for tuning.

 

ehhh.. that does sound like alot of work and probly a good waste of time if I was gonna swap it to a carb.
so I might just go straight to carb when I get the new engine and dont have to worry so much on the computers and sensors, but of course, I dont know very much about swaping and the requirements that is needed for it (cause im still 16) and Im seeing what is a better way of putting an engine together and make it work right, and even if the gas was pretty pricy, I'll have to get use to it cause thats what I get for when I get a bigger engine with more horsepower and better performance.
but my other question is if Im gonna go straight to carb when I put this new engine in, would I have to worry alot about the computer stuff, or sensors?
(Im sure you guys get this alot with a bunch of not-knowing teenagers trying to get big engines :-\ but Im just tired of 305's)

 

If I were you I would try to leave the car set up for TBI the best I could. Leave most of the sensors from the L03 and just abandon them. Don't hack the harness! That way you can switch from carb to TBI down the road if you want to give it a shot.