Hi new to this site.

Anyways here we go. I got a 1988 iroc z28 with a tbi 305. I got an offer today to buy from a good friend a 1995 350 out of his truck. its tbi.

It has been rebuilt by him. he also owns a machine shop. The truck dynos 286 hp at the WHEELS. He said something about 502 series heads, balanced and blue printed and revs easily to 6500 rpm. its got low miles and he wants to sell it to me or someone he knows. Its got a eddlebrock performer intake some bigger injectors as well. he wants to throw in the headers and 2 flowmaster 2.5 inch mufflers as well.

Will this engine fit easily ie wire harness and the connection points???

Also his ecm will that fit or can i take the prom out of it? He had to have a prom burned for it.

He says it goes like crazy and that he never used the full potential of the engine except on the dyno. Also he built the engine to last and not to be too hp crazy and that its got awsome torque.

Anyways I am new to this hot rod thing I've had my Camaro for 6 months and got a good deal on it from a woman who owned it. I am a heavy duty mechanic and work on large stationary engine 1800 hp to 4400 hp diesel nat gad and duel fuel. I can swing a wrench and pretty much got all the tools I need.

Also I'd to know pros and cons of doing this swap i was kind of reading up on doing up the 305 thats already in the and my buddy dropped this one on me tonight.

thanks a bunch in advance

jay

 

BTW its a chevy truck and basically he said I can have anything else I wanted with the engine except for the tranny. The engine has less than 10000 km on the rebuild. He said its a hell of a deal at 4 grand. Next week I am gonna check it out and see what he put in it. Hes kind of got a lot of money to burn so I expect to be surprised.


Jay

 

4 grand for a 350 TBI? It seems steep, but may still be worth it. Depends on what's in it. It is a pretty straight forward swap. You will probably need a new chip, but everything else should work. That much hp at the wheels is pretty good for a TBI, and with the torque it should have, it would be fun on the street.

 

anyone please

 

The truck headers wouldn't fit in your car.

The TBI forum has a bunch of information about converting to 350. It's possible the truck TBI stuff can be made to work in the 3rd gen, but I couldn't tell you that for sure.

I have no clue what "502 series" heads are.

Sounds like a lot of money for ill-defined stuff.

 

was his truck an auto or manual? 4k is too high IMHO for a tbi motor. I just recently built a 435hp 350 for my s10, dart pro1 platinum heads, decent bottom end, for just under 5k. I think you could do better for the money.

Do you want to stay tbi? if you really do, and his truck was an auto, then try to talk him down to 3500.

 

yea, 4000 seems kind of steep especialy for a TBI 350. with that you could build a carb 350. but if you really do want to stay TBI then DEFINITLY try to talk him down

 

I've been snooping around and talking to peeple. Most says its not worth it and I am kind of thinking the same.

Last night I found a gm crate 350 330 hp lots of torque all the wiring harness and its own ecm for 5800 bucks plus a 2 year warrenty. I am thinking to go that route or buy a crate engine and install something like a mega squirt or commander 950.

I don't really feel like building up an engine at this time I am a fiekd service engineer working on large engines 8 1/8 to 9 inch cylinder bores, 6 cyl to 18 cylinder. An we do overhauls all the time so after 14 years of seeing cranks and pistons and such I don't really want to build one at home. Also I don't know if i want to get into prom buring it sounds too time consuming and too much trial and error for my taste. I do what we call air fuel optimising on natural gas and dual fuel engines and its pretty straight forward and easy, this prom burning sounds too much trouble, where as these stand alone after market efi systems have programs to help you tune pretty quick. I had a power commander on my bike it took me half hour to install and 10 minutes to plug in a map via a lap top drive around a bit and tweak this and that and done.

jay

 

i bought a 350 tbi complete for 500 with 11k miles on it so yeah thats way to much also im swapping it over to a carb.

 

alight gonna resurect this.

I bought the engine after he dropped his price to a grand and nobody else wants it.

This is what I got for a grand. 350 with 810 heads, valves are sodium filled, some hardened seats stellite I belived was mentioned.

It was built by a engine shop that does build custom engines. Rods resized, crank balanced, cylinders bored and block decked. I performace piston yada yada yada. Anyways its had the works done to it.

Also has eddlebrock performer tbi intake, came with the tbi with 46 lbs per hour injectors and the adjustable fuel regulator. Starter and all the front accesories. All the sensors are still on it. The ecm is out of the 95 chev one ton and its been tuned by a pro here in town.

The engine has less than 10 000 km on it since the rebuild. I pulled my snap on flexible boroscope out of the truck and checked the backs of the valves and the cylinders and pistons also pulled the pan and looked around. Its got a mild pulling cam as well.

Should be an easy drop in when I have the scratch to get my ecm ebled and exhaust on order.

then a better cam and bigger tbi will be next.

thats what I got for a thousand bucks plus all the info from the builder as he puts his own serial numbers on the engines he builds

well 950 bucks i sold the headers and the ac compressor and the alt I'll prolly sell too

 

Standard LO5 swirl-port heads.

If the valves are sodium filled, clearly a case of pearls-on-swine. The seats are hardened from the factory, so Stellite seats is same category. Unless this engine was used in very severe pulling situations.

The heads are fine for basic low valve lift, low-RPM torque. Get beyond that, you really need different heads.

 

Yeah it was built for propane originally and pulling a mother of a camper but he blew two trannys trying to pull it.

I do have a L31 in the garage all apart with vortec 906 casting heads I am debating what to do with

 

They are HD L05 swirl ports, NOT standard L05 swirl ports, HUGE difference. The 810s have oversized stems and are sodium filled. They also have intake and exhaust valve rotators as well as a a different exhaust seat. The 810s were used on 1 ton and 2 ton truck applications.

If you plan to make peak power under 5,000 rpm, the L05 Swirl Ports are GREAT heads to run.

I have dyno'd them back to back with L31 Vortecs and under 4,500 rpm the Swirl Ports win hands down.

 

Actually Fast thats what I kind of want for now, until I get the hang of DIY FI tuning.

The heads also had some work done to them the engine builder called it "bowl profilling"

Damn forgot to mention too its got 10.5 to 1 compression how does that help with performance??

Damn this is good news I got a hell of a deal from my buddy

 

That makes sense. From what was being related here, it sounds like the seller was trying to say they were "specially-built", not that they were a factory configuration.

The larger stems would hurt higher RPM flow. And, Vortecs vs. swirlports in low-RPM applications, nobody would argue that. Most "sports cars", though, aren't built for low-RPM operation.

High compression and low-RPM lugging don't typically play well together.

 

I'd like to thank every one for the replies theres great stuff here tech wise.

Five and Fast

I just want something for now good power up to 4500 to 5000 rpm. Later on I'll experiment with a cam and bored out tbi.

This engine is to keep me satisfied for the moment. And also my wife drives my car with the kids once in a while when I am on my work trips.

The other engine (l31) if I build it might be a blown 383.

 

Just my 2 cents...I put a 90 350 truck motor bored .40 with stock truck heads in my 83 Z. Bottom end monster!! Makes good power till 4500 rpm then falls. With T-5 behind it, it is a blast to drive as a cruiser. I drive in lower rpm normally (don't go screaming through town @6500 rpm) as do most drivers. This combo is torquey in the driving range but lacks for racing. 55 mph is about 2100rpm in 5th leaving plenty of room to break the speed limit if desired but I do not have to down shift to accelerate or to pull a hill. 1st, 2nd, 3rd will set U back in the seat and 4th feels strong w/o spinning the crank in a blur. The moral of this long story is...

Decide what U want and where and build to it. You will be happier in the end.

 

i got a 350 tbi from a 90 truck was wondering if i should leave the heads that originally came on the car and add a lt1 cam or should i get new heads. i dont wont to race just burn rubber

 

Dude that LT1 cam is a roller cam. Those truck engines are non roller blocks until 95 or 96.

Anything is better than that 305 tbi they stuck in there.

 

While they are flat tappet motors, they use the same casting as roller blocks with the correct bosses in the lifter valley

Some even had the hole drilled and tapped for the spider tray

Swapping a roller cam in isnt difficult or impossible

 

It isnt difficult. I got a 95 truck engine. I took the boroscope out of my service truck and checked thru the distrubuter hole and saw a non roller block. For me to turn it into a roller block I'd have to get the areas around the lifters machined and the holes located and drilled for the spider retainer. So in my opinion for myself it renders it cost inefective to machine it. Just my opinion. Guys are buying l31 blocks that are already machine dirt cheap just search the forum. I have one on the stand in my garage. got it dirt cheap.............

 

It's a crap shoot, and the only way to know is to check the block you have.

We pulled the stock engine out of my brother's '92 Suburban last year, it was flat tappet but the same 638 block I've got in my Camaro. And, all of the roller cam provisions were properly machined, drilled, and tapped.

 

i took of the heads and intake and found that it has the roller setup. The spider retainer holes are already there. i am planing to buy the neccesary parts to use and lt1 cam or an 1t4 hot cam. i have a 305 engine in the car now i might use the stuff from the inside of it 2 put on the 350.

 

Exactly that same crap shoot can get you a block without roller provisions that cannot be machined even.

It will also get you factory roller cammed TBI truck 350s

 

The 305 parts will work just fine. It's what I'm using in the Camaro/ZZ4.

Only thing you might have an issue with is the cam retainer plate. They made two different types; my '87 305 had the wider spaced bolt holes, and my 638 block had the narrower spaced bolt holes. I just took the die grinder to the plate holes and elongated them so it fit on my block.

 

watch out for those 90s truck 350s. I purchased a 91 350 from a full size for a motor project I have coming up. I talked to the local car guru and I have to sell the motor because he said they can't handle that much power. He told me they shaved a lot off the block to try and decrease weight for improved gas mileage. Your best bet is to pickup a nice crate motor and go from there. It will be the cheapest way to go, plus you will have a warranty on the motor.

 

I am of the opinion that these blocks would get better with time as the meturallogy and designs improve.

 

By any chance did he tell you that you would need a metric Crescent wrench and left handed screw drivers to work on it as well?

They used the same blocks for cars, trucks, crate engines, replacement engines, etc. The pickups didn't get anything different than the ZZ crate engines of the time.

You've been sold a bridge. I suggest you climb a different mountaintop and find yourself a new guru.

 

He said they shaved off a lot around where the tranny bolts up. He said anything over 680 horse and the motor may crack. He has seen it before. This guru ran a 6 second 1/4 mile go kart for many years of his life. I remember when I was just a little tyke, he built his wife a drag car... for the street. Wheelie bar, parachute, trunk kill switch and all. This car was her daily driver on the street. His favorite project was his blown 502 big block nova. He currently daily drives a 454 big block chevy fullsize. He has the skills to do it all, from twin turbo setups to superchargers, this guy is an absoulute motor genius. Anyone whose got the ***** to build and run a 6 second go kart has atleast a little idea of what they are doing. I am not trying to say you don't know what you are talking about, but after chatting with him for an hour or so I decided to dump the '91 350 and pickup a nice circle track carb to oil pan motor and go from there.

 

There aren't many factory SBC blocks that can handle 680 HP without careful building.

The stuff about less material around the bellhousing bolts is pure .

Out of curiosity, what was the casting # of this "circle track" engine?

 

dude I dunno about you but I would'nt try to put out 680 horses out of any 350. First it would be too expensive and I'd rather go to a big block for that.

Kind of like the guys trying to hop up thier 305's to try to keep up with the 350's.

I don't think I ever heard of anybody getting 680 horses out of a 350.

I'd like to see what Five and Fasts comments would be to in regards to a 680 hp 350 sbc

 

Im a hick so I am at the local dirt track every sunday watching. 600 horse is easy to pull from a 350. Infact we had a new driver in our Emods class last sunday which is ran by all v8s. This new driver showed up with a 274 or 272ci v6 (can't remember which one it was) and it was over 600 horse. He had a sticker on the back saying "your chasin' a v6". If you can pull that kind of power out of a v6, im pretty sure a v8 could top that. If you wonder how they pull that kind of power, I would assume it has something to do with compression. Im no motor expert, but when your compression is so high that you need racing fuel to run the car, then you are pushing out some power.

 

Racing fuel does not mean a motor is "pushing some power". It just means it takes racing fuel

If you dont know how to build an engine, keep comments to yourself. Knowing a local guy who says he can build something because he has a sticker to prove it doesnt help any

 

Really guys, I am not trying to start anything or call anyone stupid. This guy doesn't build and race cars for a hobby, or something fun to do. This is his job. He owns a very nice garage behind his house, and builds motors for a living, and has done it for his entire life. He helped my dad build his 396 big block for his 72 chevelle. Im just telling you what he told me. Take the advice or leave it, its your own choice. Its your own car and your own motor, do what you want. I was just trying to help. Sorry guys, just continue with the discussion before I said anything.

 

Sorry dude if we are busting ur nuts. Just don't believe everything one person says. Look around and research. Just because a guy builds engines for a living he knows what hes talking about.

Also just because your running race fuel means you have gobs of power/ look around research and learn.

Now back to the engine I got, just bought an engine hoist today. got my mind set on the exhaust and what I will be doing for my fuel injection. All I need is time and money.....lol

 

... 500 - 600 hp from a 350 cid ... (more or less)

http://www.finishlineracing.com/carpics.htm

http://www.sporttruck.com/techarticl...dup/index.html