OK, I'm sure this has been asked hundreds of times, but I was unable to find the answer to some specific questions about a swap.

I bought a 92 RS with a 305 TBI in it. The car has been seriously neglected. I am going to have the car towed here Friday, so I can start gutting the interior. The hood does not close, and the only maintenance the car has had is oil changes. I work at an auto parts store, and get employee discounts. I can get a new Proformance 350 engine for a Z28 with a warranty for around $1300. I am pretty sure the car needs a fuel pump. I'll know more about that when I get the car. The car is a daily driver. I might take it to the track at some point, but it won't be a full track car. I will probably run a little Nitrous, but I will be setting that up right. Carbed is not an option for me, emissions wise, and the engine will be the Z28 TPI. I will have an experienced mechanic help me with the swap.

My understanding of the swap is I will need
The engine
CPU
Wireing Harness.
Fuel Pump.
The car is a manual transmission, but I believe the 350 will bolt right to it.(Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)

Will I be able to put a fuel pump for a 350 in it and run the 305 on that pump for a little while? With such an involved process in swapping fuel pumps, I don't want to have to do it twice, and will just wait until I have the 350 in it if I have to. (I have another car to use while building this one.)

Thanks for your time,
Jim

 

Sounds good you know about what you need and what to do for this.
I did a 350 swap out of my 305 tbi camaro, I did change the fuel pump for my car, because the one had too much psi going on and it was going out anyway.
if you look at the bottom where the fuel pump is talked about, they will explain a little more for what you need for your swap.
I dont know much for TPI, but I'm sure theres a few more things you will need, maybe not.
Btw, your manual transmission will bolt right in, there isnt any modifications with that.
but be careful with the master cylinder, I put a hole in mine when I was putting the boot on. x-)

 

What are you getting the TPI from?

It doesn't matter if the fuel pump is good or not now - the TBI pump will not support TPI pressure. Either get a replacement TPI pump (many brands sell the same pump for both applications, as a TPI pump will support TBI), or an aftermarket like the Walbro 255.

I assume the 350 Z28 is for '87-up. You said TPI, so that's the only choice for that application. Make sure it has a roller lifter cam and not flat tappet, and 083 heads not swirlports - if it's flat tappet and/or swirl port heads, they cheaped out on you (another way of saying cheated you).

Two of my brothers bought one of these engines http://www.rebuilt-auto-engines.com/...46108007276.dd . The $1264 is plus core charge and shipping. But, your $1300 engine probably is, too. Specify 083 heads and roller lifters, they'll give you what you ask for. Both brothers have been very happy with their engines.

 

Thanks for the quick replies.

Full retail for my engine is $1685. It is the performance engine in our line up. It is the performance engine listed for a 5.7L '92 Z28 Camaro. I get 20% off as an employee discount. (No, I can't extend that discount to friends. Sorry, but it would cost my job.) There are cheaper alternatives available, but I'm a do it right, do it once kind of guy. I'm getting the performance engine because I want to put nitrous on it. Mostly for car shows, but it'll be fully functional, and I doubt I'll be able to resist a happy button. I won't be able to do everything at once, The engine swap will have to wait untill tax refund, and I'll be busy until then just gutting the interior. The windows don't roll up all the way and it was sitting outside. The floor pans are rusted out, and all interior cloth is ruined.

 

Where are you getting the TPI from? The engine isn't going to come with it.

Nitrous should have forged pistons. The chances this engine will have forged pistons is next to nil. If you keep the shot 100 HP or less, and absolutely never go lean, you'll be okay with cast pistons.

The record of parts store rebuilt engines is not very good. I'd go with the outfit I linked before trusting a sweatshop rebuilt.

 

I'll be getting the TPI hardware from work as well. I'll know more about the price of those parts soon. We have a second source team that can track stuff down, it just takes a little time. I'll take a look at that link. As I was typing this, I got a phone call from my boss. It doesn't look like I'll be getting our engine because the core is 2k, and they won't take my 305. My boss tried to get them to take my old 305, but they won't play ball. Oh well. I might even go carberated at this point. Thanks for the replies.

 

$2000 for a 350 core? That's insane!

Take another look at the link I posted. $1264 + $225 core + ~$400 shipping. Just pay the core, as shipping the old engine back, even if they would accept a 305 in its place, would cost more than what you'd get back for the core.

 

Thanks five7kid for the link. It looks like the best price I can get. I'll be getting one set up for throttle body injection to get it running as cheap as I can, then upgrade to TPI or Carbed later. They said all I would have to switch for the lower part is the cam. I can even use the TBI parts from my 305. Little steps. Thanks for all the help.

Edit: It's not 2k for the core. The guy who quoted the price quoted price + core = 2k retail. However, I can not get it set up for TBI, and I am not ready for all the stuff to swap to TPI yet.

 

I got the car today.
Here's a link to a thread with pics on my SX4 club.:
http://www.sx4club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4438

I plan on doing this in stages. If I drop the 350 into it and keep the TBI for now, will I be able to keep the ecu from the 305, or will I need to replace that and the harness as well? If I need to replace the ecu/harness, I'll just go straight to TPI since I don't want to swap ecu's twice.
Thanks,
Jim

 

My brother used the engine I linked in a TBI truck, which admittedly was already a 350 - but now with better heads and cam. He didn't do anything with the computer.

Since your TBI was a 305, the ECM won't be happy with the displacement change. Check the TBI forum for info about going from 305 to 350 with TBI.

 

You mentioned TBI with a manual transmission.

I didn't think any TBI cars came with a manual tranny - so someone in the past rigged something there. You might want to take a good look and find out what tranny you have in there, and whether it will hold up to the new motor you're swapping, before you just nail it on the first run.

 

They did. They were just 305's in 3rd gens, though.

I guess I've never looked into whether LO5 trucks came with manual trannies, but my guess would be they did.

 

on the ecm/manual trans topic, an ecm from an auto LO5 truck will work with a standard trans. I'm in the middle of a similar project and was concerned that lack of input from an auto trans would trip an SES light or something. Turns out the only thing that happens is that the stock shift up/shift down idiot lights become disabled.