I've been playing around with swapping out my 305 tbi for awhile now. First I thought swapping in a LS1, but its looking like I can't do the entire conversion. I just cannot afford it. So I'm now looking just do a 350 TPI swap. I was looking at the link below:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/90-Corvette-...cde07b&vxp=mtr

I figure buy it, bring it to a shop, refurbish the engine and install it. But now the mechanic I talked to is trying to talk me into upgrading the engine to 383. That's gonna add about 3,000 to the potential bill. It's tempting, but my goal is to just get a fresher engine with an upgrade to TPI for cruising around, not drag racing or taking her to the tracks. But I really don't have any desire to run my engine towards 400 horses. Any humble Opinions?

 

Paying that much for the motor and turning it into a 383 for 3k makes no sense at all. You can buy a 383 crate motor for around 3k.

http://www.summitracing.com/search/B...Print-Engines/

 

X2. The rotating assembly for a 383 would cost about $750

 

The main motive to build a 383 like your talking about is off idle torque.If that is your goal post that and I can go on from there.

 

Not really. The whole issue was brought up because of the mechanic that I talked to. The more I think about it makes sense for for just to get the 350 and do some TLC on it. I'm sure I can always upgrade it later to a 383 if I wanted to.

 

The torque aspect is one of the reasons to build a 383. Extra cubes = torque. It does kind of make sense because of these car's wt being so much. Honestly the torque part of the equation is more important than HP for most street only use vehicles that run mostly in the lower rpm ranges.

 

Depending on the TLC, going with a 383 won't be that much more expensive, if at all.

If you are going to be replacing the crank and boring it .030 over, then making it a 383 will probably cost the same as building a 350.

What are your goals and what is your budget? Since you are in CA is smog legal important to you?

 

since you are going from a tbi, i would consider doing an ls swap. i figure you'll be changing all those wires underhood, might as well go to the newer/better stuff. if you had a 305tpi, i would consider doing a freshened up shortblock and vortech s-trim. would have lots more power than building a 383 without spending all that much more money.

 

Should beable to do a lsx swap for price of 383 build. Find a 5.3 complete under a grand and cam it. Easy 450 hp. Only real expensive part is the headers but stock manifolds from some cars can easily support good power so may not even need headers. Now youd just need to do ypipe to factory catback

 

This! Should be doable for $2500 or so including the transmission.

 

Yea the guy asked me why I wasn't doing an LS or LT swap. I told him because of budget reasons. When I originally looked into the LS swap, I looked at everything involved under the "how to" sticky. 4th gen gas tank, fuel lines, fuel pump, oil pump, motor mounts, tubular k-member, transmission, it all started adding up real quick. If he was charging me almost 6 grand for a 383 build plus a new transmission and labor, I dread to ask what an LS1 or LT1 swap would cost me

Or it could be I'm getting overcharged.

 

Theres a few issues with your swap list. Dont need 4th gen tank. But plastic ones with good stock pump is 50 bucks... Need fuel pump either way you go but late model ls1 pump can do 400 whp. All u need for lines are few pieces that connect tank to stock body hardlines and stock hardlines to fuel rails at ls1. Few hundred for that with fittings. Hardlines to rails is 120 for efi intake swaps on toi cars so it wont be much different on lsx.
Do not need tube k member. No need for oil pump. Fbody pan for truck motor maybe but that aint alot of money. Can use 700r4 trans on ls1 with some parts so thats not a problem either. I am no expert on lsx swaps but thats the little info i gathered over the yrs. i do have 4th gen gas tank tho

But a good motor build with decent parts for 355-383, 6000 bucks aint bad but it depends what you get.
Dont need a 383 to do 400-425 hp tho. Refurbished L98 rotator with vortec heads and vortec stealth ram and hot cam will do 400 hp and be under 3 grand if you had a L98 block with internals

 

Ok. Maybe I was just "nuking" it by reading the checkoff list on the LS1 page. I wanted to make sure if I was going to do a swap, I wanted to make sure it's done right. So when I compared a used 1990 corvette engine for $1800 and a LS1 engine for nearly $3000, it made me cringe, especially with said parts. Either way, no matter what, its gonna be $$$. I will call the guy just to see how much of a difference in price it would be for a swap.

 

What i would do is a truck ls motor like the 5.3-6.0's. Can be had alot cheaper than ls1 and are built as strong or stronger. Later yrs 07 and up are most desireable

 

Swapping in the Vette TPI would be relatively easy. The oil pan and pickup would have to be changed using the parts from your current engine. Ditto the transmission output shaft housing. The fuel pump would need to be swapped out. And, you should do a complete exhaust upgrade.

An LS1 swap would be more involved from the wiring standpoint, and even moreso if you wanted to keep AC. You don't have to do a tubular K-member, but if you keep the LS1 AC, you'll have to notch the factory K-member. You'll need swap engine and transmission mounts, and custom fabricated exhaust would be required.

I wouldn't bother asking the shop how much they'd charge to do an LS1 swap unless they've done it in a 3rd gen before. If they haven't, they'll just have no clue what they're getting into.

I will say, though: Once the LS1 swap is done, it is sweet...

 

I have a 91 Z28 with an L98 with nearly 200,000 miles. The valve seals are leaking so given the age of the engine, I am thinking like you- just swapping in a fresh L98 with some headers and get back to original horsepower. It is my daily driver so not looking to race it, just want a little more hitch in my giddy up.
I thought briefly about the LSX swap and will probably do it down the road, but since I have only had this one for a year, I am still dealing with all the PO issues.
MY POINT IS, a friend turned me on to Titan Engines in Florida. They quoted me a rebuilt L98 with a 30 over for around $1700. Long block. I am better off than you in that I can swap all my accessories and wiring over. I also found a company in Arkansas that will give me a rebuilt 700R4 with torque converter DELIVERED for around $1300, with a 3 year/100,000 mile warranty.
That gets me a pretty much new drive train for around $3000. Not bad.
But the first thing you need to do is call the BAR and speak to a referee. He will tell you all you need to know about swaps that pass the Smog and Pelosi ***** in California. The birthplace of modern hotrodding and drag racing and we are reduced to begging for permission to hot rod our cars. Just be grateful we don't live in Europe- the EU wants to ban ALL mods to cars that change how they left the FACTORY!!
As to the LSX swap- in California, you will need to transplant ALL the doner smog equipment, including the evap system which is part of the tank on LS cars. Like I said, first stop: the BAR!

 

Good point. I failed to note the "SoCal" part.

 

Sorry for the distraction question, but I am very curious. Orr-you always have good info. Could you please give me(us) the torque curve and rpm/hp ratings for the engine you specking about.

 

If you have a 5.3l with the 799-243 casting heads and a cam around 230 deg and either keep truck intake or ls6 intake that car or carb single plane it, it will make 450 or so hp. I dont have actual figures from dyno but two i have seen my local race buddys do, they have run strong.
First one i actually think it was a 4.8 in a 95 fbody camaro. 224 cam it ran low 12's at 112-113 mph which is mid 300's whp. My friends 5.3 with 799 heads that have alittle work done to them and a big 235 cam has just started running and on street tires with lazy 60 ft it trapped 90 in 1/8 and its not 100% dialed in yet. Air is still hot in texas. Its a strong lil motor for not much investment. Car used to trap 85-86 with 330whp so this motor may be 400 at tires. Maybe more. Its stout

 

Absolutely. That was another huge concern was passing smog. The rules are always changing where I live at. So yes. I will definitely call.