The 305 in the firebird I am buying had a rod knock, and the guy tore it apart. I'm looking into another 305 for it, but I wanted to know if it had to be the same year and car?

Like can I put any 305 in and it still run with stock computer? and Wiring?

Also If I swap in a chevy 305TPI instead of the stock 305 TBI what would all need to be changed? Wire harness and the computer?

Let me know I am new to all this. Also any manuals that you reccomend?

 

Why in the world would you do THAT???

No, not at all.

Intake, wiring, ECM, various plumbing, maybe fuel pump; ENTIRE exhaust, from heads to bumper, to get what little benefit there would be, given that it would still only be a 305.

I recommend NOT using a 305 at all, and NOT TPI.

Instead, get a 96-2000 truck 350, a common ordinary 4-bl intake for it, a TBI adapter plate, a 454 TB, and a 350 chip.

 

I am not looking for mass power, just looking for get up and go, cruising and fair fuel economy. 20+ with casual driving. Of course my led foot will sleep from time to time which I understand.

If I decided to go 350, what would be needed with it? Wiring, Computer, mounts? I'm all for a 350 but need to know what is required to do a 305 to 350 swap.

 

Since you said "305 TBI", can we assume your car is '88-'92? Little tidbits of information like that can be helpful.

Most of the issues going from 305 to 350 involve the TBI. So, you might want to look at the TBI forum for answers there. It's a common swap, but will require some recalibration.

If you decide to stick with a 305, no real issues as long as you don't put a big hairy cam in it. Some minor details such as rear main seal type (changed in 1986), lifter type ('87-'92 passenger car 305's had roller lifters), or if you go way back, '79-earlier had the dipstick on the passenger side.

 

My camaro is an 86 tpi 305 and the oil stick is on the passenger side. My 80 monte carlo had a 305 and it was the passenger side. When I swapped a 69 350 into that monte, the dipstick was on the driver side and I had to use headers. What about the knock sensor? Don't you have to have a block that will fit a knock sensor too?

 

But of course!!

That means you need a block from 1955 up. No SBC block from before that had the knock sensor hole.

Thing is though, those GM engineers were SNEEEEEKY. They just KNEW that those goobs over at Frod and Xler and Hudson and Rambler and all those other companies, were watching what they were doing LIKE A HAWK. So when they began their earliest preliminary design work on EFI, and had to set up all the provisions for where those parts would eventually go, they knew they had to conceal their plans from those "other guys", even though the provisions they were including, had to be in plain sight. So they diverted attention away from that particular hole by disguising it as the pass side coolant drain; and for the first 25 years of the existence of the SBC, they just put a plug in it.

Pretty clever, eh??

Although I've heard that one of em got abducted by aliens, who showed em all about EFI in the future; and THAT'S why they did that. Sounds pretty convincing too, I'm not sure which account to believe.

 

hmmm, I didn't know that about the knock sensor. Guess I never really looked but thats handy to know.

If you are trying to put a pre-55 chevy block in a 3rd gen camaro you should be checked out for mental health. "check out my camaro with the 235 straight 6" LOL!

 

Actually, the 235 (at least, all the ones I ever had) had a knock sensor hole, too.