Would a 305 out of a 91 chevy 1500 work in 89 formula that has 305 rbi setup? I need to rebuild mine but want the car running sooner than later. Can score this engine cheap. Will knock sensor and other stuff swap over? Thanks for your help!

 

Yup; AFAIK identical in every way.

If you come across anything different (accessory drives for example), use the one off of your car, not the one off the truck.

 

Yep what sofa said. Direct bolt in swap.

The firebird 305 will have a roller cam and lifters, and the '91 truck will not, it will be a hyd. flat tappet cam but that don't mean much as far as the swap goes.

You will probably need to use the firebird's acc. drive system. IIRC the truck and the F body had the AC compressor on the opposite sides

 

Yeah I would transfer everything over. Just don't want to run into not having the right place for knock sensor or coolant sensor or anything like that. Would use my intake and everything, just need a good clean block and heads for that application. Honestly, I have a Firehawk 383 and a 68 Cutlass. Don't need another fast car or perfect cruiser. Just need Kitt to run good even if bone stock! The closest thing to his 305 I have found local is the 91 305. And do not wanna spend crazy money rebuilding a 305, ya know? Of course if anyone knows of something in Central Jersey or around here that would work for me then hit me up!!

 

I was offered a fresh rebuilt 350 for $200.00 from my neighbor that he got a year ago from someone that passed away unfortunately. Ran the casting and came back 72-74. So i do not know if my tbi intake would work being that those heads are not center bolts.It has carb on it now. And then of course holes for the sensors. Thoughts?

 

Ditch the TBI and go carb on this 350!

 

Ive seriously considered it but is it more of a hassle. What about VATS and spark and fuel and all that. Knock sensor? Computer issues? You recommended it now guide me master lol.

 

Go with an old style Hei setup and do away with all the computer crap. Less hassle. But it depends on what you are looking for. If dependability and gas mileage are more important to you then the 305 TBI route is a good one.

 

Nah gas mileage has gone out the window having a 383 stroker 6spd Firehawk lol. My 68 Cutlass will startup and drive to Cali right now with the quadrajet and power glide trans. I trust that car more than most. So I have zero issues having another carb'd car, I just have to figure out how to make it all work with out the dashboard being lit up like a christmas tree. I mean at one point I am going to have a Knight Rider dash so its not like that totally matters either. I can always go with a set of gauges hidden behind a panel or something. I know the stock set up has a return line to the tank..does that just get capped off or will pressure build? And theres 4 lines I believe so I have to figure that out. I gotta find a step by step tbi to carb swap procedure then go from there I guess. Good times!

 

You could use the 350 shortblock and reuse your heads and manifold to keep everything as close to stock as possible. Doing this, of course, would require some tuning and your 305 knock sensor will not work correctly due to bore diameter. As far as sensors mounting correctly, most are not directly mounted to the block itself excluding the afore mentioned knock sensor. It just screws into the block coolant drain which on the 350 has a plug in it. Does the 350 have a manifold, carb and distributor or do you have to purchase these? I believe you can even use the 350 heads if you elongate some of the manifold bolt holes. Going carb is going "backwards" as far as technology goes. Gas mileage not withstanding, the drivability alone is worth keeping the tbi setup. This is just my opinion and others will disagree, but in the end, it is what you want out of this swap and what is best for you. Good luck with which ever way you decide to go!

 

The truck 305 TBI is pretty much the same engine as your firebird's 305 TBI.

You could do a carb swap and with a carb you just put a mallory fuel pressure reg on the fuel line, turn pressure down to 5-6 psi. Put in a HEI dist. and un hook all the computer wires, senders, etc.

You don't need to run the computer, knock sensor or any of the other computer related items when you go to a carb and HEI large cap dist.

 

One other thing that hasn't been mentioned is the flex plate/ flywheel. You have a 1 pc. rear main seal and the 72-74 350 has a 2 pc rear main seal. Your flex plate/ flywheel will not fit on the older crank. Be sure to get the correct size for your application, 153 tooth or 164 tooth.