Sometime within the next few weeks my girlfriend's father is giving me a 350 for free. He says it is ready to go but I has been sitting for awhile. It was a back up motor in the case of one of the higher hp motors blew u, but with a 650hp 383 stroke motor build now finished he no longer wants the lower horse 350.
My car is a bone stock 87 z28 with the exception of a set of 2055 hooker headers and a flow master cat back. It still has the original 305 lg4 with a t5. My first worry is balancing problems with the new motor not liking the trans that was set up to run with the 305. Second I'm assuming it will need a tune to run the bigger engine with out issue but I don't know if my cars stock carb set up will work with the 350 or if it's even worth trying to mess with. I never planned to do a engine swap but with this one falling into my lap I don't see why I wouldn't be doing it. so trying to keep this on the cheaper side I'm sure there are some other problems I will have to deal with so please tell me or give me a link to a previous post. Just looking to know what i should expect and need to not make any stupid mistakes that just end up costing me more.I did a quick search but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. Any help is greatly appreciated
Thanks

 

If the 350 is "stock-ish" it will probably work fine with your factory carb setup. That extra torque will put a strain on the t-5 if you are out abusing it though. Take it easy on it you should be fine and you will have a HUGE bump in HP and torque over the LG4.

 

Most of the time when I see a T5 failure, it's due to abuse. Clutch dumps, power shifting, etc. As long as you're mindful and the T5 isn't completely trashed already, it should do just fine.

 

It's a pretty stock 350 came out of a 63 station wagon. has a cam and a 4 barrel instead of a 2. It's a 2 bolt main so nothing crazy power wise but better than the 305. Not to worried about the t5

 

The 350 may have last been in a '63 station wagon, but it didn't start life in a '63 station wagon, because there were no 350s until 1967. So, it's a bit difficult to know exactly what you have there.

Assuming the 350 is pre-1986, then you will need to get a flywheel for an '83-'85 f-body V8 with T5. It will bolt to the 2-piece rear main seal crankshaft and be balanced correctly. Your current clutch should bolt to it.

If the 350 is '86-later, your current flywheel will bolt to the 1-piece rear main seal and be balanced correctly.

The computer q-jet will run the 350 as long as the cam isn't too radical, which it doesn't sound like it is. You may need to do a little tuning, start by setting everything (timing, TPS, IAB, choke vacuum break, etc.) to factory specs. You may also benefit from different rods/hanger on the secondary. If you have issues with it running poor before warming up, you may need to change the primary jets (I didn't have that problem with my '86 system, but I live at high altitude).

If the intake manifold currently on the engine doesn't support a spreadbore carb, you'll most likely need to modify your current intake so the center two intake mount bolts on each side match the heads ('87-later went to a 72 degree bolt angle for those two bolts on each side). Or get an aftermarket spreadbore intake that fits '86-earlier heads (the most common configuration).

 

My bad I meant a 73 station wagon. I have the engine now. I'm currently going through the bottom end. Doing new bearings and I have a .10 under crank that is fresh going in it. I have a 69 vette cam in the attic I might end up using its a .450 lift. May end up going alittle bigger. Nothing better sounding than a big cam. I am tempted to go with a non computer carb. What's the opinion on going that direction.

 

Okay, '73 wagon.

In general, factory production 350 heads are junk. '73 was about as bad as they could get - before unleaded gas, so they didn't have hardened exhaust valves or seats. Large chambers, poor flowing ports, thin crack-prone castings.

But, that's speaking in generalities. Get the casting #s off of the heads to verify what you've got.

There is about a 90% probability that your '87 LG4 heads are better. The 10% is a fudge-factor that the '73 factory heads were replaced sometime in the last 43 years.

There was more than one Vette cam in 1969. There was a 300 horse 350 that was no different than the one you could get in a '69 Impala or Nova. Regardless of which cam it is, it's also a fair bet that you'd be better off getting a new Comp or Lunati cam and lifter set.

As for the factory q-jet, it is the best street-performance carburetor available. However, just before that you indicated you want to choose a cam for the sound it makes - that pretty much rules out using a computer q-jet. Get a Comp Thumpr cam, non-computer carb and distributor, and you'll get what you want. You could get a Comp XE262 that the computer q-jet would be happy with that would drive nicer and go faster, but it all comes down to what is more important to you.

 

I know they are not the stock heads. Off what I do not know but he said that the original heads were scrapped. The cam was out of my dad's 1969 vette that was a 350/350hp. Not sure if that's what I will actually use I just have it sitting around so it's always a possibility.