Vinscully50

My LB9 is starting to get old, it's starting to burn a little oil. I was wondering if it would be a smart idea to swap to a Goodwrench 350.

I've seen other threads where people have said the TPI swaps with no problem to any Gen I style SBC engine. Is there anything else I should know?

I've not looking to build a performance engine, just looking to keep it streetable. Will have to change camshafts? Will the Goodwrench's 350 cam work with the TPI?

Regarding the TPI will it be a direct swap or will I have to upgrade injectors and computer? Would swapping a FIRST fuel injection be a smart idea? Or not necessary to keep the car streetable.

Right now I am still in the planning stages and I will likely purchase all of the parts myself but have my dad's friend who owns a shop do the Swap.

In case you need more info my car is a 1986 Camaro IROC Z stock LB9 TPI with 700R4. It has a full hooker exhaust system on the car (Hooker shorties, Hooker Y-pipe and Hooker cat back).

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Which Goodwrench engine are you considering?

The lower HP rated, lower cost engines (195, 260, 290, etc.) are more for service vans, fleet pickups, etc. While 260 HP might sound like more than the 190 your LB9 is rated at, the other side of the story is those numbers are obtained with different methods - not apples-to-apples power ratings.

But, it will still be a new engine, and will probably be somewhat of a performance increase. Having said that, the heads aren't very good (not as good as your LB9 heads), and compression is low (8.5:1 vs. the LB9 9.5:1) - fuel economy will likely be lower. And, the Goodwrench engines have 2-piece rear main seal, so the flexplate on your one-piece rear main seal '86 crankshaft won't fit (not a big deal, go to the parts store and get a flexplate for an '85 f-body V8 application). Other than that, everything should bolt onto the new engine that is currently on the LB9.

Having said that, you might not like what follows, but if oil usage is your issue, and not low oil pressure or low power, AND you're not going to do the work yourself, you may want to investigate the cause of the oil usage. It's possible the piston rings or cylinder walls are worn out, but more likely is your valve stem seals are hardened and/or cracked. This allows oil into the cylinders via the intake valves, which typically causes blue smoke at startup and higher oil consumption. The valve stem seals can be replaced without removing or disassembling the engine, although most shops prefer to remove the heads to do the job (so they can check out the general condition of the heads/valves, and charge you more money). If a compression check show you have good compression, or if it indicates low compression due to a valve leak, then all you really need is to freshen up the heads. This should be much less expensive than an engine replacement, and should get the car running well again. If you like, that would be a good time to replace the cam, since half of the stuff you need to remove to replace the cam will already be off. If you upgrade the cam, you should do lifters, timing set, and valve springs while you're at it. All of that would likely yield better power and economy than the Goodwrench engine would (remember, higher compression and better heads with the LB9 vs. the Goodwrench).

Galaxie500XL

iTrader: (1)

An L31 would work...one piece seal, Vortec heads...you'd have to get a Scoggins-Dickey TPI Vortec manifold, though...with that, you could retain the TPI, and see a nice power increase with the Vortec heads.

Tuned Performance

iTrader: (92)

The first setup would be overkill for a lower hp engine.
You will need to go with 22#hr injectors and get a 350 memcal or retune for your ecm. Another vote for vortec.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

While the Vortec-headed L31 would be a step up in performance and possibly economy, the OP stated: "I'm not looking to build a performance engine, just looking to keep it streetable," so that doesn't justify the better performance of the L31; and the only reported problem is "it's starting to burn a little oil," so that doesn't justify the additional expense of going with the L31 (the break-even point from improved economy would be years down the road).

These old 305s are pretty tough, and last a long time with only basic maintenance. As long oil changes haven't been grossly neglected, the bottom end is likely just fine. We all know Gen I SBCs biggest weakness with age (other than oil leaks) is valve stem seals. Those are relatively minor and inexpensive fix. You could also add flattened cam lobes, but no running issues were reported by the OP.

I stand by my original recommendation: Compression test to verify the condition of the rings, and if okay, do a little head work. Cam/lifters/timing set/valve springs are optional. Problem solved, goals met, expense minimized.

If the rings/cylinders are worn and causing the oil usage, then a replacement engine is worth considering.

Even then, although I like the L31's roller lifters, Vortec heads, and one-piece rear main seal features, I don't think the additional expense of the engine itself, plus getting it to work with the '86 TPI system, is justified given the goal is just a streetable engine.

And, if you do replace the engine and go with the 260 HP Goodwrench engine, I wouldn't even bother upgrading the injectors unless the engine sees a lot of time at wide open throttle. It just doesn't have that much more performance potential than the LB9.

Vinscully50

I'm going to have the compression checked and the valve stem seals inspected first. Hopefully that takes care of the problem for now.
I've owned the car for 4 years now and it's been reliable. I've always heard small block Chevy engines are built like rocks and last for miles if you take care of them. I might be a little paranoid because an input sprag broke on my 700R4 and the tranny needed a rebuild. It's Kind of made me worried about my engine and the internals going bad. (I'm at 120,000 miles).

My engine started burning a little oil a few months ago (for now it's only a small blue cloud on start up). A few people told me that's usually the sign of bad piston rings and that would require a full rebuild. A couple people I know said they ended up throwing a crate engine in their trucks since it's only slightly more expensive then a rebuild and they liked the confront of a brand new mill. (For the record these guys had older F-150s with Windsor engines, so perhaps their piston rings wear out faster).

Other than the occasional blue cloud the engine runs fine, the dipstick has never been super low. In between the last two oil changes I added a couple of quarts.

But for now I will go with the valve stem seal route and hopefully that will solve this minor problem.

Let's say I did have to get the Goodwrench 350 (the 260 HP was the one I was thinking about in my OP). Could I take my LB9 heads and throw them on there?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

That's a good plan.

I picked up an '82 Berlinetta with 305 that had 304k miles on it with the intention of doing an LS swap in it. But first I had to get it through emissions test. It had a rebuilt carb on it but the adjustments were wacky and it didn't pass. I took it home, adjusted everything to factory settings, and it passed with flying colors. It ran much, much better as well. So well that I had 2nd thoughts about taking it apart for the LS swap, but I eventually did. The miles I put on it before that (including driving it from California to Colorado), it barely used any oil. After I pulled it, I pulled the heads and you could still see faint crosshatch in the cylinder walls. The seller told me the engine had never been apart, and based on the disassembly, I believe him.

That "small blue cloud on start up" is the classic valve stem seals symptom. Rings will more typically blow smoke at hard acceleration.

As for old F150s, yes, their rings would wear out sooner. The main culprit was carburetors that dumped in more fuel than necessary, that washed down the cylinder walls. And, yes, Chevys did that, too. But, EFI is much better about that, so the chances of your LB9 having bad rings is much smaller (unless it was overheated sometime in its past).

Get the compression test done and you'll have a much better idea. Most likely that's all you're looking at.

I considered saying that, but if you go that route, it makes more sense to get a shortblock.

mikeceli

iTrader: (2)

Just listening in.