Sorry I haven't been around guys, but now with the ceasing of major hostilities, I'm due to come home soon with a decent amount of overseas money saved up.

I was going to just buy a 350 TPI motor like Rich, but I've decided instead to see what I can get out of the 305. Since she only has 80K miles on her, I figured she's still got a lot of life left in her. Now on to my questions. . .

I've already got a LT1 cam and performer intake waiting to go in, so per the logic from yall, I'm going to go with some S/R Torquer heads to finish her up.

1.) How do I measure the "LT1" cam to figure out it's specs?

2.) I'm about the purchase a GMPP roller timing chain. The guy says he bought it for a TPI, but it should work just fine my cam and motor, just as long as it's a roller. Is this true?

3.) The pin in the cam, I know has to be sawed off, however, do I have to knock the whole pin out, just to make sure it doesn't come out later?

4.) Do I have to back up my timing with the new cam since it's currently advanced like 8* I think?

5.) Are 1.6 roller rockers really worth it?

6.) Am I missing anything? (heads, intake, timing chain, cam and all gaskets) I basically just want to give the mechanic (I'm not mechanincally inclined enough for the head and cam install) all the parts he'll need to get it done.

Sorry guys for making it long, but it's about 3 1/2 months of pent up questions.

-The Gunny

 

Roller Rockers: Summit has "roller tip" rockers - kind of a compromise on the money - I'm going to try them with my LT1 cam- $99.

Cam pin: I am curious to know from anyone - does it really need shortened? My brother just installed the LT1 cam, and while watching him install it, I sat and wondered if the pin REALLY had to be shortened? I couldn't see where it would hit anything at the long length - it just sticks out of the hole in the sprocket a little farther.

 

Wuzzup newbie, I just cut the pin on my cam down a little on the bench grinder. I never took the pin out to do this, just left it in there. Hey gunny, I asked the same ? the other day on how to measure my cam. I was just curious about the lift. someone on this board sid you should measure the lobe from tip, to the back of the base circle. Then just measure the base circle. Subtract the base cicrcle from the lobe and then multiply times 1.5 and thats it. The timing chain should work just fine, I would think. I'm not sure about the rockers and the timing issue.

 

You'll need to run atleast 8 degrees of timing with that cam. The LT1 cam seems to need more timing. If you could sell that performer intake for a good price you could save alittle money buying a set of vortec heads with a vortec style edelbrock intake. Dyno results have shown more power out of the vortecs then the torquers. I was going to get the torquers too, then read a bunch on the head comparison. Just mill the vortecs down to keep the 58cc chambers and they'll be good to go.

If your having a mechanic do all this I would get a new 1 piece oil pan seal and have him pull the motor and re seal that bottom end. You'll be much more happy with it trust me. My front timing seal which used to be part of the oil pan seal is now jimmy rigged in there and leaks oil. After 2 days of engine work an oil leak is not what you would like to see.

 

I haven't seen anything stating whether or not the Vortecs produce more power, but aren't the Vortecs not emissions legal? And besides, wouldn't it cost me about $100 to have somebody mill the heads down? Like I said, I'm not that mechanically inclined. However, at $270 / head it does like an interesting proposal. Jegs has the S/R Torquers at $370 / head. It's gone up since I left.

 

I did a search on yahoo, "305 power" or something along those lines. It brought up a site that built up a 305 and tried like 4 different intakes with 3 different sets of heads. There dyno results ended up with 325 hp at the crank, it was carbed though.

I got mine milled down for 50 bucks at a local machine shop.

They have to be smog legal because they are off of a newer motor. I think they use a different type of egr system if i remember right, not positive on that. I'm not using any type of smog equipment because i live in kansas. If you have some questions go to www.sdpc2000.com and call their 800 number. They have about the best prices and they are real helpfull.

 

The vortec heads do not have the EGR port cast into them. I got around it by taking exhaust from my headers and routing it into the GM Performance Parts TBI-Vortec manifold.
See attached pic.
The setup works very well, no codes and good performance. These are vortec heads on a 350, not 305.
Thank you for your service!
S-D

 

Well I checked out SDPC2000 and looked at their TBI Vortec kits ($950). Even if I could sell my Edelbrock TBI intake for $125, I would still be spending about $75 more for the Vortec set up as opposed to the S/R Torquer heads; and that's not including the cost for milling them down. However, while cruising around the site, I came across these "performance" TBI heads going for $620.

http://www.sdpc2000.com/cart.asp?act...tart&catid=277

Does anybody know anything about these? However, they are 64cc, which would mean that they would have to be milled down to 58cc; an extra $100 or so. . . still coming under the S/R's by $20 though.

-The Gunny

 

what is that air cleaner / air intake setup you have?

 

The air cleaner has 3 parts:
Bonnet (mount to TBI) is a stock 93 caprice air cleaner that has been chopped.
The plenum is custom made.
The rest of the system is a standard TPI from a 91 camaro.

It clears the stock hood and is working well.

S-D

 

nice!

what filter are you using?

 

Filter is in stock TPI location.
S-D

 

that is awesome. you should write a tech article with pics ..... i'm sure people would like to duplicate it. i know i would.