Which is better for a LO3 with a stock cam, 1.5 ratio which I have now or 1.6 ratio?

 

1.6 of course. Jegs has some. $191 last I checked for steel roller self aligning 1.6 versions. www.jegs.com

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-Tas
'89 Formula WS-6

305, TBI, auto, 14x3 chrome flat based open element with K&N, Milodon 160* thermo, functional Formula hood, cross-flow Flowmaster, '99z28 rear pipes and tips....

To be installed eventually far far far into the future: Yours if the price is right and I don't have to ship :
Hooker 1-5/8" 50 state legal headers, Dynomax 3" I pipe (PN 44063 and 43248), Catco 3" cat, and injector spacer.

Super GRK_Taz World
F-Body Dual Exaust
EFI & Intake Options
AOL IM: superGRtaz

[This message has been edited by Tas (edited August 13, 2001).]

 

yea 1.6 itel raise the lift on the cam a little which is must needed with the peanut cam that the lo3 has

 

Or you could save money and get a LT1 camshaft.

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1992 Camaro RS (Auto)
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Performance mods
NOS (125 HP shot)
Dynomax cat-back exhaust
Hedman headers
K & N open element/ X-Stream lid
MSD 6A ignition
Under drive pulleys
LT1 camshaft
Now ordered:
Edelbrock intake manifold
3.42 posi
B & M 2400 RPM stall torque converter
Transgo shift kit
Moroso Blue Max plug wires
305 TPI heads

Audio
Sony Xplod CDX-M610 head unit
Pioneer 2-way 4x6 front speakers
Pioneer 3-way 6x9 rear speakers
12 inch Pioneer VCCS PRO subwoofer
QLogic sealed box
Kicker ZR360 amplifier
Lightning Audio 1 farad capacitor
Other
Macewen White Faced Gauges/Shift overlay
A-pillar gauges (Phantom oil pressure, Air/Fuel)
180* thermostat
Window Tint

 

if you have the lt1 cam and put 1.6 roller rocker along with it will that make even more of a difference?for the better..
Shawn

 

The higher lift helps with larger intake flow heads. The swirl port stock heads are crap and the larger lift isn't going to make much difference. It's still an improvement but I wouldn't waste time with the stock Lo3 unless it had a different cam and all the other bolt ons. The Lo3 bottom end has flat top pistons so that's good but the heads are the REAL problem with these engines. Almost half of the intake runner is covered to create a "swirl" (less air, velocity design). Personally I think it's a waste to do anything other than an LT1 cam swap and headers. If you plan on changing the rocker arms, cam and already have the open element and exhaust work then the best step would be some cheap heads like vortec or vette heads. Ask NJSpeeder (hangs out more on the camaroz28 board) and he'll tell you the same thing. He's got edelbrock heads, intake, milled TB unit, exhaust and 1.6 rockers with stock cam. The stock cam with larger lift works great with the new heads but don't think you'll feel much of a difference with just getting 1.6 rockers and keeping those stock heads.
Basically I'm trying to say that the cam shouldn't be a major focus for all TBI guys. First look at the rear diff, cheap good intake and exhaust, then figure what gains you would get from doing more serious work.
Do you have gears and posi yet? If not I would recommend them before any engine work.
If you got the money go for it but understand that rocker arms aren't going to make a noticable difference.
Another option is a cheap rebuilt 350. A lot of guys think this is out of their league but it isn't as hard as it sounds and I'm proof that it doesn't cost all that much.
With a cam swap you need to remove radiator and do a LOT of work just to get to the stage of removing the cam (drop oil pan, take off waterpump, balancer, etc.) when an engine swap is: Unbolt engine from tranny, disconnect everything (don't forget fuel lines), support engine with cherry picker, unbolt engine mounts (2 bolts!) and lift out carefully. Unbolt all the accesories and swap it on the new engine and drop that back in. You could do an engine swap in 1 week and for $2000! If you figure the hp to dollar ratio and figure you would spend the same time doing a cam swap but that would require you to dismantel half the engine anyways! Just food for thought, take it or leave it but saving for the 350 swap has to be the most rewarding thing I've done.
BTW, it was my first engine swap ever.

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

Jprevost: I would like to swap to a 350 next summer, can you give any tips for what to look for when buying a used one? Will it pass a sniffer test and could you maybe explain how you would go about connecting it back to the tranny? Thats really the only concerns I have about it...

Thanks

 

One more thing: Did you reuse the stock wiring harness and computer or did you have to get that out of the 350 also?

Thanks

 

<a href="http://www.crosswinds.net/~jprevost/cars/index.html">My website</a>
Check out the engine swap pages. I have a table on the cost and parts. The car will run with all the 305 TBI stuff except the knock sensor! You need to replace that but everything else just hooks right up to the new engine. It cost me around $3000 to do the whole swap and it was well worth it.

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website