I have a 1989 Camaro RS. It has the orginal motor and transmisson (305 T.B.I- 700R4) I want to turn my car into a real sleeper! See in my small city everyone either has an I-ROC OR Z28, but rarly the R.S. type! And the few who do have the RS type have the 91-92 models which have the smaller motors! So needless to say when the I-ROC & Z28's pull up all they see is the RS badges.(And on my Camaro I wear the RS proud!) For some odd reason they all think RS stands for REALLY SLOW! That is until I pull off from the stop light or sign or whatever stand still and they hear those tires fighting to grab the ground!!! The look on their faces!!! But know I won't dare get on the side of one of them!!! That's where I want my RS experts to come into play! I want to beef my 305 T.B.I. into one hell of a motor from go to finish!!! I know it can be done, I just don't know where to start!!! So if theres anyone out there who can help me please do so! It will be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Look for posts by Fast355. He's done some amazing things with the 305 and with TBI.

Gene

 

I'm planning on doing a similar thing, but currently don't have the time or money to do anything to my car. I'll be posting the link to the thread that has my current parts list and the site that has a ton of info on modding the LO3.

LO3 mod site: http://goingfaster.com/spo/modthel03.html

My 89 RS restore thread: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...ml#post3838761

The LO3 has the potential to be a really killer sleeper car, yet you're already playing in the land of diminishing returns. Its not that the LO3 is hard to work on, rather there a isn't a whole lot of aftermarket support for it. And generally speaking, parts will be more expensive for a 89 305 than a 89 350. One good thing about the LO3 is that the TBI is really headache free, just bolt on a 670cfm Holley TBI and you have a TBI that will support nearly any mod short of FI.

If you stay with your LO3, you will definitely have one stout car and something that catches everyone's attention because, and I quote my fellow Mustang gear head friend, "Anyone can work on a 350, but it takes a real man to work on a 305."

 

That site is not a good guide for real TBI power.

670cfm holley is a waste of $.

 

That maybe true, but its certainly a step in the right direction. As far as the Holley TBI is concerned, thats a matter of opinion.

 

Lets be honest here olny people with money mod 305s just for the braging rights come on go get a 350 and quit wasting you time.

 

Thats not true and you know it. I'm a broke dirt poor college student and am planning on spending about $10k on the LO3. Yeah it won't be the powerhouse that the 350 is, but it'll turn heads and put alot of 350's to shame.

Why be normal?

 

I'm with u bro, I want to keep my original motor and put 350's to shame too!

 

Thanks Gene!!!

 

Good luck with your future project. I have a 92 305 TBI and that little 305 suprised me so many times,and its good on gas too. I wanted to swap for an LS1 but I kinda wanna beef up the 305 and see what I can get out of it. Even though the 92 version is a little different I added 3.5in catbacks and noticed a huge difference. I took it to a dyno and it showed that I was getting about 211 hp. I couldnt beleive it. I know a guy that has a 305 in his El Camino Pro Street and he's gittin mid 10's at the strip. You'd be surprised what you could do with those little monsters.

 

Dirt poor and your going 10k on your 305 thats your logic? Then go for it.

 

Do you even know what you are talking about? I did it for a mix of fuel economy and power. The 305 makes a great street performance engine. You just have to set them up properly.

My 305 pulling around 5,500 lbs moves out very nicely, even with 3.08 gears and 29" tall tires which is worse than most of the 2.73 geared combinations your cars run.

 

I'm dirt poor for the moment anyway. But after I graduate college, that LO3 will become an engine that will give several 350's a serious run for their money.

 

Yes i know everything.

 

Little monsters is very accurate. I once saw a guy say that the "LO" in LO3 didn't mean Low Output, rather it meant Lots of Opportunities

 

Except when and where to push the 350. A properly built mild 305 can walk on most 350s built by "pros".

This little L03 made 208 RWHP @ 4,600 rpm and 292 RWTQ @ 2,600 rpm with the stock cam, stock heads, 1.5 x 3" full length headers, 2 1/2" duals, and DIY Prom Tuning. That is stock L98 numbers from a lowly L03 305 truck engine.

http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/f...m/100_0782.jpg

 

Well apparently you don't or you'd follow your own advice and throw away your 305 TBI for a 350

 

Do you have any vids to back this up.

 

And thats where I get lost. Not so much that the 305 makes the power, but rather on the how. Is the engine that responsive, or is it just the tune that makes all the difference?

 

Apparently you've not read any of his threads or you'd know you've just bitten off more than you can chew.

 

I've run 11s in a F-body with a TBI 312 (.040" over 305). I don't need vids to back that up.

Matt ran low 12s with his 305 carbed build and drove it daily.

 

No sir i will run my stock 305 into the ground befor i make the swap, i was just saying the lo3 core is not worth the time nor the money IMO.

 

Hey Fast, could you give me the link to the thread for that car or if no thread exists, could you post the parts you put into it?

Also, if you could, give me some pointers on my current project (I'm currently in the planning phase). Thanks.

 

Proper tuning can add 30-40 ft/lbs of torque and 20 HP on an otherwise stock L03.

The L03 is very responsive to things that boost its breathing. Stock its trying to inhale and exhale through straws. Once you open up the breathing you need the tuning to get the fuel to it.

The L03 exhaust system should be better used as a paper weight. It should be replaced from the head ports back with a more suitably sized higher flowing equivalent.

The stock air cleaner and tiny snorkel tube are restrictive on a stock L03 much less one that has a few bolt-ons.

1994+ TBI van L03s made 180 net Flywheel HP and 265 net Flywheel TQ due to a larger intake/exhaust system despite being detuned (less timing, more PE fuel) for the weight it was pulling.

The stock engine can benefit greatly from 1.6:1 roller rockers or a mild roller cam swap (L31, L98, LT1, or LT4 Production)

 

Awesome. Maybe next time I go to the mechanic, I could ask him if he could do a tune for me, and if not who he would recommend.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...ferrerid=35855


Being savy I had about $2,500 into the engine and layed down 423 FWHP from a 305 with TBI.

EDIT- TGO is being stupid and won't let me link to it, just do a search for TBI 312 and you will find it as a post titled TBI 312 Track times (11.8 @ 119 MPH)

 

Thats amazing. And don't worry, the link worked and I'm reading that thread right now.