RallySportKid

hey there every i am a first time engine builder, my current project is the L03 inside a 89 RS camaro w/74000 miles on it. I have taken a motar apart before and replaced old parts with new stock parts, the problem i am having is the mixing and matching of parts that will work and wont work. i have been reading alot of treads on my own and seem to get all kinds of info from everyone but no one seems to agree on the same thing. I am looking to build from the crank up. Crank, Pistons, Rings Gaskets, Cam, timing chain, heads, intake manifold, distrubior, igniton system and looking to get rid of the weak TBI and go carb. I am 21 yrs old and this car was given to me from my dad. he bought it the yr before i was born and gave it to me for my first car when i turned 16. I am looking to take my sweet time on this to get every thing perfect the first time around. I am looking to spend a grand total of 3200 on it. Yes i know i can get a 350 and get more power out of it but i want to keep the block in it original. also i really dont want to bore it out. My father was all for GM and always talked about the might mouse motar and how one day he could get big numbers out of it..... but he passed away before that day came so shoot me some good info to help make this car what my father always wanted it to be. Thank you everyone for you time and work put in to helping my fathers dreams come true.

thomas1976

TBI is not weak.

Exhaust, heads, cam and 2.73 of the LO3 package make it appear that way.

RallySportKid

Name brands and links please sir!!!!

when i fist got the car i replaced the injectors with venom injectors huge difference mite i say! lol but i sold them to a buddy when i was low on funds for rent

thomas1976

If you noticed any improvement only by switching injectors, this can only happen if your stock injectors were not working correctly or you have a fueling problem.

Could start reading the sticky treads in the TBI forum, this will help you alot.
To tune and run TBI on modified engines, the best available is EBL flash http://dynamicefi.com/, it's plug, play and easy for a resonable price.
Once/if you decide to keep TBI, we can go over what you need to support the engine you will have, in deatail.

If you whant information for the carb, look in the carb forum.

For building the engine, engine swap and tech/general engine forums are wery helpful.

For the rotatig assembly http://www.cnc-motorsports.com/ could be a wery good place to buy, they will put toghetter any combination of parts and balance it.
Not sure if they have a part list for 305ci, but 350 (4.00” bore and 3.48” stroke) and 305 (3.735” bore with a 3.48” stroke) rotating assemblies are the same except the pistons. Can look at the 350 internals and use 305 pistons.
Stroke the 305 is possible too.

Somewere around 10:1 CR would be decent for aluminium heads.
TFS 175 http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TFS-30300005/ are direct fit for your 89 LO3.

torque_is_good

sorry about your dad. 21 is too young to be without a father.

74k miles is not a lot of miles for a properly maintained engine. But, since you are looking to build it for performance, and not just for repair reasons, then that is when the cost/benefit analysis must be performed.

At the end off the day, a performance engine needs a good top end and you are going to replace all of that. So, with that said, you really should consider increasing the cubic inches and going to a GOOD 350 bock (not a junker).

Also, you can't just slap in a new crank. It might work but again, you are building for performance. You will need to pay for machine work to the block so agan that gets you back to using the 350. SBC's are wonderful in that regard because parts interchange easily. If you had a Ford 302 then it's not like you can drop those parts into a 351.

Perhaps you should consider one of the Goodwrench long blocks and start from there. I'm sure dad would approve.

RallySportKid

thank you for the info and the links. i seem to hear alot of good things about the Trick Flow 23's. if i get the TF heads would any 305 intake manifold fit directly onto the TF heads?

ex-x-fire

Trick flows have large valves that wont clear the 305 bore.
Match intake to heads that you'll be using, 55-86, 87-up, or vortec have different bolt patterns.
If you keep the 305, try to find a set of 305 vortec heads.

thomas1976

Common this is not true! https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...5cc-heads.html

Direct fit intake manifold flow #'s https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...bi-3704-a.html

I would use the online calculators to calculate how much flow will be required before picking the intake parts.

Camquest6 and other dyno simulators can be wery helpful too.

RallySportKid

i read that tread with the TF lift clearnce a couple of days ago it was very helpful..... 1000 bucks for TF heads are pretty spendy, does anyone know how the vortec 305 heads compare to the trick flow. also Cost/benifit cal. lol haha

RallySportKid

i found these heads for 400 bucks is this a good set of heads to start with?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/305-3...Q5fAccessories

if they are and its a good deal what kinda cam and durations/lobe should i run with it?

thomas1976

Do a search on the casting number (I can't access the link you posted) https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...-headflow.html

Check out what CR comes out with your parts choice.
http://www.kb-silvolite.com/calc.php?action=comp
Around 9.8 CR was used on later/better factory engines with iron heads

RallySportKid

305 - 350 CHEVY 64CC CYLINDER HEADS 87-95 / 2.02 / 187
FITS 1987 - 1995 TPI AND TBI INTAKES - 2.02 STAINLESS
this is what the heads are im reading up on that form right now thanks for all the help!

RFmaster

64cc heads are too big for a stock dished 305 pistons - these larger heads will drop compression and you'll loose power. 2.02 valves may come close to 305 cylinder bore. Not a good choice.

All 1-gen SBC heads are interchangeable - and can be bolted to any 1st gen block (i.e. 262 to 400 CID). Just because it can be done does not mean that a combination of parts will result in performance increase!!

Suggest that you do a bit more reading on engine buildups before shelling out hard earned cash.

//RF

camaronewbie

If it only has 74,000 original miles on it, why rebuild it at all? There should be nothing at all wrong with the bottom end. All it should need is a good tune up! My 305 TBI car had 170,000 when I bought it, and there wasn't any reason to rebuild that one! I wouldn't waste any money on new stuff at all.

Get a set of #416 casting heads (from a carbed 3rd gen), port polish yourself (plenty of articles here on how), have machine shop cut for 1.94 intake valves, a 3-angle head job, and Viton seals, toss on $100 roller-tip rockers from summit. Toss an Edelbrock Performer RPM or Air Gap intake, carb of your choice, Mallory 4309 fpr, good cam, and your done! Spend money on rear gears, and you'll have a blast with that! Besides gears, your looking at about $1000 - $1500. Spend the rest on rear gears and suspension.