Im swapping this engine GM 350 into my 91 RS convertible with the stock intake manifold, stock tbi with 350 injectors and the 350 knock sensor and cruise module. I already have a 3" cat-back exhaust with a single cat and a flowmaster series 80 crossflow muffler...

 

i also already know that i need sfc's... those are next on my "things to do list" that and a new rearend and transmission rebuild

 

If that is the same 350 Goodwrench JEGS sells according to the ad it puts out 260hp and 350tq with a 4bbl carb and headers.

 

Probably about the same as it does when installed into a car or truck, plus a tweak for the exhaust.... 220 HP maybe if you're lucky and get it tuned right

 

im not sure if its the same one jegs sells... i looked for it on jegs.com but they only sell the one with the 2pc rear seal... just wondering so i know how soon i need to change my rearend... ive heard that the stock 10-bolt's hold up to 300 on a good day, so i dont want to be destroying it quite yet... has anyone else seen a better engine w/ more power for around the same price (1800 w/ shipping incl.)???? if so, redirect me... i wouldnt want to waste my money on low power when high power costs the same

 

I would not buy it. I would look into the GM HO crate that is $3000. The motor that you linked us to isn't much better than your stock set-up. It has junk heads and will only make about a little more power than your stock set-up. Now if money is a really big problem you could get that and put an LT1 cam in there. It would make a little more power but not be much of a performer.

 

I agree. If you are gonna spend that kind of cash go ahead and get something that has some decent heads and a good cam in it.

 

actually, this is just to get the car running... i have been relying on the girlfriend for rides to work for over 6 months cuz it took me that long to save the 1800 for this engine... I spun the crank in the stock 305 and i REALLY NEED a car... upgrades will come soon... but I also have the restrictive CA smog laws to take into consideration... i was going to buy the GM Performance 350 w/ the vortec heads, but the possibility of that engine passing the smog limitations for a passenger car is slim to none... i am only willing to spend the money I have... i really cant wait any more for a car.. ill buy better heads later, and depending on money later on, it will become a 383 stroker ;-) but i just need something to get me from point A to point B... i just prefer to do it more quickly than others... but if that isnt an option right now.. then it will have to wait

 

Get the one from jegs its almost $300 less and all you need is a flexplate from a pre 85 camaro with a 305 ($30 at autozone just bought one) to put it in. It has 260 hp and 350 fts torque and will be a good platform to build on later. It will also pass emissions and be great for a daily driven car. I would definetly go with that engine if I were you. Also I wouldnt worry about the rear end and tranny until you get around 400 hp with that 350 youll be fine. I would reccomend new gears and sub-frame connectors though.Good Luck.

 

dont i need a new intake manifold because of the different bolt pattern? i looked into that already but i was turned away from it, i dont remember why

 

It is probably because it is a non roller set-up. Menaing you will need to use an intake from 1986 and earlier and you will have a non roller cam. Since we have a perspective on your situation the motor you have picked out will work fine and you can re-use pretty much everything off of your old 305. You may want to ditch the stock prom in favor of a better on and get some emissions headers. That way you can get the most power and rivability out of it and be smog legal.

 

i was going to get a prom burned from the guy @ tbichips.com he made me one for my 305 that i was very pleased with... i was just going to get the 85-up 350 because of the ease... its just a standard swap... everything will bolt right together... i was just looking for the same kind of swap, but maybe more power, but it seems that is not an option :-/ oh well... in time... I plan on going to UTI, and they have a program where you get credit to use their shop to make your car into a beast.. so that should help out a lot.. haha thanks a lot guys ;-)

 

Roller cams have nothing to do with intake manifolds, or why he'd need a different intake on that 350 HO.

THe reason it needs a different intake is because it has Vortec heads on it. "Vortec" is a newly invented marketing buzzword that looks better on TV ads than "we moved the intake ports about a quarter inch closer to the valve cover rail and left out some of the bolts". You have to run a Vorted intake because alot of older intakes won't even cover the ports in the head, they're moved so far; and even if they at least covered them, you'd lose all the extra flow due to the mismatch in port location.

And as always, the 350 HO won't pass CA smog in one of these cars, because it doesn't have the passages in the heads that feed exhaust to the EGR. There's a kit you can get to plumb exhaust up there externally, but that's a guaranteed trip to the smog referee.

Schwarz: if all that happened to your old motor is a spun rod bearing, why don't you just crank-kit it and get on with life, and save your $$$$ for a decent motor instead of jumping at that cheap phone-company van replacement POS?

 

im not sure of the damage to the engine... long story short, oil drainplug removed on railroad ties, engine seize, refill with oil and new drainplug, 1 week later started knocking and losing power, havent driven since... still turns over, still drives... but knocks... to everyone ive talked to, they say thats a spun crank... i did drive it for a week after the oil drainage incident, so im not sure exactly what happened on the inside of the block... for all i know the longer stroke could have machined my heads and pistons for me and warped the inside of the block... i was just going to play it safe, get a new engine to get me around until i dont have to pass smog anymore

 

Pull it out and flip it over on the stand and pop the oil pan off. If the rods themselves are undamaged, it's $200 for a crank kit (turned crank and a set of bearings) and you're back on the road.

What have you got to lose except an afternoon ofyour time?

 

what about the heads, some guys on another board were saying that i might have damaged those, and the block?

 

Highly doubtful that either thing got damaged.

Try it and see. What have you got to lose? Don't find excuses for not doing the right thing, instead, find ways to get the right thing done. You accomplish alot more with your life that way.

 

very true... thx but one thing, where would i go to get the crank and bearings and everything... local auto store, shop, jegs.com?

 

local store

 

i forgot to add that i need new piston rings and a new head gasket set... my shop told me that when i had the oil changed 2 hrs before i killed the drainplug

 

well, i am still keeping the 305 to learn on.. im 18 and plan on being a mechanic, so having an engine to learn on was also one of my intentions

 

That's what they'll all say. It's CYA.

If it didn't need that before, it won't need it now. The head gasket isn't lubed by oil; and the rings won't wear that fast. I'm assuming of course that you only drove it a short distance like that.... not over 20 miles or so, seemingly a good assumption since it still runs if only just barely.

 

thats what i was saying.. it did need it before... and i drove it for a week after the drainplug thing happened.. easily 20 miles to work one way... it was the original 305 with 150k on it... but when i got the oil changed, they started it and blue/white smoke blew out (piston rings) and when they did my radiator flush, it shot fluid like 10 feet out of the car and was covered in white foam, after a 20 minute cool down (head gasket) and that was two hours before i killed the plug..

 

Blue/white smoke at startup = valve guide seals, not rings

Coolant shot out = it was hot; foam = it was boiling

Somebody is trying to snake themselves into your wallet.

Any more excuses for not at least trying to fix your motor? Just get out there and give it a try.

 

im not giving excuses.. lol.. im just making sure of everything.. i want a guaranteed fix that will last for at least a good year w/o having to fix anything else... im also learning here ;-) now I know what to say next time someone tries to blow blue/white smoke up my *** ;-) the engine should last another 20k no problem... ill see what i can do about taking it out and apart... but thats another problem i run into.. i dont have any of the proper equipment, and neither do any of my friends :-( how much is it to rent a lift and a stand for a day?

 

The engine I am talking about is not the vortec headed 350 ho engine. Its the 260 hp GM Goodwrench 350. The reasone you need a new intake is because in 86 and up engines the middle intake bolts are angled slightly differently. All you have to do is get a edelbrocke performer intake for 86 and up heads and your set. Its like $200 but this engine is $200 cheaper than the other one your looking at.So it evens out.I am telling you this is the way to go. Youll spend about the same money and get more performence and still have a good daily driver engine.And yes this engine is emissions legal. Oh and another thing you dont need prom tuning I have the stock ecm out of a 350 tbi chevy truck in my car and look at the times I ran in my sig. My car runs just fine and is fun to drive. I also had the egr taken out of the prom and added a performer RPM intake, 1.6 roller rockers, and a modified holley 700 cfm 4 bbl throttle body to the car and it still ran perfect and Ill bet I was running about a 14.0 with that setup before I took everything out to build the new motor im putting in it now.You only need prom tuning for a modified motor with a new cam, heads, etc. But prom tuning will definetly make the car perform better. I just wouldnt say you NEED it with a stock motor. Good Luck man.

 

well, that engine will be the alternative if RB83L69 is wrong...

 

i think im going to try the crank repair myself... i dont have anything to lose but the rental fees for the lift/rack

 

No he is not wrong about the vortec intake at all. I think he got confused that you were talking about a different motor that just has smog heads on it. There were 3 motors brought up, the vortec HO, the non roller basic, and the roller basic. You can use 87+ intakes on non roller set-ups but you just have to drill out the 4 center holes a bit. He wanted to use the roller basic and others suggested the vortec (me at first) and others suggested the cheapest of them all, the non roller basic. Hope this clarifies a bit.

 

i meant if he was wrong about my crank fix...

plans open for critcizm/compliment:

1st : Remove damaged 305, try to repair
2nd : If repaired, reinstall and smile :-D
3rd: if unable to be repaired, buy the 260hp GM from jegs, flywheel and intake, have installed into already empty engine bay

 

the 260 hp roller that IROCaholic was talking about will be the engine i will use if my crank cannot be repaired

 

i got the car towed to the place where i will be doing most the work... to remove the engine, i need the engine hoist, engine holder thing (the stand that turns the engine around 360 so i can take it apart), an american ratchet and wrench set and screwdrivers with every bit possible correct? any special tools i need to use? one last thing... if i were to put in the injectors manufactured for a 350 in my current throttle body, would it benifit me, or waste my gas?