I bet this question has arrisen quite often up to date and I beg forgiveness for posting before reading the other articles here but I'm really scared of this board's size .

If someone would be so nice to answer my question either directly or by providing links to posts that answer my question I'd be very grateful.

My situation is this: I have got myself a nice 82 TA 305. I love the car and I want to get it in great shape again (it looks as if it had seen horrible years...). So I'm going to take the engine apart even though I don't have any experience with engines.

So what tasks can I perform and which parts can I replace to make sure my engine will see many happy years to come?

While at it I'd like to tickle some additional 'juice' out of the engine. But it isn't a race car. This is my countryside and city driver. I don't need it to make 200 MPH or something like that. I'd say (keep in mind I'm new at this) that I want to go for the idle to 4000 RPM range. There I want to see power and I want to hear controled power (doesn't need to shake the earth ).

From what I've gathered so far I need:

Intake manifold (I have my eyes on an Edelbrock Performer)

Carburetor (600CFM Performer Manual Choke [I don't even know whether I need manual choke or electric choke...)

Perhaps new ignition system?

Perhaps headers (my mechanic told me headers will perform better in higher RPM ranges. True?)

Camshaft

Excepting intake manifold and carburetor I have no idea whatsoever what make and model I have to go for... and even on these two it's more of a wild guess. Furthermore I have no idea what additional parts I have to take into consideration and calculation. Do I need new cylinder heads? Are there other parts that I don't even know of that can help me fine tune my engine?

Someone please help me out here .

 

The little LG-4 305 V8 is a weak-kneed sucker and even with better parts it's still going to be a 305. For less money than you will spend to fill your 305 up with go-fast parts you can drop in a much stronger 350.

About the easiest 350 upgrade I know of is to buy a new GM "Targetmaster" universal replacement 350. It'll be about $1400 complete to your door (with warranty). You put your old intake, carb, distiributor, and front end accessories on it and you bolt it back in and turn the key. Even though the stock intake and exhaust you'll still be looking at an EASY 60-70HP over your old 305. Put a better flowing intake (Edlebrock Performer EPS) and exhaust (headers and 3" exhaust all the way back) on it and you'll be looking at 100HP over your old 305. It's the easiest bolt-in upgrade I have found for old carbureted 3rd gens. Literally everything will bolt right onto it from the old motor.

Your old computer controlled carb and distributor will be able to run the engine just fine with no need for a custom chip or anything like that. It'll even pass emissions if you keep the emissions equipment hooked up and working properly.

I would do that before I'd ever consider building up the old 305. Others may have different opinions.

 

I've thought about that...

Well certainly not to my door since I live outside the U.S. . But I get what you're saying.

I'm not too sure about the 305 though... The big question is how much gas does it use than a 305? Someone once said that the 305 is like a drunk un gas anyway so that a modern 350 might take even less... which I somehow can't believe.

If it is not a complete waste of money I'd really like to keep the 305. I don't need maximum output... I just want a bit more than I have now. And it would be nice to have someshiney things under the hood to impress the chikas . Forget the last thing .

Unless I don't hear some opinions going in the direction of 'Well, if you want to spend so much money for nothing...' I think I want to stick to the 305 engine...

 

There are a number of things about the car as a whole, that limit the performance of whatever engine is in it. In other words, think of how to make the car faster, not just the engine.

The absolute first thing you should do, is to replace the entire exhaust system, from the heads all the way back to the street. Get an application-specific set of headers, BUT NOT FOR THE LG4; I'd recommend getting the headers, a cat, and a cat-back exhaust, for something like a 88 TPI 350. It all bolts right up to your car, but ONLY as a complete unit. ANY piece you buy that will bolt to ANY piece you now have, will preserve its limitation; so prepare to change it out all at one time. Edelbrock TES, or SLP, are the 2 best systems for these cars. Consider having the headers and Y-pipe ceramic-coated, as this not only helps them to survive longer, but reduces under-hood temps as well, which will help other things like wiring and plastic parts and such to also live longer.

Another thing that you can do is the rear end gears. Most likely you have some kind of very low ratio in there, like 2.73 or 2.92 or 3.08. A far better choice would be 3.23 or 3.42. Again, this sort of thing will benefit the car no matter what engine is in it, and will limit the performance that can be expected from it.

The single-duct air cleaner is very restrictive. The best setup for one of those cars is the factory L69 dual-snorkel cold-air intake system. If you can't get one of these, then even a cheap open-element breather is better than what's there.

The intake and carb aren't the engine's performance limitation. Don't waste your money there.

A new cam is an excellent idea. Ones that people get good results out of are the Comp XE256 and XE262; and equivalent products from Crane, Lunati, Crower, etc. Resist the temptation to buy either too little or too much cam. The Summit or "Performer" cam (same thing) that's 204°/214°, is too little; the "Performer RPM" cam is too big.

Another thing that pays off is head porting. If you get 350-sized intake valves installed in your existing heads, and do a good port job on them, they're even suitable for re-use on a 350 later on, if you ever get to that point with it.

The thing NOT to do with a 305, is to dig into the short block. Once you get to the point of having to buy pistons and block machine work, it's time to throw it away and get a 350. But, as long as all of that is good, you can get ALOT more out of it with properly targeted mods, than the factory did. The proper upgrade path is to do things to it that you can transplant over to another motor if this one either wears out, or you just decide it's not enough; and avoid having to throw away money that you've spent on it.

 

RB83L69: Thanks a lot!

So I'll look into a new exhaust system and your proposed cams.

About the dual snorkel: I have a non cowl setup right now and am in the process of making the cowl functional. Do you think that will help? Or will it even be counterproductive? I could go to the junk yard and get myself another snorkel and add that as well.

I know I ask much of you but could you point me to a the right valve components? I don't think it would be a good idea just buy one without some guidance