Ok here goes. Don't know if this is in the right spot but I hope someone can give me a few pointers. First of all this is the first tpi engine i have dinked around with. I am putting a punched out 350 (355) into my 87 gta in place of the 305. I just want a combo of parts that will work well together, they don't have to be top shelf because i won't be making millions of horsepower. Hopefully just a nice stout engine. I will be using vortec heads, a stealth ram, headers, from here on I would like some opinions. I want to in the future when i get more time fabricate a remote mount turbo system, so my real question is what kind of cam should i put into it. I want to drive the car a little bit without the turbo set up, so is it possible to get the best of both worlds with a cam. One that will work well without boost and still function decent when i get the setup? And also what kind of compression should i be looking for...I was thinking between 9.0 and 9.5 at the most? I have been asking some mechanics and engine builders around the area but they seem to be a bit puzzled and confused when looking for an aswer. If i have been vague on my info please tell me everything you need to know, because i would like to do this right..Thanks for your time ... Tom

 

first dont bother with a remote mount turbo...same amount of work less gain.
there is enough room to mount one in the engine compartment

secound what are your plans for this car? daily driver? weekendwarrior? or track only?

if you are planning on a turbo... you should think about a turbo specific build
8-8.5:1 CR a turbo specific cam, aftercooler just to start... and a turbo isnt as expensive as you may think the borg-warner S400 .... a pretty decent turbo... $699 if you go new cheaper can be had at junkyards but you get what you pay for... i had a pretty decent turbo specific build picked out for around $1000 not including machining biggest part of that was the forged pistons with 22cc dish at $499 also using vortec heads forged rods from scat at 199 and a roller cam at 255

you need to decide what you want to do turbo or Normaly aspirated then go with it because it isnt worth trying to live in both worlds if you are looking for big HP numbers...i would even say it isnt worth doing a turbo set up for a daily driver... a 400 HP N/a engine would be entertaining which can be done very cheap too... but if you want a drag/weekend toy i would say a little of both worlds wouldnt be to bad... like high 8's CR with a turbo cam a set of GOOD headgaskets head studs... it wouldnt be a rocket off boost but it would be okay. and the boost would wake it up...



make up your mind then let us know and some one here can help

also check out the power adder section LOTS of info about turbo/supercharger/No2

 

This is definetly not going to a daily driver, just something to dink around with on the weekends and burn some tires with. Originally I saw that remote mount system and just thought it was kinda unique and thought it would be kinda cool to fab one up sometime. They make kits that bolt up to stock applications with no engine work done...correct?? So i just thought it would be cool with 5 or 7 pounds of boost nothing crazy.

Why would you say don't go with a remote mount system? I think it's a cool concept. As far as mounting one under the hood i just didn't want to do that because it just seems to hot and you need and intercooler and everything else that goes with it. And I guess it's kind of an afterthought.

You mentioned 400hp isn't that hard to attain what would you suggest for reaching those kinds of numbers and just forget putting a turbo on it?

 

the remote mount systems are a waste because of the way a turbo works... the turbine is spun using expanding exhaust gasses...(hot)...remote mount puts the turbo far away from any signifecant source of expanding gasses... they may only make 3-5 psi when they are operating perfect on a 350... not worth the trouble ...

as for 400HP with vortec heads... look around at popularhotrodding.com has done a few builds with them dyno pulls and all price lists on everything they put into the engine

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/tec...ock/index.html

a turbo isnt really something you would want to do as an afterthought it is a fair bit of money for a little gain

but what i am doing is +7cc flat top pistons and comp cams XE274-10
alittle smoothing of the combustion chaimbers a little polishing the ports and some minor bowl work on the exhaust and that is it i am betting high 300 low 400s

 

I'd make sure to use forged pistons and file fit plasma-moly rings. Have your machine shop use torque plates when they bore and hone the motor. Call Speed Pro on an acceptable ring gap. A high volume oil pump may be in order for the additional requirements of the engine, along with an aftermarket 7+ quart pan. Make sure you use the proper shaft for the pump. OE design shafts use a nylon bushing which isn’t meant to handle the additional stress of a performance oriented pump. Performance gaskets and performance head bolts or studs would be a wise choice also. A nodular or forged crankshaft probably would also be money well spent. Avoid ones made overseas, as generally the crankshaft isn’t finished in the “favorable direction” and they can take a lot more work to balance. Aftermarket forged rods would make another wise choice.

When you pick a camshaft make sure you upgrade your entire valvetrain. Too many people buy a camshaft because "My springs can handle .560." The proper way is to pick out the camshaft that suits you and then ask the manufacturer on the specific valve springs, retainers, keepers, valve seals, and machine work that is needed to install this cam. Comp Cams has a neat form on there website and they give advice fairly quickly.

I’m not gonna harp on you for the remote turbo. Go ahead and do what you want bud. I’m all for being different.