got a 89 tpi 305. is a new camshaft a good upgrade and how much horses would i be looking to gain. which cam should i go with?

 

Cams are fascinating, no doubt, but have you already done all the other bolt-on upgrades? How many miles on the engine? Why not start building a 350 while you keep driving the 305 as is?

 

engine was rebuilt with less than 3000 on it. what are all the bolt on upgrades?

 

headers with y-pipe, cat-back exhaust, underdrive pulleys, 1.6:1 rocker arms, K&N air filter, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, Throttle body, ported plenum, aftermarket runners, ported or aftermarket lower intake manifold, et cetera.

 

couldnt agree more with this. look for a good 400 block or a LQ4 to build. The 305 is a bitchin motor to build and fun to have but is about as far from cost effective as you can get.

 

attila knows his stuff. the only thing i would not buy is an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. if they leak, and they always do, they are under the hood, get darn hot, darn cold, and hold back lots of pressure, and when they leak, well dripping gas on a hot engine is not a good thing.
but that is only me. there are plenty of people that swear by them. here in cal they are illegal, but for smog reasons.
but everything he mentioned is a good add on.
my problem is i want to do it all at once. so i have the headers, tpi, zz4 cam - waiting for the rest of it to arrive so i can bolt it on and play.
make a list - attila's is a great start and start looking for deals. dont buy until you can get it cheap. very cheap. getting great deals is part of the fun. put it on and have a good time.
but make your list in advance and make sure you know that it will all match up.
i bought tpi so unless i want to modify it i should stay between 86 and 93 for my 305. but i am going to pay to modify the intake to sit on other things.
so now im limited to engine size by the tpi.
i also got 2055 hooker headers but they can be used on a 350.
got a zz4 cam - with springs and retainers. now with the cam im limited to a lift of about .530 with 1.6 rockers, so i dont need big heads because im limited by the cam.
but the cam and rockers and springs can be used in a 350 if i want.
make sure everything matches as you buy it. dont buy something that will not go with what you already have.
welcome to the project that will never end.
and attila - i know its fun - but you still have a great name and darn good advice.

 

Was the rebuild just all stock parts? If so you have the lb9 heads still so I would suggest the LT1 cam cuz it has near the highest lift your stock heads can take and you wont need to tune anything just throw it in (after shortening the dowel pin) and enjoy the performance but unfortunately idk the added hp but Im sure atilla could tell ya he helped me decide the best cam specs for my new build =D

keep in mind the different year LT1's had different cams but all were similar heres a link for research http://www.fierolt1.com/lt1_camdata.htm

I was gonna rebuild my 305 but decided to go 350 with 305 heads for high compression and have a pretty new (only 30k miles on it) 95 LT1 cam which was one of the most aggressive in the Lt1's ill sell for 50$ + shipping just pm me

heres the specs:
203/208 at .05"
.450"/.460" lift with stock 1.5 rocker arms
116 LSA

if you arent stock then do a bit more research but remember the lb9 is a torque motor with rpms stopping at 4500-5000 rpms so look for a cam in that range

 

Tony C makes a good point about the AFPR, if you do get one, buy the best, and buy it new. But it does have it's uses. When you add speed parts that move more air, you then need more fuel. The right way is larger injectors and tuning, but if you add more pressure, then in some cases you can get by. But on a pure stock engine, sometimes you can shave a couple of tenths in the quarter mile by dropping a few psi. Stock tuning goes rich at WOT. The cam can be rather difficult to change, it's best to change the springs before a cam or rocker arms, and it's best to change the cam and the lower intake manifold at the same time, and when you do a cam, be sure to do a fresh timing chain. I'd prefer the '93-'97 LT1 cams over the '92.