So im on a $2000 budget and i know this guy who has a few engines for sale that might fit well in my camaro but i need to know what im looking at from an overall perspective.


he has a 383 vortec stroker engine for sale (rebuilt) for about 1200$, I have a camaro rs 305 TBI all stock. What changes would i have to make to my car to be able to handle the 383? new transmission? suspension? I hear those engines pack quite a punch and i don't want stuff to just start to break...i break enough transmissions mounts as it is.

and on the other hand he has a fully camed 350 for a couple of hundred bucks. Would the 350 just pop right in? Or am i looking at a transmission issue etc? According to him it has about 120k miles (compared to my 160k on my 305) and was originally from his Tahoe.

So basically those are the options im debating over.
What horsepower ranges are we talking about (estimate)
305 average hp?
350 average hp?
383 average hp?

Any help/advice appreciated.

 

Your 305 has 170hp. The other two, who knows - depends on the cam, heads, and alot of factors. It's guaranteed that either will have more than your 305.

With a new chip and a few other minor things, your stock TBI system might run the 350. I have no idea about the 383 - I've seen mention of 383 TBI's, but I'm assuming that gets into custom programming of chips. If you can go carbed, then you can easily make either work. The biggest issue (to me) is with what you can legally get away with given local inspection laws.

The 383 and 350 are the same block, and both the same size as your 305 - in other words they are all simple drop ins. A 383 is a 350 block that's been bored or stroked or both (larger bores, shorter rods, or different crank to change piston travel, or all three - I'm not sure) - but all start with the same external size block.

The other issues are tranny and rear end - and whether they will hold up to how much power. Like with me, my tranny ran fine with my 305 - but when I dropped in my 350, the tranny slipped - it was apparent that the tranny was on it's way out, but the 305 didn't have the power to make it start slipping (yet), and the 350 revealed the truth. So anytime you swap to a larger more powerful engine be prepared to rebuild the automatic (I'm pretty sure I remember you having an auto, right?). Rebuilds run from the "I know a guy on the side $500 for a great rebuild" to "I don't know anyone and I got raped for $1500" - I got lucky and fell in category 1. If I had a choice between paying over $1000 for a rebuild and just buying one from Pro Built Automatics, I'd just buy one - I've never heard anything but great stuff about his trannies.

I'd think your rear would be fine with either - the 10 bolt isn't strong relative to other rears, but unless your track racing or doing hard launches you should be fine.

Also know that $2k doesn't go far. I paid only $600 for my old 350 carb to pan, but I know it cost me $2k in all the little things to get it swapped and running well - like mounts, carb adapters, fuel pressure regulators, this, that, and the other things. Hell, 15 trips to the parts store at $3 a gallon eats up a couple hundred easy!

And, it doesn't happen overnight. Rarely does anyone swap a motor and get it running in a weekend - it took me months. But I was alone, had limited time and tools. The only ones that swap in a weekend and get it running have help, a garage, and great tools. ESPECIALLY if you have to maintain stock induction and emissions - then you're gonna need custom-tuning which can takes months.

 

If you haven't already done ALL the usual bolt-ons to your 305, then forget any engine swap.
By the time you buy the following, your budget will be gone.
>Better-ratio rear axle gears
>Limited slip differential
>Installation labor or kit
>Headers-NOT Hedman
>Y-pipe-NOT Hedman
>3" high-flow cat
>3" cat-back exhaust
>Edelbrock Performer TBI intake manifold
You need nearly all of that just to be ready for a 350.
Do all of that, you will feel a good improvement just from your lame LO3.

 

Thanks for the reply guys.

Yeah i dont think my stock rs is ready for an engine upgrade..perhaps i should wait til i buy all the items atilla suggested, one step at a time.


Thanks for the details Camaronewbie u always answer my noob posts with some good info, ill definitely take everything into consideration.

 

I've had nothing but good experiences with hedman headers? They're not hookers, but aside from having to dent one of my primaries just a tad they work great.

But I'm running their LT's, not their shorties. But the exhaust forum thread on the Hooker LT's makes it seem to mel ike they're a hell of a lot more trouble to install than the Hedmans were. But if you're going shorties, there's no point in doing anything except Hooker (or SLP).

And the other thing is you're never going to make any serious power with bolt-ons on a TBI 305. You need heads and a cam to do anything worth a damn. I wouldn't invest ANY money in parts that couldnt be swapped over to a 350, but from your list that means the only part I woudlnt recommend is the Edelbrock intake. Gears and exhaust are going to have to play nice with the 350 also, so that would be a good move.

 

I was browsing through summitracing.com and i came across this engine

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-10067353/
When the time comes would that engine be a good start? Seeing how the 305 came with 170hp, a 25 hp change doesnt seem like much of a difference for a 350.

or should i aim for this other set up for a bit more of cash.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-12530282/

I'm not even sure if the engines are compatible as i only have basic knowledge of vehicles (first car). I know that i will have to swap engines soon enough,my 305 has nearly 165k miles and with no knowledge of how well the engine was taken care of.. it kinda bothers me..

I'm willing to put down the $ for the necessary upgrades its just a matter of finding the right parts for me because I am always questioning compatibility etc.