Hey fellas, first off i would like to say that i have very little mechanical experience except for tires, brakes, and body work. Beyond those three things i am pretty fresh. I've had my 1988 Trans Am GTA for about two years now and the engine is starting to run a little poorly. She's got 135,000 mi on the 305 inside. I'm going to be coming into about $5,000 pretty soon and i was looking for some ideas on where to start. I've been doing a little research on my own but i wanted some expert ideas. I might be interested in purchasing an entirely new engine, but idk. The whole thing is i don't know what engines are swappable/compatible or whatever. I'm definately looking to improve on horsepower. I already know that i am not interested in NO2, but i would definitely be interested in other methods such as turbo/supercharging or whatever. Keep in mind that i have zero engine experience and i would appreciate legit and helpful comments. Thanks for anything, it all helps!

 

All Small Block Chevy's are the same, from 283, 302, 305, 307, 327, 350 - they all have the same block dimensions externally - so any will swap in without any modifications (besides chips). Then, there's LT1, LS1, and LSx swaps - requires more mods to get them in and connected. Every engine combo imaginable has already been done, and info posted here, so search and you'll find info.

If you just need to get your 305 runing better, then look to a general tune-up. Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter, fluid flush. Then check for codes in the computer. Anything under 200,000 miles has plenty of life left in it, your 305 runs poorly because it needs some simple attention.

If there's a specific symptom you can describe, then we can address specifics. If all you can determine is that it's 'running poorly', then start with basic tune up.

 

you can sea foam an engine easily. Then, after a couple days replace the spark plugs and while there, replace the plug wires. A new dist cap and rotor is alsoa good thing but pay attention to where each spark plug wire conencts before removing them.