just bought my 2nd firebird a 89 formula 350 the original l98 was blown so i was wondering how a 350 out of a camper would perform in it for the time being i will probably swap over the heads but leave the rest alone the motor only has 30k on it and it ran fine when i pulled it im not looking for anything special just something to run till i can get enough funds for a 377 stealth ram set up

 

I wouldn't even swap the heads. Just run it as is. It's not likely to have enough cam in it to make the heads matter much anyway. ESPECIALLY if it's temporary.

 

will it be torquer than the original motor or about the same im just wondering what i can expect from it i dont really want to drive around in something with no *****

 

Even tho its just a temp motor I'd strip the replacement motor down to just the block and rotating assembly then install the Fcar stuff. (I'm a formula guy)
Thats just me tho.

The steath ram has some minor hood clearance issues on the birds.
If your going to add cubes, Y stop at a 377ci ??

Save the original 350 motor... just incase someone wants or you sell the car down the road.

 

a 377 is different everyone has a 383 just my own preference but are you saying i should use the cam or leave that alone the motor is out of a 79 so the heads really are the limiting factor on that motor and the intake bolts are different for the 86+ stuff right

so is should be fine if i run the camper block with the 113 heads (i think thats right) and it would be a simple swap
what do i need to do to put the knock sensor in the older blocks will i need to tap it?

 

The motor is out of a 79,,ugh. Ok I was hoping it would atleast be a roller block.
You can't use the cam from your motor in the older motor.
I'm just not much of a fan of the old 2piece seal motors, even tho I have one in my car.(stroked 400block)
You'll need a new flexplate and maybe a few other odds and ends..
The cam from the 79 will be a smogger era cam and its from a camper sooo it'll have a lower rpm range than even a tpi cam.
The knock sensor will screw right in the older block once you take out the drain plug on the side.

 

See, that's how smart those GM engineers were back in the early 50s...

They just KNEW those slimeballs over at Hupmobile and Desoto, not to mention Frod, were going over every product they came up with, with a fine-tooth comb. And since they had EFI on the drawing board already, mostly complete design in fact (they introduced a prototype mechanical version in 1957) they HAD TO figure out a way to accommodate it, without tipping off those Other Guys.

So instead of putting a hole in the block and labelling it "Knock Sensor Hole For The Future", they cleverly disguised it as the coolant drain plug hole.

AWESOME d00ds, eh??

So, every single Chevy V8 ever made, since 1955, has been set up for a knock sensor; and those other schmoes never even got a glimpse. They all thought it was just a drain hole.

 

Ok I just remembered my dad has a 350 out of a 96 or 97 Silverado I'm pretty sure he will let me use that and it would allow me to use the cam from the formula since there both roller motors and ill switch the heads over so I can keep the tpi and to me it seems like a lot less work

 

Bingo! Now your talking!

 

what else would need to be swapped over to the temp motor? lifters and pushrods from temp motor should work right any surprises i should look for?

 

any suggestions on a cam if the stock piece is unusable

 

I know I'll get arguments here because it seems nobody around here has any REAL experience with the stock L31 cam in that pickup motor. Under a stock TPI intake, it will do EVERY BIT AS GOOD as the L98 cam.
That L31 cam has put down 305 SAE rwhp uncorked through an A4 in my stock LT1 with 1.6RR's and better springs. And it's made 254 STD rwhp in the bone-stock L31 (stock springs, rockers, and the restrictive intake) in my pickup with LT's, 3" single exhaust and an 87 octane PCM tune.
It sounds like you really want to "play" with this motor; if so, have at it. But if it's really a stop-gap until you get that 377 mentioned earlier, I'm telling you you're pissin in the wind, wasting money and effort, playing with cams. I'm glad you at least found something better than that old camper engine!

 

id love to "play" but i need to stay focused lol otherwise id go off on so many tangents and never have what i really want. but you said the cam in the truck motor should be fine. thats good less work i was woried it it wouldnt then i was wondering about cams in case the one from the l98 is unusable like if it has excessive wear. but anyway ill just use the truck unit less work for me thanks for the help im sure ill think of more questions as i go along maybe ill post some times so people with l98s can compare

 

Again with someone hung on displacement numbers. It's just a dang number! A number that is achieved through a combination of parts that happens to be popular because it works, is cheap, and makes barely any sense not to do during a rebuild. They make different dress up kits to exploit your individuality. BUILD WHAT MAKES THE MOST POWER FOR THE BEST VALUE!

If you don't, your only cheating yourself. Because at the end of the day, nobody's going to stand around admiring your numerical uniqueness. They will however give you props for being fast. The outside of these motors when they're under your hood look the exact same if it's a 305, a 355, 383, or a 406. Cubes make driveable power, the more cubes, the more power you make. It's like having bigger muscles.

Disclaimer: And this isn't geared as much to the OP as it is to other hypersensative people on this forum. It's only advice, You don't have to take it, and if you don't like it, don't get butt hurt. Because your free to do whatever you want.

 

its not that im hung up on the number i want a short stroke large bore motor for the reving characteristics and from what iv read a 377 will make the same amount of power as a 383 but at a higher rpm and paired with the stealth ram which with the numbers iv seen makes power at above 5k rpm which wile racing is right about where ill spend most of my time.

 

a 377 is achieved by getting a 400 and stuffing a 350 crank in it

 

My 400 stroker spins to 7,500- 8,000rpm with no problem. You don't need a short stroke. You just need high dollar/light weight parts to keep it together plus a cam, heads, headers and intake to make it all work.