Looks like I'm getting the 1988 Formula I was talking about earlier.

LB9 - T5 - 9bolt 3.45's. Single cat (no dual cats - not g92?)

Which cam is in it. After an hour or so of searching posts, I came up with the following contradiction. All 305's with the T5 have the L98 profile cam. (Contradiction) Only G92 305 MAF cars, and all SD cars have the l98 cam.

So... what did the MAF 305/5spd nonG92 cars get?

Pretty hard to plan valvetrain mods if you don't know what cam you have. Peanut cam = first mod, l98 cam = rockers first mod, mystery cam = suicide over frustration.

 

Jump! Jump!! JUMP!!!!!!!

(if you didn't jump, keep reading)

If you do anything to increase lift, new cam or just higher ratio rockers, you'll be upgrading valvesprings too.

The low-buck ticket for 305s seems to be a used LT1 cam. I'd research that, and toss in a set of springs rated for the max lift w/ 1.6:1 rockers while you're at it. This way, when you later upgrade to 1.6 rockers you'll already have the springs you need.

 

Before you go and commit suicide from frustration , visit this tech article, Camshaft Article. I believe it answers your original question.

These search results pasted below are from Puritan Ponitac-GMC ( NewGMParts.Com) also verify the data in Paul's Article.

10066049 $294.00 $0.00 $220.50
Engine - Camshaft & timing - Camshaft
CAMSHAFT, 5.0-F, Manual Trans - 5.0L, 5.7L 1988 - 1989


The G92 dual-cat option was not available until the 1989 model year, so quit fretting about the G92 MAF 305 T5 cars.

 

I read that camshaft article, and it seemed to be in contradiction to what everyone else says, by stating the 88 and 89 Automatic or Manual 305 and 350 use the same cam..... does it? LOL.

If so, that seems like the biggest cam that was offered in the third gen, despite the lobe seperation

 

Doesn't matter, both cams are crap.

 

Forget what you read if its confusing.

You have an 88 with a T-5, it has the same cam as the 350 TPI/L98 unless someone swapped it out in the past.

 

The confusion only comes about in later 5-speed TPI cars where there is some argument on what non-G92 cars had, 87-89 definitely had the hotter cam. The dual cat setup in 89 just tacked on 10hp...

 

Well, sure 207/213 .415/.430 isn't anything to write home about, but it sure does make me feel better sleeping at night than 179/194 .350/.384 would. I didn't expect an LT4 hot cam or anything.

Either way guys, thanks a ton! I'm sure I'm going to have many more "What in da hell?" questions now that I'm back to a TPI car again...