I've been looking to buy a 91 or 92 firebird or trans am for a while now, and I really want a 5-speed so I guess I'll probably be getting the 305. Anyway, I know a couple of guys who have had 3rd gens with 305's and after about 100,000 miles they both broke connecting rods. I was just wondering if this was a common problem with the 5.0 TPI or if there are any other common problems that I should look out for.
Thanks

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1986 Firebird
2.8l V6 MPFI
Cold Air Intake
K&N Filters

 

125,000 plus and race at the track no problems.

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87 Z28 305 TPI, Auto, LT-1 cam (@.50 418/430, 194/199, LSA 111), roller timing set, 2.73, Gutted air boxes, K & N fillters, Dyno Max 3" cat back, 8.8 mm spirals, air foil, BFG Drag radials, and 170* Stat.
Old Best 15.414 @ 87.47.
new best 15.006 @ 89.55.

“Fallen But Not Forgotten”

 

there are a buttload of guys here that have very high mileage yet very strong 305s. i wouldn't worry about it as long as it runs good and the compression is still reasonable.

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86 IROCZ
T-Tops
700R4
305 TPI
3.23 gears
shift kit, manual TC switch, manual fan switch, flowmaster exhaust with edelbrock TES headers& hollow cat, gutted MAF.

 

I have a 1988 305 with 103,000 miles on it. This past weekend I took it to Road America and ran (10) 20 minute track sessions with it, and generally beat @#@#@ out of the car and it never missed a beat. I was upshifting every time at 5000 RPM, and down shifts exceeded 5500-6000 consistantly. If the engine has been properly cared for it will last well past 100,000 miles.

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1988 Formula 5L/5sp 3.45 gears, SLP cold air kit, MAS gutted, TPIS air foil, TPIS AFPR, MAC headers, Mac under drive pulleys, MAC cat back, Relocated MAT.
Best ET street tires 13.85
Best 60 FT street tires 1.930
Best MPH street tires 99.29

 

I dont think you will run into anything like that, its not common. I've had some of both flavors myself, the recent one lasted 152,000 miles. The fsecond one was a problem child from the word "Go." It was a real garage queen... and when I say garage, I mean repair garage. It spent more time at the dealer than it did at home. At 44,000 miles it sheared a wrist pin. The dealer proceeded to fix it, overheat it, and throw a rod. Later in its life (70,000) the cam (that was cracked from the aforementioned rod) finally broke and it sent a rod out the side of the pan. I patched it up and sold the damn thing, and I hear that the new owner fired it up one morning and was screwing around, and the engine let go again.
The first one, I had a car thats life ended at 70,000 miles when some moron decided to stop in its path. The engine was fine, never had a single problem with it. I'm sure it would have lasted much longer than 100,000.

btw, the most common reason to break rods in these things is abuse. #2 is stupidity. I ended up with #3, flawed parts, followed closely by #2.

[This message has been edited by madmax (edited April 23, 2001).]

 

I have one with a supercharger and 100,000 miles and no problems (knock on wood)

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91 Formula 1LE 1 of 46
305 TPI 5speed
1LE/G92/WS6

Paxton SN92 supercharger, Ford SVO 24#injectors, Crane AFPR,SLP airfoil, ported/polished plenum, March alt. pulley,Crane Gold 1.6rrs,MSD coil,MSD6AL (5400rpm limit),Holley 9mm wires,Ac delco R43ts plugs,custom chip,Bosch O2sensor,SLP 1 5/8" headers,SLP catback,shortened shifter,3:73s w/Auburn posi,180* t-stat,JET 195* fan switch, Macewen white face gauges, Autometer gauges, Zoom hi-performance clutch.

 

I have one with 65,000 miles and a supercharger and it turned itself into a V-7 last month. Oh well. Its an excuse to put a 350 in.

 

181,000 and still launches better than when it was new. I run the bottle on it occasionally also.

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Mike Metzler (Desert86Roc)[*] Check Out:SpeedWorldMotorplex.com[*] Check Out:Chevrolet F-Body Online Part & Illustration Manual[*] My 86 IROC 305 TPI Page (406 build in progress)

ET's @ 1250 ft[*] 14.28 @ 95.461 mph (uncorrected, NOS, no headers)[*] 15.362 @ 88.238 mph (uncorrected, headers, no NOS)
<><

 

i have a 305 and just put rebuilt stock heads on it and bored it out and it has 103000 miles on it and i am still pullin 2.1 60's and hit a 15.1 on radials. i also shift at 4500-5000 rpm and a few times 5500 and its not a roller cam.

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305, TPI,compucam 2030 cam, air foil, 8.8 wires, accel super coil, dynomax headers, custom y-pipe, cut out, 80 series flowmaster, 2.73's and an open diff(3.42-3.73 on the way). and a stage 4 chip :0). hittin a sad 15.2 before the chip.