here's my problem, i have a 305 TPI, all stock except for a flowmaster cat-back.....i'm getting consistant 15.640 down the track.....is there anything i can do to make this engine run quicker....a/k/a stomp the 5.0 mustangs!!! or am i better off saving my money to put a 350 in the thing.....also, would it be beneficial to switch over to a 5 speed from my AOD? need to know...i have a ****y friend w/ a 5.0 GT who needs a good whoopin'

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88 Trans Am, 5.0L TPI, flowmaster cat back, high flow cat, WS-6 performance suspension, black w/ t-tops, automatic transmission....soon to be armed w/ a 5.7 TPI

 

Well, you don't have an AOD tranny (Ford's name for their 4-speed auto), you have a 700R4. For mo' power and better track times, you'll need good headers (SLP or Hooker), ported plenum (DIY), K&N air filter, lower-temp 'stat (either 160 or 180 will be fine), higher-stall converter (at least 2200 stall), shift kit for the tranny), and burn your own chips to optimize the tuning. Maybe tighten up the suspension with poly bushings in the sway bar mounts/end links, tranny mount, and torque arm. Aftermarket rear trailing arms and panhard rod help with the handling and keep the car squared up when launching.

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Greg Westphal
'87 IROC 355TPI/A4

 

will i be better off w/ a manual or the 700R? and would it be easier to just trade up for the bigger motor or can i make the 305 as mean as a 350?

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88 Trans Am, 5.0L TPI, flowmaster cat back, high flow cat, WS-6 performance suspension, black w/ t-tops, automatic transmission....soon to be armed w/ a 5.7 TPI

 

It's somewhat of a PITA to change from an automatic to a manual, plus you can make an automatic run just as fast in the 1/4 mile. The trap speed might not be as high, but it's easier to get a great launch and a better e.t. It's easy to build up your existing 305, but that's if you can afford to have your car out of commission while you have the engine torn apart. I built up a 350 (well, 355) and replaced the 305 over a weekend. The 305 is not only missing 45 or 50 cubic inches over a 350 or 355, but its smaller bore doesn't allow it to breathe as well. You can get into the 13's with a built-up 305, say with a good cam and Vette aluminum heads, plus all the other mods.

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Greg Westphal
'87 IROC 355TPI/A4

 

so in other words, i would be better off staying w/ the 700R and putting in a better breathing 350 tpi and build that up instead of putting a lot of time and effort into the 305 right? i guess that's what i needed to hear b/c i want this car fast......reason i wanted a 5 speed is b/c they're more fun to drive than an automatic car in my opinion

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88 Trans Am, 5.0L TPI, flowmaster cat back, high flow cat, WS-6 performance suspension, black w/ t-tops, automatic transmission....soon to be armed w/ a 5.7 TPI

 

Yes, if you plan on making more power stick witht the Auto. The T-5 isn't all that strong. The auto can be beefed up to handle a lot of power.

I am a manual tranny guy, I love to shift through the gears and I plan to auto-x my car so a manual is the better choice for me.

 

rice eater, there are many good posts on this board, and the general tech board that will give you many ideas for a path to making your LB9 run better. As an 88 A4 car, one of your first stops will need to be the cam, no matter how hard you try, getting a peanut cam to run better than high 14s and 90 mph is basically impossible.
With a cam, headers, some home porting and tuning you can easily get into the low 14, high 13 second range.


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Ed Maher - Moderator @ The TPI & Carb Boards
92 Z28 Convertible - Quasar blue / Tan top
305 TPI A4 2.73 - 14.8 @ 93.1
Stock except ported plenum and dual cats
-=ICON Motorsports=-

- Definitely prototypes, high powered mutants of some kind. Too weird to live, too cool to die

[This message has been edited by Ed Maher (edited October 10, 2001).]

 

And you could always use spray depending on how quick you need to go to do your "whomping". ;-)

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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)
<><

 

Your main restriction on speed in your car is the rear gear and damn peanut cam. You need to do the exhaust mods/intake mods, but with out changing that cam you will never beat your friends 5.0. I have been discussing this with a firend with a Grand national for the past few days that thinks all the Third Gen F-bodies are slugs. Well I guess hes runnig 12's so whats not a slug to him right. Thoug he made some good points about some of the V8 TPIs running mid 15s while I know some are running mid 14s stock. Well as we got to talking I realized that the only way a TPI car was fast (stock) is if you got a 305 5-speed and a low rear or a 350 with the 3.42 gear and an Automatic. Specifically the newer TPIs that had the different cams in them.
So now I have came to a conclusion that was held true by my old T/A. IF you want a fast TPI you need to switch to Shorter runners, bigger cam, atleast a 3.42 rear, and get a custom prom, because without these I have never seen a TPI break 14.5, maybe they have I dunno, but has never grabed my attention.

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89 Trans Am Turbo 3.8L All stock 43,000 miles #1053 of 1555

Past Thirdgen:
86 Trans Am w/ built 355TPI with SLP goodies and too much other stuff to List. One sweet *** car, wish I would have had a good enough Job to pay insurance on three cars so I could keep it, but for a 89 Turbo Trans Am w/ Low miles, I think I made the right choice!

 

Man you must keep your eyes closed a lot, lol. There have been MANY TPI cars, both 305 5 spd and 350 that have run 13s with only minor bolt ons. I have full faith that i'll be in the 14.5 range in my heavy *** LB9 vert w/ just headers and some more tuning, possibly into the high 13s while still running an untouched longblock.
In this world, we have the players, and we have the player haters. Please don't hate us cuz we can make 'em run baby

 

i know i can make my 305 fast....but is it worth it.....all the work i put into it.....would it be easier to just swap in thee 350 tpi which i'm told breaths better b/c of the larger bore and has a higher redline b/c of the 4 bolt mains? i'm starting to lean towards the 350, but it'd be nice to just put a few things on the 305 now that could carry over later to the 350, just to turn a few heads now instead of later....i know you all know what i'm talking about...need to get this thing to move!!!!!!!!

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88 Trans Am, 5.0L TPI, flowmaster cat back, high flow cat, WS-6 performance suspension, black w/ t-tops, automatic transmission....soon to be armed w/ a 5.7 TPI

 

Well, only you can decide if it is worth it to swap the engine. In practice though, you still need the same supporting components to actually make it fast. By that i mean you still need headers, you still buy a cam, and need an intake or porting, you still need a converter and gears, etc. Look at the stock MAF 350s w/ 2.77s. They only run high 14s. My heavy 305 convertible runs there, w/ 2.73s as well.

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Ed Maher - Moderator @ The TPI & Carb Boards
92 Z28 Convertible - Quasar blue / Tan top
305 TPI A4 2.73 - 14.8 @ 93.1
Stock except ported plenum and dual cats
-=ICON Motorsports=-

- Definitely prototypes, high powered mutants of some kind. Too weird to live, too cool to die

 

good post guys.
I especially like the part where it is discussed that you basically need a cam replacement on most any 305 TPI to see 13s.
as I start up mine every morning and think of all the mods Ive done I cant help but wonder how fast it will be with that "next mod"
I think that had I known that all the mods I have done to this point, still havent gotten my 305 into the 13s, I would have just started with a 350.
I do think however that with what I have now I can swap a cam and headers and see low 13s.
well I guess its live and learn.

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88 WS6 T/A 305 TPI--
K&N,Air foil,hypertech chip, thermostat+fanswitch
free mods, dynomax catback, urethane motor+trans mounts, PST front end poly stuff, Earl's hyperflex brake lines SSM SFCs, Bilsteins very trick homemade ramair, Accel 300+ ignition system. Ported plenum, intake and heads with 1.94I valves.
Planning: Heddman 1-5/8 longtubes, NOS 150 plate, replace the "peanut"! and Eibach Sportlines.
check it out at:
http://www.geocities.com/transam617

 

I never said you need a cam on any 305 just to see 13s. Only the peanut cam cars are that bad. Done right you can get a good cam 305 into the 13s w/o opening the longblock.

 

sorry ed -- yes mine is a peanut cam and thats what I was talking about -- the peanut cammed cars.

 

If you are planning on swapping a motor you will need to do some major suspension work. That is always a good thing to do no matter what motor you are going to throw in your car whether it be a blown/sprayed 305 or a 509 Merlin Big Block. You will twist the **** out of your car. I would go out and get a adj panhard rod, lca's, lca lowering brackets, 1.5" lowering springs, good shocks and struts, STB, SFC, adj torque arm, frontend rebuild kit, nice wide rims with some sticky tires, you can always get some basic mods for the car as well like 3" Catback, high flow cat, good headers (depending on size of engine) 1 5/8", or 1 3/4", pulleys, if you will stay TPI a nice AFPR, port the crap out of your TPI unit. Like some else said shift kit, higher stall, maybe a new shifter if you are staying with the auto. I have a T-5 and I plan on building it up quite nicely I know someone that has a T-5 behind a 700+hp motor and I also know someone that is building a T-5 to withstand his 406 so it can be done to handle power reguardless of what people say. Those are some ideas you can toy with until you have decided what motor you want.

 

well...i'm gonig to take it as a sign from the garage gods of what to do...i lost out on the 350 so that means i'm going to defy my blue oval friend and make an assassin out of that little 5 liter sitting under my hood as we speak.....overall plans...and guys, please correct me if this sounds wrong to you b/c i value your opinions, so here goes:
change to 3.42 rear (already have full posi), subframe connectors, shift kit for the 700R, rear control arms, panhard rod, torque arm, etc., new roller cam, maybe SLP or Edelbrock, haven't decided on that yet.., port-n-polish stock heads, switch intake runners, lingenfelter super ram intake base and plenum, edelbrock/BBK or Lingenfelter throttle body, 52 or 58 mm, SLP cold air induction (until i add on a power adder eventually) add a hotter coil and ignition module, stall convertor of around 2500 or so, maybe a trans brake and aluminum driveshaft........think that will make this little bird run or what?

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88 Trans Am, 5.0L TPI, flowmaster cat back, high flow cat, WS-6 performance suspension, black w/ t-tops, automatic transmission....soon to be armed w/ a 5.7 TPI

 

[Edit] comment was mean... sorry

[This message has been edited by G92 IROC (edited October 14, 2001).]

 

really?

89 GTA L98 BONE STOCK(haven't lifted the valve covers or plenum)

-flowtech headers ,SLP catback, shift kit&tranny cooler Stage 2 fastchip, homemade ram air, and some suspension stuff

13.89@99 1.98 60' time....

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Check out MyGTA Nicknamed:The Big Red Machine
***AOL IM ClarkeMustGoNow***
Moderator at www.transamgta.com
"What does not kill us only makes us stronger"

Tony

 

i've seen alot of fast TPI's at the track.......don't know who's giving them a bad rap but they are serious motors

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88 Trans Am, 5.0L TPI, flowmaster cat back, high flow cat, WS-6 performance suspension, black w/ t-tops, automatic transmission....soon to be armed w/ a 5.7 TPI