Take my suggestions as that, only a suggestion but here's one buildup you can't go wrong at least in my eyes. Remember, if all fails transport you intake assembly into a nice 350 shortblock. Here I go with my buildsheet. I don't mine telling my recipe as you guys can only make it better.

This is a budget oriented daily driven setup not a hot stroker AFR headed Miniram with DFI like my 87 GTA but a mild mannered buildup as soon to be tested on my newly owned F-body addition 5.0 LB9 87 Formula with 155k miles.


1)Better heads needed period. My opinion here only but porting and setting up your stock 5.0 heads to be respectable is not going to be worthwhile if you plan a 350 swap. A solution that could go either/or into a 305/350 mild buildup would be to
get your hands into a nice set of
*Vortec heads*
Why not L-98 Corvette aluminum heads? You need to port them to make them flow like the Vortec's out the box.
Someone is going to say thats nice but you need to upgrade the springs. True but you will be silly not to on your L-98 aluminum heads also. Point is you need to upgrade both heads valvetrain so why not upgrade something that flows better. Well, thats nice but your going to lose compression and your stock TPI intake won't bolt on. Well point well take but if you plan to use your stock TPI intake to make power then your not looking at the big picture. Point is you are going to need to commit to the SDPC Vortec TPI manifold thats just as costly as an Edelbrock but still cheaper than an Accel and TPIS. It may not be proven yet so take this only as a suggestion as I may not go with the SDPC intake if it fails to perform. Mill the Vortec's to 58cc if you think its worth the horsepower gain per dollar. I wouldn't. Both heads need an external EGR so thats a point not worth arguing about.

2)Intake. You got your 305 TPI hooked up with Vortec heads but you need an intake. Read above. You could still run a LTR, SR, or MR setup with your Vortec heads. Although for my budget I'm going with ported stock plenum and runner combo for a 305 now and aftermarket LTR or SR with a 350. I'm going with a 52mm throttle body cause I had bought one already but if you want to stick with a budget oriented buildup keep your stock one. Should not restrict to the point you need to spend money on a 52mm for the performance gain. Remember $/h.p ratio is trying to be maximized.

3)Power Adder. One proven h.p/$ ratio investment is NOS. Why I mention this is because it going to affect cam selection.
Plus I already have a NOS kit for TPI I bought a while back that I haven't used. I'm going to squeeze my 155k 305 Formula once I get my 350 block prepped up just in case I see the puff of smoke Anyways this mod will secure your 305 into the 12's with a stock short block at least in theory :P

4)Cam selection. Here's the part that makes or breaks your engine like they say and selection is sometimes very subjective. Anyways, for my 305 stock shortblock with Vortec heads I have choosen the following cam
Comp Cam Roller TPI 210/220 500/510 lift on a 114 LSA angle for several reasons. Mild mannered to drive daily, nice vacuum not a crazy lumpy cam, could pass emission, sound like a sleeper, works nicely with either a 305 or 350 LTR setup and best of all the wide LSA would sit well with the NOS.

5)Exhaust. Headers with a Catback system. Interchangeable in a 305/350 swap so you can go wrong.

6)Tuning. Learn to burn your chips either way any head and cam combo will need a custom burned prom so you either learn to do it yourself or have a pro do it but goes both ways in any 305/350 buildup with a head/cam change.

7)Did I miss anything? Well, the SDPC manifold works with the Fastburn heads if you insist having aluminum heads to run higher compression. However, IMHO Fastburn heads should be a high end modification like when converting over to a Mini-ram with the right set of parts to make in run right like higher stall,cam and gears, bigger headers, etc... Fastburn heads and a "Tuned Manifold" like any LTR setup or SR I think would not mix like a Miniram and FB heads do. But thats only my opinion.

If theres any other budget oriented buildup out there I want to hear it. Also, if you have bought the SDPC Vortec TPI manifold how does it perform? How fast have you made your 305 go without taking out the heads?



[This message has been edited by 383TAGTA (edited October 14, 2001).]

 

ok, what to do if i don't want to use Vortec heads b/c i need to get the $400 base as well and that cost around 900, aren't there any heads out there for a 305 under 900 that don't need a special heads and perform as well....L98 alumns???

------------------
1987 Black 305 TPI 5spd IROC, seems to be fully loaded, but can't find RPO codes.

AIM: IROC 5spd
http://www.geocities.com/chevy5spdiroc/87Roc.htm

 

l98s take more lift, you don't need to upgrade the springs.

------------------
-Tas
'89 Formula WS.6

Got Beach?

 

the vortec heads are only ~230 apiece fully assembled. pretty cheap in my book, and springs dont cost that much. compair that to a set of vette heads for ~600+ a pair depending what kinda deal you get, or to AFR ~1000+, or edelbrocks 1000+ per pair. then after buying the standard SBC heads, youd still have to buy an intake. superram 1100, miniram 895 plus 250 for the fuel rails, or 300-400 for the lower manifold depending on your selection. sticking the stock manifold on good heads wouldnt be very wise. you could get the vortec heads and tpi manifold for less than the cost of aftermarket heads.

 

One word folks... blower....

That's what I'm saving the money to do...
But, that's just me. I've heard from a lot of sources, including Car Craft that the biggest cork after the exhaust is the intake manifold itself.. so I definiteley agree with the vortec + manifold idea.

That's all my input.

Jon

------------------
89 GTA
Beautiful Gunmetal gray, LB9 305 and T5 tranny. Only 60,000 miles!
Dual cats, 3"flomaster
Accel 300+ Ignition, wires, cap, coil, etc
Airfoil
KN Airfilter
Removed Screens on MAF
SLP 1 3/4 headers
No Smog/AIR system

 

If you just want heads and keep everything go with World S/R torquers 305's, there iron keep stock compression and are better then stock for a 305, and most of all they are cheap like Vortecs, but don't need an expensive base.

------------------
1989 Trans Am GTA - Flame Red Metallic, L98 5.7L TPI, TH700-R4, T-Tops, 3.27, 9-bolt rear, dual cat
- K&N Air & Oil Filter
- Dynomax muffler

1992 Camaro RS - Hawaiian Orchid, LO3 5.0L TBI, T-5, T-Tops, 3.08, 10-bolt rear - Sold
- K&N Air & Oil Filter
- L69 Dual Snorkel

 

You know what S/R stands for stock replacement...meaning you are buying a stock head just marginally better..."f" that.

If I gonna buy something might as well go all out. Later Derrick

 

all i can say is that 302 are good engines.. they have nice torque curves and good aftermarket goodies.. so, doing up a 305 which is really a done up 261 (or something close) is.. well.. xpensive.. so.. get a 350 block, jam in a 283 crank and connecting rods and do a couple of mods to the block and there you go.. a good as the bad guy's 302... even better actually.

 

Unfortunately, a 350 uses a Large Journal crank and the 283 uses a Small Journal crank. The only Chevy LJ 3.00" crank is from the 69 Z/28 302.

Frankly, I would just leave it as a 350 or better yet, stroke it to 383.

 

you can make a large journal 302 with a L99(4.3L v8 version of the LT1) crank and a single piece rear main seal 350. Or get a small journal 327 block and put in a 283 crank. 327s have the same bore as 350s.

------------------
-Tas
'89 Formula WS.6

Got Beach?


[This message has been edited by Tas (edited October 17, 2001).]