wuts up guys, i got a 305 tuned port thats pretty much stock except for edelbrock headers. im goin be gettin some cash soon so im looking to put 2-3 grand into it. im not looking to swap the motor cause i want to leave the original in there. were do you guys think i should start?

 

From what everyone says the first place to start is header-back exhaust with a hi-flow(or none) cat. Swap the heads(Vortec seems to be a decently priced way to go) as well as the intake. I've just been hawking the search feature to soak up every bit of info I can about these motors. There's a lot to be learned. =P

 

what yr 305?Since your keeping the 305 block,vette 113 heads,upgrade cam,cat-back on motor side.Then suspension upgrades like subframe connectors,LCA's,panhard bar,adj torque arm,relocation brackets then start beefing up the rear.

 

get a porting kit ($40) for your upper and lower plenum, pick up a comp cam xe258hr ( $230 from summit I think,,, i happen to have one for sale but if you can afford it always buy new), afpr, coolant temp fan turn on sensor(220 is to hot), either new heads or have yours worked on for higher lift and better flow( I was quoted $580 for resurfacing, 5angle valve job,valve back cutting, port n polish with a good amount of bowl work, valve guides milled, new springs,seals,retainers and magnaflux on my 113 aluminum heads). Also your best bang for the buck will probally be new gears for diff and a transgo shift kit.

 

its an 89 305, this is currently what i have

edelbrock headers
flowmaster 40s
high flow cat
msd ignition system with distributor (timing advanced alot )
used to have a 160 degree thermostat but put in a 180
a fast chip

i was looking at this cam but like im really sorta a newb to mechanics, like for example i wanna buy this cam http://www.sdparts.com/product/CRA10...xCamshaft.aspx
so should i buy it and just bring it to a performance shop and say look put it in? like i dont wanna look and sound like a dumba$$ what else can they do WHILE they have the motor out already ?

 

i was just looking at these heads to on hawks, would these be a feasable application?

http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/in...OD&ProdID=2103

 

actually just found this, this is alot cheaper would this be feasable?

http://www.sdparts.com/product/SD806...ngUpgrade.aspx

heres the main page for vortec heads if that one wouldent work
http://www.sdparts.com/catalog/engin...nderHeads.aspx

 

runing the vortec heads on a tpi requires a new lower intake thats $400, you cant make the stock one work. Look for a set of used 305 heads, there was a guy selling a set for $250 ported and complete. You could always have yours done for higher lift and do all the pocket porting yourself,,$40 for the port kit, $60 to have the guides milled and $100 for springs,seals, and retainers. and your done.

 

How many miles are on the engine? It may be a waste of money and time to sink 2-3k into the top end of an engine that has a significant bottom end wear.

 

so so true, especially on engines that run 225 degrees, heat and wear go hand and hand.

 

82k original miles, but arent i goin get better performace with like vortec heads?

 

82K miles can mean the engine is just barely broken in, or it can be quite a bit. Depending on how the engine was maintained and if it had been abused. What are your goals for the car?

 

well i take good care of it mobile one synthetic oil always. i used to always get on it when i first got it but now i baby it. im just tryin to make it more powerful. im goin forget about doin the heads for now and just get the cam done and get some intake runners.

 

If your seriously considering investing that much into your 305, drop some compression, and go the forced induction route. Spending that much to get your naturally aspirated 305 to feel stronger than it really is (without going overboard with it) would be a complete waste of time. Look into some superchargers, like this, for instance Click Here....

 

I don't know about that.I used to love to take my 305 n/a TPI to the track and run consistant 13.90's and beat alot of what ever I ran.Heard good times for a 350 and loved to tell them it's a 305

 

Actually these are the heads you want for a 305.58cc chambers
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...-aluminum.html

 

Agreed, but the problem nowadays, is that luxury cars are running high 13's from the factory, and running consistant 13.90's won't beat much today at the track. It's a very respectable time for a 305, but if your going to invest three to four grand into a 305, do it right, either slap a supercharger and/or turbo charger onto it, or go with a 350 crate engine....

 

that's why i switched what i wanted and sold the rest when it came time to build another IROC.Went with a 350 cause it was already in the car.headers,suspension mods etc all changed over

 

Do you want to have a nice original classic car that is fun to drive, or do you want to have the fastest thing on the street? If it is the latter that you want, go with a 350. It would be cheaper to make fast.
I spent about $4500 into my 305TPI to have it rebuilt from the oil pan up, and to improve its performance a little and it is still not done yet. However, my goals were not to have the fastest 305 on the street. They were to have a fun to drive classic car that is numbers matching.
It would be unwise to swap a cam without addressing the heads and the timing components.
The question is how much more power do you want? If you want another 30-40 hp or so, that can be achieved with a cam swap and some work to the heads, intake, full exhaust. If you want 100hp more, you may have to look at forced induction or nitrous.
The question is what are your goals?

 

I hear what your saying, but think of it this way. You could have garaged that matching numbers 305 of yours, and spent that $4500.00 on an entirely new L98 F-Body, with money to spare for some additional upgrades....

 

Unfortunatelly,
Garaging the 305 fbody and getting an l98 one wasn't an option I really had. having a broken down 1LE formula as a back yard ornament wasn't something I was willing to do. The car had spun a rod bearing when I had to get the motor rebuilt. The previous owner had starved it of oil and had abused it a good amount at the track. The money would have had to be spent, and the car would have had to be fixed at some point. I did it and am glad I did it. It is a beautifully handling, clean machine. I didn't want a car this rare to be sitting in my driveway until I had the money again to fix it. Plus, one can never guarantee what it is that they are getting into when buying a used car for $4500. Chances are that it might be great, but again, it might develop a knock 12K miles later. My motor was rebuilt to my specs by a reputable machine shop and comes with a 24000 mile warranty. Surely, for that amount of money I could have dropped in a good GM 350 crate engine, and called it a day. But that wasn't the vision I had for the car. This car is not going to be raced. As far as I am conserved, she has been saved.

 

The question is how much more power do you want? If you want another 30-40 hp or so, that can be achieved with a cam swap and some work to the heads, intake, full exhaust. The question is what are your goals?[/quote]

This is exactly what I want. My exhaust is already done, I have edelbrock headers a high flow cat and flowmaster 40s. So im assuming I should just swap the cam and do the intake FOR NOW. My question is.....

If I buy this...
http://www.sdparts.com/product/CRA10...xCamshaft.aspx

And take it to an auto garage and say "Swap my current cam, and put this one in." Will they look at me like I have 6 heads or is it like some sort of major overhaul, because I do know this requires taking the motor out.

 

I personally went with a different cam, comp cams xr258hr12. It has a bit more lift, but less duration. Another cam to consider is the comp cams xr264hr12. But that doesn't mean that there is something wrong with the crane cam. The people at the shop that did the work on my engine were partial to comp cams, and I am happy with the results.
I don't think that you should just throw a cam in the car and hope to gain 40hp. I would recommend changing the valve springs and cleaning up the heads a bit. Make sure that your heads have the proper clearances for the new cam. Also install a new timing set. Find a reputable shop in your area that does this sort of work if you can't do it yourself, and ask them what it would cost to do a camshaft upgrade. I don't know what the pressure of the factory springs is. The new cam may require stiffer springs. A good machine shop that does this sort of work will walk you through the process. Some of them will even pull the heads off for you and do the install.
Then after that your car is going to require tunning. The computer was programmed to work with your factory cam. You are going to have to play with the AFPR and the computer tune to achieve the most gains from your mods.

 

this seems like alot to think about, i think im going to wait until september to get this done that way ill have whatever funds necessary to get the job done RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. i think im going to do my body and interior over the summer instead

 

If you plan on pulling the engine out, it may be better to do the body after words. Especially if you are considering a new paint. It would suck to accidentally scratch the new paint while pulling the engine out, or dropping it back in.