I have a 88 trans am with a 305 tbi in it right now. Just replaced the tranny in it a few weeks ago. I have a guy who gave me an offer on a 350 tpi motor out of his totaled cutlass. The motor was rebuilt about 10,000 miles ago he said and still runs strong so he rebuilt it right, he says when the motor was in the car it felt about like 300 hp at the rear wheels and so its got a stepped up cam and things of that sort, anyway he wants 650 for it as his starting offer on the motor, he also has a 700r4 with a shift kit in it should i get that too? I can't tell anymore really if my new tranny has a shift kit in it when I first put it in it felt like it but then we got the tv cable right and it don't really seem like it anymore I don't know. please help i want to know if its worth the money

 

It's a crap shoot with a used engine that you can disassemble and inspect. It could be a good deal and it could be a nightmare. You won't know until it's too late. Feeling lucky?

 

Normally I'd be all for swapping out to a 350TPI, but unless you know exactly what the motor has in it, i.e...receipts for parts, visual part number references, tuning; he could be lying to you to sell a crapped out L98 with 200k miles on it and less performance than your TBi motor. Also, if he does have a cam and all that, you will need full exhaust and a stall (while you are installing a motor, you might as well throw a stall in at the same time) not to mention the ECM, harness and tune it may need.

So I would pass, and do fun stuff to your TBI and be proud of it. If your running 16's now, shoot for high 14's. Full exhaust, stall, maybe a bigger cam. Then move onto TPi, or even bypass it with an LT1 or LS motor swap.

 

he says the motor still runs in the car its just not movible because the entire back half of the car is pushed in to the point that it bent the frame

 

It sounds like you made up your mind already. But you will need full exhaust, can't use his or yours, a stall would be nice to have, plus the wiring harness for your car....but you need to know whats been done to the motor for future mods or tuneability issues. Like the cam and heads, and all that.

If you have the $650 for the motor, it will cost at least that or double to get it into your car and running optimumly. And again, that's if he's telling the truth about the condition of the motor.

 

he says it out of a 96 camaro i thik not shur on the year also

 

also Sorry if it sounds like im an ingnorent person or something but why won't my exhaust work for it for a little wiel I've got a small block to

 

thanks for your help, your thinking got me to think clearer, I'm going to look at the motor tomarrow, If you could would you tell me so signs that i should look for before its to late

 

by the way i like youre car looks the same as mine other then mine just the trans am

 

You're exhaust technically "will" work, but will SEVERELY choke the motor. You got crappy Tbi 5.0 manifolds and 2-1/4 exhaust. Even a stock 350tpi would not run good at all, and you'd try to throw an extra 100hp through it.

If it's from a 1996, that my friend is an LT1 and you'll need to do more than what I said above if that's the case. LT1s are reversed cooled. So you would need an external thermostat housing for starters. Along with the entire wiring harness and PCM. And that's all I know. It's not a simple swap by any means.

 

sorry my bad ment 86, its a tpi for sure, still got the intake and everything on it, theres no mistaking it for an lt1, that would be another cool motor butway to much work, what should i look for or try and get off the motor for sure just ot eliminate the extra cost, i don't think i'll need a radiator, even if i did his wouldn't fit, I'm getting for sure the evtire wireing harness, ecu, I'm think about asking him before i buy it if we could take off the oil pan and look at the berring and that sort of think anything you could tell me would be great, this fuel injection thing kind of has me concerned just because they seem picky but maybe not, i think you also are kind of miss guided by the rest of this site, I don't really need a drag racing car, its my datly driver that I love to show off so I don't plan on making it some 500 hp monster that can pull off 12's in the 1/4, just something that will beat my buddies f***stang so he can go spend another 30 g's on somebody else working on it for him, all he's got is pipes and the 300 stock hp, its an 07 and he's got all prettied up.

 

A 350 tpi wasnt put into a f-body until 1987. So unless he just used the manifold and put it on a 350 block your will be buying a 305.

 

I'm not sure on the year

 

If you aren't looking for a monster motor, then why do the swap? Just mod your TBi a little with full exhaust, a stall, a tune, and some porting of the intake, bump up the timing, and you should spank a couple stangs all with a "lowly" TBi 5.0.

But to answer your quesitons, you will have to look on the rear of the motor, driver side and look for 5.7, it will be cast into the block. If you see that, it's a 350. DO NOT GO BY ANY OTHER STAMPING ON THE BLOCK. That is the only way to tell if it's a 350 or not, by that place.

He won't let you pull the oil pan, just because he will have to pull the motor to do it. But hear it run, if you can, borrow a scanner and take someone that can read it. Look for maf readings, o2, BLMs should be around 120-ish (128 is dead on perfect running, Look through the pages here on TGO for references), timing, knock count. Bring a jack in case he doesn't have one to look at the underside for leaks and whatnot.

And incase you do get it, you will want exhaust as soon as you can afford it. With your crappy Lo3 manifolds and everything, that 300hp monster, won't be much more than a stock 350, if that. And romping on it, you better be running premium all the time because it will start pinging and hate you and then if you aren't careful....kablooey!!!

Good luck. I wish I was there to help you out and possibly talk you out of it. I think modding your Lo3 with all those things I mentioned would be best for you, and best of all you know your motor in and out and wouldn't want to swap at that point. Maybe swap out to TPI later on. Sorry, but I think you are in over your head, at least right now.

 

Thanks for that reply that helps alot, i'll take in all the things you said and do my best, for my tbi, its pretty sad thats why i want to swap, it can't even beat a v6 mustang in a 300 ft race, he cought up by 3rd gear, it was sad all that thing was and intake and exaust, not even headers and he still beat me, granted his is manual but still a v6, my car won't even get sidways on corners all the time, and straight line forget about it. Its got posi and a stock gear but still thats just bad, as for knowing my motor, i don't really, all i know is that its all stock and the last owner beat the snot out of it, found that out after i did some asking around after my reverse went out in the tranny, the thing now tops out ant 107 with the head lights up, that can't be good considering itwas only at i think 2500 rpm. I hope that exsplans to you why i want to do the swap, if it all cheaks out ill have about 300 hp with about 1000 dollars in the car i hoping what you think.

 

Do you know what gears you have in there now, I bet you have shitty 2.73s. That would explain your lack of 'sideways' and acceleration. If that 350 motor/car turns out to be a scam or in bad shape, start looking around for either one of these rear ends: 3.23, 3.27, 3.42, 3.45...if you are lucky and can find an earlier 10-bolt with 3.73s from an H.O. Car get it. Also, do a complete tune up. It might desperately need it. With a tune up and gears, your 5.0Tbi should drive like a new beast.

Hopefully that motor is good and the guy is on the up and up. But do not buy it if it's a 305. Full exhaust, gears, and a tune up with advanced timing will be enough to beat a stock 5.0 tpi and cost about the same without the headache.

 

went and looked at the motor and it was in that cutlass i was talking about, turns out i had where the motor came from, this guys uncle had bought it as an aparently like crate engine tipe of deal from an auto parts store, got the motor diliver to his house, the thing was all crappy on the enternals or something, had to rebuild it and go through the whole thing, anywase then they bought it from him and put it in there cutlass with a camaro computer and wireing harness and thats where the camaro bit came from.

 

anywase i was able to test drive the car, it was drivible and everything just the back half of the car is messed up bad, drove the ccar, that motor needs a tune up very very bad orelse its just junk, after i test drove the car, i will never like cutlasses for handleling unless that car is just a bad egg by the way, they say its been sitting sence last fall so the injector and the plugs and all that stuff might be bad, so their going to call me after they get it running good and that, if they can't i'll just trick out the tbi, my car is already tuned up and everything just a bad motor i think, a bump in timeing would help it out though for sure. Thanks for your advise by the way, you've been really helpful, i don't know if you hear on hear often but thanks really.

 

Welcome dude. Glad I can help. If you have any questions don't hesitate to PM me or anything.

-Kevin