I was happy with my little 305 but it had about 300,000 miles on it and I was ready for a change. I picked up parts here and there and am finally about to be able to swap to a 5.7.

Here is the list of mods. The car was originally an LB9/5speed car. I have tried to do things as close to first class as possible. I would be happy with 310 -315 rwhp but my goal is 330 rwhp.

Switched from 5.0 to 1990 5.7 TPI short block. Stock deck height
GM Hot cam 219/228 w 1.6 aluminum roller rockers .525/ .525 cut on a 112
Dart Iron Eagles professionally Ported, matched to 1205 felpro intake gasket, bowl blended, polished exhaust passage and cleaned up combustion chamber.
200 cc intake 72cc combustion chamber 202/160 valves
new 5.7 ESC Module and 5.7 knock sensor
LT1 injectors from Caprice police cruiser #17095004
smog pump deleate
EGR Block off plate
Disabled vats
1 5/8 Edelbrock TES
3 inch under the car/flow master Y pipe/ Loudmouth muffler/ no Cats
Owner ported/Siamesed Plenum
Competely Siamesed factory Runners*
*Change that to completely siamesed SLP Runners
Siamesed/Ported stock intake (matched to the 1205 gaskets, siamesed 3 inches in)
adjustable fuel pressure regulator
underdrive pulley
de screened maf
gutted airbox/ K&N filters stock throttle body w bolt on air foil
160 Thermostat/cooling switches
Swapped T5 for T56

 

It's going slow. I have made some progress though. I am hoping to get the car running by the end of next week.
Here are a few more pictures

I have been cleaning everything that comes out. I am hoping to have the runners finished by tomorrow.

It's going to be interesting if I can get into the 300+ rwhp territory with this base and the siamesed runners. I have been reading for several months and I can't find where anyone has done this much in terms of Heads and cam and is still using GM runners and Base. I did read where there has been some heavy porting done on stock bases in california. Looking into the base runners the intake seems to be matched well to the heads. I think the base will be the biggest hold back. I will dyno this within a month or so.

 

I have had to change the runners to my slp's. The factory runners weren't working out. My slp's are strange they were completely open on two runners on each piece and only siamesed at the top end on the back half of each one. I am opening the other side of each one. I'kll post pictures tomorrow. I am a little dissapointed but I think these will work jsut fine.

 

OK this is actually a pic of the left and a pic of the right. I have done one but for comparative purposes they both looked like the before pic. I will do the other one today. I can't quite open them as much as the "open side" but I think they will be close enough. I have never seen this type of SLP before. fully siamesed on one half of each runner? That gives you 4 long tube runners and 4 short tubes. Any way I'll do the other this morning and be done with them. I have a bit that can reach the whole way through. The pic of the one I have done is open all the way through on both sides now.

 

I finished siamesing the other runner this morning. I went ahead and have test fit everything. Here are some pictures of what it looks like. I still have to reseal the oil pan, install the oil cooler and fuel pump block off plate.

 

I sealed the oil pan today. I took the oil cooler off of the 305, cleaned it and replaced the little short connector hoses. I'm really close now. I hope I ma puting this thing in the car in the next couple of days.

 

looking good man im in the process of doing the same thing just with differnet parts

 

Thanks Man! I am hoping the car does like it should.

 

It turned out that my T56 clutch which was retrofited in 2005 was broken. Some how 2 springs gave up just cruising on the interstate. The material was still in good shape. The clutch had come from OReily Auto Parts and had a Lifetime warranty. I replaced it and resurfaced the flywheel and here is picture of it installed. The LT1 flywheel bolts are getting harder to find for sure. GM has made them obsolete and NAPA doesn't make them. I understand that they are available through ARP. Anyway, I got three from Bently Cadillac Buick GMC in Huntsville yesterday.
I tried to powder coat and old set of chrome vale covers but was having trouble so I ended up painting them instead. I am ready to bolt up the transmission and drop it in the car now.

 

how long till your ready to drop it in?

 

I started droping it in this weekend. Unfortunatley the hoist is a bit short for the job so I am struggling with it. I have posted some pictures of where I am with it. If I can get some help I may have it running this weekend, mabe sooner?
I have a temp chip burned and I plan to dyno not lonng after is going. I have really put a lot of thought into this and I am really hoping for 300rwhp. That would be around 355 at the flywheel. I would think 375 - 385 should be realistic torque at the wheels, maybe lol.
I see the base as the biggest restriction. I really wanted to geteverything flow checked but, I am running out of money and I am using my Corvette as my daily right now. I have put an unGodly amount of miles on it. I need this car back on the road.

 

It's been a lot slower than I had hoped. MAYBE I will get it runnning by the end of the weekend. I have a few plugs in my harness I am not sure what they are. A couple of vacuum libes I am not sure about, some bolts I cant seem to find, and a couple of things like the driveshaft, torque arm, cross member etc still to put in but I am pretty close. I am tired of working on it.

 

looking good man! if it ws me i would be dying to get it running. let us know how you make out this weekend

 

Man its looking good, alot of work right there. Hurry up !! Wanna here how it works out for ya

 

so.. did you get her fired up?

 

I got it cranked up yesterday. I still have several issues. Its got a nasty exhaust leak, the tach was jumping around so I either have a bad connection, a bad coil or something. Oil presure was fine. I still have to bleed the slave cylinder, refit the dipstick & tube, but otherwise it is very close.

 

I have a vaccum leak, (I hope its not serious) Isuspect the runner gaskets. I have a dead miss, probably a valve adjustment. I am hoping to have it straightened out by tomorrow afternoon, Friday at the latest. I plan to dyno within a couple weeks. If it's running right.! :-)

 

Oh well atleast u got it started and running .

 

Well, I got to drive it about 25 miles before either the transmission or the new clutch gave up. Not sure which one. Its got some other issues but it felt strong and had great Oil pressure. I think it was leaking around the injector o rings.
This is very disapointing and a huge setback. Building a t56 is about 1200 around here. replacing a cluch with 50 miles on it makes me sick.

 

Damn man sorry to hear, i hope i dont have the same problem i plan on getting a t56 down the road. I but a new clutch nothing special and stock t-5.

 

So whats the latest ?

 

I had to get another Transmission. I got a used T56 with a good warranty. My old one might be buildable but I am more worried about getting the car back on the road. Maybe tonight? I went ahead and replaced the already new clutch with another new clutch. I still need to check my IAC an the TPS one more time. I may have done by tomorrow. I took some more pictures but then I can't find the camera.

 

You bought another transmission! Damn did you get a good deal atleast? Do you like the t56 alot more then the t-5? Im about ready to drop mine in just waiting on headers and need to finish sanding and painting my intake parts.

 

I got a fair deal on the transmission, $1400.00, no core, 1 year warranty. I ran a T5 for years when the 305 was stock. I really liked the 3.35 first gear but I was worried about the thing breaking all the time. I swapped to a T56 6 years ago. I did't want to go backwards and would not have considered it on this 350, so I stayed with the same thing. Its in now I have some issues with the TPS, fuel pressure, and maybe the IAC. So for now I'm not driving it yet. I hope I can work this out tomorrow, maybe.

 

I thought I would post up some before during and after picks of the transmission.
The one that died looks better than the new one but that doesn't really matter. I may pressure wash it in a few days.
These are a pick of the relpacement trans on the ground, in the car and the flywheel with new pilot bushing.

 

Here are a few more pictures including a pick before I removed the old unit.

 

Those SLPs look like someone had taken a grinder to them before.

Dont feel bad man, I got 40 miles on my build and my T56 lost some 2nd gear parts just crusing, freak thing as they are a robust trans. You are better off doing what you did finding a rebuilt for $1400 unless you can do it yourself. THey are a night and day diff from a T5 though for sure.

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

those slp look like they were the first generation that they made

 

I drove it some this evening. I am still having some eradic idle issues when I first start it. At low RPMs I am getting some cam surge but otherwise it's on the road. Since the clutch and engine are fresh, I haven't really gotten on it very hard yet but, it revs nicely and seems to have a lot of torque. Oil pressure is great, it has a very nice idle once it warms up. I have a little more fine tuning but it's nice to be able to really drive it now. I'll start a new thread when I go to the dyno.

 

How do u plan on tuneing ur car?

 

I bought a custom chip from Brian at TPI chips. It's by no means dialed in. The tuning I am currently working on is getting the TPS/IAC to work right. It has a lot of low rpm cam surge and hunts for an idle as well as stalling when you come to a stop. However it pulls very hard and pulls all the way up through the power band. It's got a ton of torque. A friend of mine is going to try and set the TPS for me tomorrow. I can't get my volt meter to work right. He also has an old scanner that can do live monitoring on OBD1. Depending on what happens after tomorrow and at the DYNO I may try my hand at burning chips. If it does OK I may not.
I rolled in it in first at around 30mph and it got stupid sideways on brand new pavement. ON a second gear roll in it pulled hard past 5000 RPMS. I am sure I will be happy with it. I have a built LS1 Vette that makes 417/417 at the wheels and up through 5000 it felt very much like the vette. I would love to see 300/400 at the wheels.

 

wow sounds like you have alot of power there sounds like you picked a winning combo. I wonder about your runners i have a set of slp and i might try and siamese them all

 

Thanks Man! When everything worked out I will get some hard numbers. I feel like you may have me by 20 HP or so. You stuff loooks really good! I think you will be really satisfied.

 

I read that you might be on the dyno pretty soon?

 

I am hoping to dyno this month. It's really cheap here. $60.00 per hour.

 

Damn, thats cheap those numbers on the tpi dyno were awesome huh? I have been seeing numbers about my set up 304-330 whp and now they dont seem like enough hahah

 

If you can get in the 330 range (which with your hardware seems realistic) you have a car that should be mid 12 second capable. Thats pretty quick for a third gen tpi car. I think you will like the improvement over where you were.

 

lol oh yeah it was an LO3 with a tpi on it. Im wishing I went with the afr 195's tho i should have went with my gut. Hows your car running?

 

I am having some kind of wiring problem. A buddy of mine is helping me with it. It's not signaling the fuel pump or going into diognostic mode on the ecm. I replaced that today and it didn't fix the problem. It's like a wire burned/melted/came apart or something. He'll figure it out.

 

did you ever get that probem fixed?

 

Very interesting guys, subscribing. Good luck!

 

Hey, sorry to wait so long to get back, my computer is down right now. I have everything taken care of except a single vacumm leak. I will pull the intake some time in the next couple of weeks and that should fix everything. Other then having some surging and inconsistant idle it runs great. I'll dyno in January. I'll post up when I get the results back from that.

 

Sweet looking toward to ur results. You gonna get a tune for this in the near future

 

I resealed the intake today. Its alot better. I am planing to dyno next week. The car still has a fair amount of cam surge. I'll start a new thread when I get some numbers.

 

i have basically the same engine combo with the exception of a stealth ram.. mine pulled like crazy!! the 700r only lasted 2 weeks after the swap...lol

 

sweet man looking foward to the results

 

I had a couple of setbacks this week. The main one was the clutch fork bolt backed out, epic fail. Anyway it's back together now and I am rescheduled to dyno on Saturday afternoon. Wish me luck! It seems I need some.

 

Lots of little problem s toward the ends huh well least u got them fixed looking foward to ur results

 

I am happy with the results of this build. Drive ability is excellent. Mileage is good. (Over 20, need to check again). The torque is awesome and the horsepower is good as well. I could have made more power by shaving the heads, going with a better set of headers. The next hold back would be the base but it would have raised the cost of the build probably 600 to 700 dollars. It would have netted me only maybe 20 to 25 horse power? Thank s to everyone who followed my build. I will post a copy of the dyno information when I can get my scanner working again.
290/358.5 is just fine.

 

that intake is holding you back big time... but all in all nice job that a stout tpi motor