Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
Not intending to restart the whole 350 vs 305 debate, just ran across an interesting 2001 post on another Camaro forum. For those die hard 305 owners who insist on working over their 305, this is probably a good simple guide to horsepower. There are some good comments in the thread too.
https://www.camaros.net/threads/325hp-305-with-simple-bolt-on-mods.15661/
https://www.camaros.net/threads/325hp-305-with-simple-bolt-on-mods.15661/
#2
Supreme Member
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
Vortec heads aren't the value they once were. If you are getting a set at a good price, they're probably attached to the engine that should replace your 305.
#3
Supreme Member
iTrader: (11)
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 4,643
Received 754 Likes
on
580 Posts
Car: 1988 Trans Am
Engine: L03
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 10 Bolt 2.73 Open
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
It's an interesting read. I think some of the forum members there make good points. The carb and intake certainly seem like overkill, at least until the heads and cam are in place to take advantage of it. Interesting that in the move from a dual plane to a single plane, the horsepower and torque not only did not change, but it did not move in rpm at all. Charts showing mid-range torque between the two would be interesting.
I'm not quite sure how you go from an '82 LG4 that's 145 horse power new, add 80k miles, headers, dual pipes and HEI, and make 197 horsepower. That's 52 h.p. That doesn't make sense.
I'd sure like to see the torque curve on these different phases of the build, Vs. just peak numbers. I'd also like to see them continue to use the dual plane Performer, and see where that torque peak move to Vs the single plane. An RPM would also be interesting to see.
I also don't understand the torque peak moving up 900rpm going from WP S/R heads to Vortec heads. That is not the VORTEC heads reputation.
A 305 with a torque peak at 4800rpm is not going to be much fun out of the hole. And the gear and converter that would make that fun to drive would be hard to live with on the street I would think.
Seems like a combo built to make max horsepower with no regard to street-ability, but with an eye towards grabbing a banner at the top of the magazine cover. It's what used to sell magazines. As much as I miss many of the old mags, series like Engine Masters can be a lot more useful / educational, IMO.
I'm not quite sure how you go from an '82 LG4 that's 145 horse power new, add 80k miles, headers, dual pipes and HEI, and make 197 horsepower. That's 52 h.p. That doesn't make sense.
I'd sure like to see the torque curve on these different phases of the build, Vs. just peak numbers. I'd also like to see them continue to use the dual plane Performer, and see where that torque peak move to Vs the single plane. An RPM would also be interesting to see.
I also don't understand the torque peak moving up 900rpm going from WP S/R heads to Vortec heads. That is not the VORTEC heads reputation.
A 305 with a torque peak at 4800rpm is not going to be much fun out of the hole. And the gear and converter that would make that fun to drive would be hard to live with on the street I would think.
Seems like a combo built to make max horsepower with no regard to street-ability, but with an eye towards grabbing a banner at the top of the magazine cover. It's what used to sell magazines. As much as I miss many of the old mags, series like Engine Masters can be a lot more useful / educational, IMO.
#4
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Meriden, CT 06450
Posts: 4,034
Received 517 Likes
on
431 Posts
Car: 84 TA orig. 305 LG4 "H" E4ME
Engine: 334 SBC - stroked 305 M4ME Q-Jet
Transmission: upgraded 700R4 3200 stall
Axle/Gears: 10bolt 4.10 Posi w Lakewood TA Bars
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
They removed the engine from the Camaro and put it straight on the dyno with headers, 3" dual pipes to Flowmaster mufflers, and a HEI distributor with 22 deg total advance. This gave a baseline dyno result of: 197 HP @ 4,000 rpm. 261 ft/lb torque @ 3,100 rpm.
Seems like a combo built to make max horsepower with no regard to street-ability, but with an eye towards grabbing a banner at the top of the magazine cover. It's what used to sell magazines. As much as I miss many of the old mags, series like Engine Masters can be a lot more useful / educational, IMO.
#5
Supreme Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hurst, Texas
Posts: 10,040
Received 394 Likes
on
336 Posts
Car: 1983 G20 Chevy
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 14 bolt with 3.07 gears
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
It's an interesting read. I think some of the forum members there make good points. The carb and intake certainly seem like overkill, at least until the heads and cam are in place to take advantage of it. Interesting that in the move from a dual plane to a single plane, the horsepower and torque not only did not change, but it did not move in rpm at all. Charts showing mid-range torque between the two would be interesting.
I'm not quite sure how you go from an '82 LG4 that's 145 horse power new, add 80k miles, headers, dual pipes and HEI, and make 197 horsepower. That's 52 h.p. That doesn't make sense.
I'd sure like to see the torque curve on these different phases of the build, Vs. just peak numbers. I'd also like to see them continue to use the dual plane Performer, and see where that torque peak move to Vs the single plane. An RPM would also be interesting to see.
I also don't understand the torque peak moving up 900rpm going from WP S/R heads to Vortec heads. That is not the VORTEC heads reputation.
A 305 with a torque peak at 4800rpm is not going to be much fun out of the hole. And the gear and converter that would make that fun to drive would be hard to live with on the street I would think.
Seems like a combo built to make max horsepower with no regard to street-ability, but with an eye towards grabbing a banner at the top of the magazine cover. It's what used to sell magazines. As much as I miss many of the old mags, series like Engine Masters can be a lot more useful / educational, IMO.
I'm not quite sure how you go from an '82 LG4 that's 145 horse power new, add 80k miles, headers, dual pipes and HEI, and make 197 horsepower. That's 52 h.p. That doesn't make sense.
I'd sure like to see the torque curve on these different phases of the build, Vs. just peak numbers. I'd also like to see them continue to use the dual plane Performer, and see where that torque peak move to Vs the single plane. An RPM would also be interesting to see.
I also don't understand the torque peak moving up 900rpm going from WP S/R heads to Vortec heads. That is not the VORTEC heads reputation.
A 305 with a torque peak at 4800rpm is not going to be much fun out of the hole. And the gear and converter that would make that fun to drive would be hard to live with on the street I would think.
Seems like a combo built to make max horsepower with no regard to street-ability, but with an eye towards grabbing a banner at the top of the magazine cover. It's what used to sell magazines. As much as I miss many of the old mags, series like Engine Masters can be a lot more useful / educational, IMO.
Vortec heads raised the torque peak on every engine I used them on. Put better heads than Vortecs and the peak increases even more. GM used a smaller cam in the vortec 350 than the TBI 350. Torque peak at a higher rpm happens when the engine breaths better with the same cam timing. The Vortecs lost a little torque in this build because of the loss of compression. 305 Vortecs would have made more HP than the 350 Vortecs on that 305.
Last edited by Fast355; 09-05-2021 at 12:35 AM.
#6
Member
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
Fast-
“With ported 601s and a 218/218 @ 0.050, 106 LSA cam installed on a 102 ICL that old LE9 cranked out nearly 250 hp at the tires and 290 tq.”
Was that cam the old Crane FT 274H06?
If you wanted to duplicate that cam’s specs in a hydraulic roller for use in a converted carbureted L03, what custom single pattern hyd roller 106 LSA cam manufacturer would you go with?
(059 heads, Performer intake, 600 CFM DP Holley, Hooker 2055’s, 3” Hooker Aeromotive exhaust, T5.)
“With ported 601s and a 218/218 @ 0.050, 106 LSA cam installed on a 102 ICL that old LE9 cranked out nearly 250 hp at the tires and 290 tq.”
Was that cam the old Crane FT 274H06?
If you wanted to duplicate that cam’s specs in a hydraulic roller for use in a converted carbureted L03, what custom single pattern hyd roller 106 LSA cam manufacturer would you go with?
(059 heads, Performer intake, 600 CFM DP Holley, Hooker 2055’s, 3” Hooker Aeromotive exhaust, T5.)
#7
Supreme Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hurst, Texas
Posts: 10,040
Received 394 Likes
on
336 Posts
Car: 1983 G20 Chevy
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 14 bolt with 3.07 gears
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
Fast-
“With ported 601s and a 218/218 @ 0.050, 106 LSA cam installed on a 102 ICL that old LE9 cranked out nearly 250 hp at the tires and 290 tq.”
Was that cam the old Crane FT 274H06?
If you wanted to duplicate that cam’s specs in a hydraulic roller for use in a converted carbureted L03, what custom single pattern hyd roller 106 LSA cam manufacturer would you go with?
(059 heads, Performer intake, 600 CFM DP Holley, Hooker 2055’s, 3” Hooker Aeromotive exhaust, T5.)
“With ported 601s and a 218/218 @ 0.050, 106 LSA cam installed on a 102 ICL that old LE9 cranked out nearly 250 hp at the tires and 290 tq.”
Was that cam the old Crane FT 274H06?
If you wanted to duplicate that cam’s specs in a hydraulic roller for use in a converted carbureted L03, what custom single pattern hyd roller 106 LSA cam manufacturer would you go with?
(059 heads, Performer intake, 600 CFM DP Holley, Hooker 2055’s, 3” Hooker Aeromotive exhaust, T5.)
I also ran an old Federal Mogul CS1014R in the 305. Had a smoother idle and more vacuum but the hotter single pattern 218/218 106 lsa cam out performed the dual pattern 204/214 on a 112 everywhere.
Trending Topics
#8
Supreme Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hurst, Texas
Posts: 10,040
Received 394 Likes
on
336 Posts
Car: 1983 G20 Chevy
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 14 bolt with 3.07 gears
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
This was a 0-90 mph run in the worst case scenario with the cammed L30 in my Tahoe. It was on 32" tall P305/50R20s and pointed uphill on an on-ramp. Truck still had the stock torque converter and 3.42 gears. Someone had swapped the factpry 3.73 rear for a 3.42 rear and I did not know until later, speedo is off 9 mph @ 80. 81 mph = 90 mph. Also still had the stock exhaust manifolds, stock 1-7/8" pipes to the muffler, stock cats and a stock muffler at the time. Middle of summer with a mechanical fan on it and the a/c was on. Also had the stock airbox and a paper filter. It was early in the tuning process and still running a stock L30 tune. With a S10 converter, long tubes, dual 2.5-single 3" exhaust using a merge Y, volant intake, e-fans, and a good tune shifting near 6,200 rpm it really woke up. Even with the cards stacked against it, the 305 still moved the ~5,500 lbs of the Tahoe well. This was also a ~300K mile L30 that I re-ringed and put bearings into.
Last edited by Fast355; 09-05-2021 at 11:27 AM.
#9
Supreme Member
Re: Old off-site post on 305 upgraded to 325hp
This is a related post I made back in 2006. I have the old articles and was able to through up a crude graph of the dyno numbers.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...l#&gid=1&pid=1
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...l#&gid=1&pid=1
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post