PenguinScotty

Hey everybody,

i recently bought a '92 Trans Am TPI 305 HO, auto, and i'm very happy with the cars performance. The only thing that concerns me is that the previous owner pretty much hasn't changed his oil since '92. All i can say is that the oil has changed back into mud. The car has 94k miles on it right now, but i'm concerned about how long the engine will last, so i decided to start looking around for a new engine, and while doing that, why not upgrade the whole thing.

Sooo, i'm having my sights on the A.R. Racing Performance 383 stroker Trick Flow. The thing that concerns me is, how well is the engine going to fit in my car? Which of my current hardware i.e. ESC, water pump, etc. could i re-use? I'm pretty new to the american muscle scene and complete engine swaps in general.

I'll list some of the specs A.R. Performance has on their site:

Select Hi Tin block 4 bolt main machined 030-040-060
align bore and or check for run out.full race clearancing
Mag Check-preasure check
Hot Tank - Jet Wash ....
Bore Torque Plate Hone ...
Clearance block - -casting flash only n/c..
shotpeen rods...
Dynamic balance assembly..
File fit rings - blue print clearance...
press - pistons to rods...
Install cam bearings - freeze plugs...
Port blue print cylinder heads...
Final assemble full rotating and top end
Parts including final torque - clearance - and geometry of all parts...

Keith black hyperutectic.S.I. pistons 9.8 to 1 piston set
Eagle steel crank with superior wear sized and indexed.
Childs & Albert - zz gapdura Moly File Fit Rings...
Durabond - cam bearings...
gm pink forged steel rods
ARP - wavelock - rod bolts...
Clevite- -bearings tri metal 77 - rod and main...
comp cams custom hi output cam lifter set ..
Cloyes - true roller set...
Comp - cams cam locks...
comp cams xe chrome moly pushrods
Dyna gear race - oil pump...
Dyna gear - pickup...
ARP - steel drive...
After market - oil pan. baffel 5 qt
After market - timing cover...
pioneer/arp - head bolts...
ARP/ - rocker studs 3/8...
Fel Pro blue - gasket sets...


I'm going to stick with fuel injection, so i'm going to change the baseplate to a vortec one.

Thanks for looking

-Jakob

Air_Adam

Externally, the 383 is identical to your 305. It will drop in just fine. You can also reuse all your accessories (water pump, alt, ps pump) as well. They are the same for any small block engine.

What cylinder heads are going onto the 383? Unless they are Vortec heads, you won't need a Vortec baseplate for your TPI manifold. Your TPI intake has the ports in the 'normal' small block place, as well as the bolt holes. It will bolt onto almost every set of heads GM made in the last 50 years, and most aftermarket heads as well. Vortec heads are different. The intake ports are higher up in the head, and the bolt pattern is different. Thats why there is a different intake base for them.

PenguinScotty

i was planning on using the kenny Duttweiler Signature Trick Flow heads that come with this crate. i always thought that the 4-bolt has a different baseplate pattern than my 305, but good to hear that it doesn't .

thanks alot for your reply

Air_Adam

The fact that its a 4-bolt block makes no difference in what intake you can use. Thats just how many bolts are holding the main caps onto the block.

If you found a description of the heads, and they don't say they have "Vortec-style ports", or "req'd Vortec intake" or something like that, then you can just use the intake base you already have.

As another member here once put it, 'Vortec' is just GM's way of saying "we moved the intake ports and bolt holes"

Almost forgot - Your TPI base will probably have the different bolt hole angles than the heads you are looking at. Yours will be more vertical, and those Trick Flow heads will probably be 'normal' bolt holes. Now, they are in the same place, and you can still use your intake base, BUT, first you have to grind down around the bolt holes on the manifold base a little bit. You'll notice a little 'lip' on the holes. You need to grind this down flat for it to bolt up properly, because the bolts go into your 305 heads at a different angle than they do into those other heads.

At least, thats the way I understood it. I haven't done that myself. Others here have done it, I'm sure they will correct me if I'm wrong.

PenguinScotty

Adam,

thanks again for your reply.

Things have changed though. I got in an accident today, and my car is totaled. 15k worth of damage done to my car alone. It was his fault, but i still miss my baby.

Thanks again for your time