on a 91 RS with an automatic 305. What things can I do that are relatively cheap and easy to install to get me to 200hp for now

 

Open element, full exhaust and a dyno tune should get you there.

With just my timing advanced and an open element I picked up 10hp, so it's not hard considering how de-tuned these cars were from the factory, not to mention the crappy components.

200hp is fun, but I would seriously consider a posi and better gear install as well. One of the best mods I did to the car before the motor swap.

 

I put over 200 to the wheels with an open element, headers, cat-back, intake manifold and a mild cam.

and lots of tuning.

 

Sounds like a familar goal.



Gunny lists the proper steps. Gunny... how much advance did you add?

Dewey spells out the key though. The right chip in your ECM with just a new exhaust and open element should get you to 200HP. That would appear to be the next step for me anyways...

Welcome to the forum.

 

8*

 

That is where mine is at currently.

July 16th is our dyno day so I will be able to report differences between 3* and 8* timing as well as the difference between my stock and after-market ECM.

I can't wait.

 

thanks for the info guys. For sure I know we are gonna start with an open element and most likely an exhaust setup soon after. Are other sufficient mods needed to advance the timing without messing anything up? sorry for being such a newb with questions but this is all very new to me

 

The timing thing just requires a timing gun and a view of the meter on the block to see where the timing is set using the timing gun.

One thing to note is that depending on what your ECM is detecting, it may supercede any timing setting depending on what the knock sensor is providing it. I've been told that advanced timing may be irrlevevant to the engine given the ECM compensates for an abnormally high knock count.

DIY tuners... chime on in!

The bottom line is that with a larger exhaust and headers, your stock chip is going to be the bottle neck. You solve this with a custom chip.

 

If you andvance it to the point that you get lots of knock, it will probably pull out more timing than you added.

FWIW, when I was at the track, My best times were with 4* and 6* of manual advance with the stock timing tables. at 8* my MPH dropped a hair below what it was at 4* and 6*.

 

Open element with K&N Filter and Xtreme Flo top and full exhaust.Headers to high flow cat to 3 inch catback.An Underdrive pulley set,2 peice or 3 peice...

That wouldent be a 30 HP Gain?

 

pullies don't do much of anything on our cars. save your money.

 

I have looked at the DIY ECU tuning charts and just not understand any of it and blank face. I would love to do this stuff, but with the way I learn things I would need to watch someone do it and try it for myself. I want to which ECU I have. 1991 RS. I read and read and look at these links that people tell me to check out and understand nothing.

I would like to put down 200HP to the wheels on my car. I already have a posi and 3.43's. New everything electronic, even new ECU.

 

Me too, well ~198 whp and ~25x rwtq same mods, stock TBI heads.

I'd say headers and a decent chip (or tuning) would get you 200+ hp flywheel.

 

That is right about where I was. I did 208hp/272tq. I have a little more cam though, but not by much. There is still more power hiding in my motor, I think a set of heads would really wake it up. The torque curve did not match what the cam should have done. I really think the swirl ports are holding it back. Even with my cam, the HP peak was only at 4700rpm. After that dyno session, I tuned the WOT and the pump shot a little more, hopefully that picked me up a few more ponies.

 

Dewey what cam do you have in yours. Your probably not going to get any more out of stock 081s than 187s. If you had some ported 081s it might be worth it. I am up 32 hp and 22 ft/lbs on you with a stock 350 TBI cam. 240 RWHP @ 4,700 and 300 ft/lbs @ 3,400 from a 312 TBI is where I am at. I have 081s on it just because I got them cheap. They are ported alot. It is a 312 TBI along with a 350 TBI cam and headers. It took a custom chip to make it run. In the end I IF I had stock 081s running the same cam and headers it would probably make equal power to you. Ran a 15.9 @ 88 in my 3.08 geared G20 last weekend.

 

My cam specs are 272/282 206/216 .447 .447 112 106

it ran 14.502 @ 94.6 N/A, but I had really bad traction (2.246 short time)

With the Juice its nocking on 12's.

 

Thats actually about where that cam will lay over. It is perfect for your swirl ports in a TBI application.

 

I'm redoing my motor right now...it's pulled out of the car and on a stand getting worked over. Hoping for some decent power, maybe 14 flat when all said and done.

Set of 081 heads with a new valve job and bigger diameter springs. Holley TBI manifold, Holley 670, GM BBC injectors, ZZ4 cam (208/221 @.050, .474/.510 on a 112) Hoping to turn some good times at our local track rental on July 9th after tuning it up with my PROMinator.

I'm just crossing my fingers that my stock fuel pump doesn't go and will supply enough fuel with the huge injectors, we'll see.

 

I thought it should have some more RPM's in it. That cam in a 350, I would agree. In a 305, it should climb past 5k. The manufacture, even sells it as a idle-5k cam for 350's, couple the smaller cubes with that.

Maybe I will need to step the cam up another notch when I slap the 416's in my garage on.

 

How much work is it really to change heads?

Is that a "four wrench" on a scale of 1 to 5 wrenches?

Would changing the heads make more of a difference than changing the cam?

 

Its all a system. the heads have to work with the cam, its hard to say if one or the other will be better, but doing both and having them well matched will really wake things up.

the actualy wrenching is not bad, but getting things like the pushrod geometry, and so furth right can be a pain.

if a full engine rebuild is a 5, and the air filter is a 1, i would it a 4 if you've never done it, and its about a 2 if you have done it a couple of times.

 

This is a good way of putting it. It isn't that it is hard but instead time consuming. You need to keep everything organized and you have to take a lot of stuff off of your motor. Everything that is in the way is just held on with some sealant and bolts so it really isn't complicated. You will spend most of your time with surface prep before you lay new gaskets/sealants down. If you have plans of a heads and cam swap you are better off doing it all at once. Once your motor is at the state to swap cams only a few more bolts can have the heads off.