Okay, I searched already.

Buddy I know is getting rid of his 85 IROC-Z, it has the LG4 in it. IS this motor worth anything in terms of hot-rodding? I've heard that it's not, it needs a ton of work, it's just a 305, friends don't let friends build 305's, 305's are for wierdos, the carb sucked beans, blah blah blah. I'm not about to step in and defend this motor, but if (and IF is a very big word) I was to procure this motor and slap it into a car that had a 2.8 in it before, what sort of gains and losses could I reasonably expect? Is it worth much in stock trim, is it easy to mod, what sort of mods are cheap and easy to do that get some gains, stuff like that.

 

It is not really worth it to try and rebuild the 305 into a TPI system. It isn't really worth the effort to rebuild a 305, but you can make a cheapie TPI from it. I would only suggest this if the piston rings aren't too worn; you might even want to think about getting the cyliners ridge reamed and get new rings for it if you know how to pull the block apart and some speed shops around your area. The old TPI system is a cheap addon and then all you would really need a wiring harness and a computer plus the intake manafold, heads, runners, plenum, fuel rails, injectors, maybe a new fuel pump (all carborated uses a mechanical fuel pump and TPI uses electric right? And I don't think the carborated version had a return line either), and a few more sensors.

 

Building an LG4 is no different than building an LO3. You have to replace everything but hte shortblock for it to be a performer.

 

I had heard that last comment too, that the LG4 and the LO3 are the same except for induction, and that the L69 and the LB9 are the same thing too, except for induction. I'd like to get my hands on ANY cheap V8 and tranny if I could, to make my beater Firechicken into an S/E clone - if it was a TPI setup, I could even make it a Pseudo-Formula. I'm sure that the LG4 would be useful to me only as an engine-building educational project, rather than any hot-rodding aspirations I may have.

 

The LG4 does have one thing going for it. The heads. They are far superior to that of the LO3's and can be ported to become awesome preformers on a 305. Just think though, you can build that 305 and then just transfer all of the goodies to a better engine down the road.

 

Shifty is right.

As long as the 305 shortblock is in good shape (doesn't need rings or bearings) then you can add better parts which will also transfer to a 350 when the 305 goes bye-bye.

All the parts in my sig work nicely together and I also get almost 20 mpg around town. Keeps me happy