Hey guys. I've put over 54,000mi on my 2001 LS1 and bought an '85 IROC-Z with the 305 and 5 speed. Anyways, the 5.0L caught fire and cracked in half, so now there's a new 350 in there and the mechanic said it cranks out roughly 250-275hp at the crank. They also, to save me money I guess, threw the stock 305 carb onto the new engine, so possibly that's starving my engine of air....

So this kid in a '98 Civic Si pulls up to me, and being used to the LS1 being so insanely fast, that I didn't even give it another thought. Well, after barely staying even with him UNTIL he hit VTEC, I lost, and that was off the line. From a 35mph roll he just destroyed me. Then as a joke (still sorta cocky) I raced my friend's girlfriend's 2000 Altima GXE, and that raped me too!

So now that I've cleaned my shorts it's back to work, only what now? I don't know anythng about carbeurators(like how to spell it) and I was wondering if there are any "freemods" for this car and what else I could do to get this mother to move.

Thanks, and thanks for reading all that...

 

Your name and post are funny ... Civic Destroyer and losing to civics need help fast

But anyways there is no way your running 250hp and getting beet by civics so I don`t know of free mods but a K&N filter a set of headers and a 3" flowmaster exshust and a nice cam should do that should take out most cars on the road

 

Still running the stock exhaust? That's problem 1. Haven't touched the carb either? That's problem 2. And without knowing a little more about this mystery 350, we can't do too much to help. Just because he says it should make 250-275HP, doesn't mean it does. It could be a 180HP slug. But even a worst case 350 will respond to even a cheap set of headers (not FlowTechs!!), and full 3" exhaust. That engine came with probably the most restrictive exhaust any V8 car has ever been equipped with. It's not even good enough for an average V6. That and perform the carb mods listed at www.thirdgen.org in the Tech section should put you around 15 flat. Better if the engine has any kind of decent cam.

 

if you are running 3.23 gears like me they just don't cut it

 

Let me clear this up to the best of my ability because I don't know shiz about shaz when it comes to this car. The engine is an ATK remanufactured 350, probably has all the WEENIS stock parts. This is mated to the intake and exhaust from the 305(intake including old 305 carb). On top of that I don't know what computers did for these cars back then, but it's still the 305 computer. Stock muffler, stock cam...

When I floor it, it bogs down and in the midrange, it bogs and then shoots off again feeling as if an automatic just downshifted(though it's the 5 speed).

This car needs to pass emissions in CA. Will the tranny hold more power? The stock rearend?

I wish I could detail this for you more, but this basically covers my knowledge of this car...............maybe I should just drop an LS1 in there...

 

The stock muffler is similiar to putting a plate on the exhaust pipe. Very restrictive! The tech article given in an above post will tell you about secondary metering rods. These rods cost about 5 bucks from summit if you need ones that flow more fuel. That may be your bog problem. The stock carb should flow enough cfm and the manifold is the same design that has gone on 350s also.

Once you open up the exhaust and are supplying the right amount of fuel you should notice big improvements. If you want to keep the trans healthy don't do any clutch drops or hard shifts. The T-5 doesn't like to be abused. It will break. If a car is gonna pull on you shifting it harder probably ain't gonna make you go any faster.

Third gens require a lot more work to run with fast cars and with all the different motors that came in them you never know what they are running just looking from the outside. But the effort is worth it when you can pull on a later model LT-1 car. People don't expect that.

 

I disagree, as well as many others Especially since we are talking about a Civic here.

Anyway, that bog you are experiencing is an improperly tuned carb. Very common with QJet's, especially when old and put on a larger motor. A set of DR rods and anything better than a G hanger will work well. I can hook you up with a set of genuine GM "DR" secondary metering rods and a hanger and help walk you through the air valve tension setting if needed. That bog is REALLY hurting the performance of your car. You should be able to stomp that Civic off the line even with a weak engine.

Just a general rebuilt "worst case" 350 would put out 250HPwith a good intake and exhaust setup. But in your case you'd be lucky to see 180HP with that RESTRICTIVE stock exhaust. There are lots of people who have gone through the same thing as you (me included). Generally just the 350 swap would put the car in the high 15s. Not impressive, and slow enough for a Civic SI to take. Headers, 3" catback, and a good intake should put the car at 15 flat. Maybe a little quicker. That with a good set of tires and very few 4 bangers will take you from a stop. Check around in the classifieds here and at www.thirdgen.org You can find all sorts of stuff real cheap. And just a word to the wise - DO NOT buy headers or catback for your 85 305. Instead, you can use the headers and catback designed for the later 350 TPI cars.

 

Uh, maybe I need to clarify that when I say fast cars, I in no way mean civics. Notice I followed that by referencing LT-1 cars.

So maybe what is considered fast and how much work is involved is all relative to what your personal opinion is. For me personally I have swapped in the L98 block with 269HR cam in place of my LB9 and can now beat stock LT-1 cars. I have only had the work done a few months now so I haven't been able to get a good gauge on what it will do against a stock LS-1 car.

But anyway the work involved doing the swap and putting the motor together was not an easy weekend project for me. I was sore and tired after all was said and done. And I consider 4th gen camaros fast. So it was hard work to make my thrigen keep up with the fast cars.

Now if you purchased a L98 powered car and only had to do a cam swap, exhaust upgrade and some chip work I guess it wouldn't be so hard.

But back to the topic. Like Marc said DR rods and a better hanger and good exhaust will get you beating the civics pretty easily. I am personally running ck rods with the B hanger and that seams to work well. Oh yeah that's another thing. Upgrading the TPI or going carb. Either way that's more work to keep up with the fast cars.

 

I would say get some new shocks, a new holley or edelbrock higher flow carb do some carb modding or get a new holley 850, K&N and I dont know much about the computer( did they have them?) but it would greatly benefit from some headers and an exhaust, MSD and new cap points (i assume) get some world products S/R's Heads ( aluminum if you can afford them) some 2.05 valves , then call Crower, www.crower.com tell them what you have they send you what you need, Tell them about your future mods and or whathave you, install cam you should be around 330 hp I would (assume now) race again. That's pretty terrible losing to a civic though, I never losed against one with a TPI but then again that's to totally different intake systems.. Didn't know carb was that bad, depending on where you want to go with this car I would think about EFI maybe? Just some thoughts, have fun..

Kevin

 

Geez...

He wanted "free" or low dollar mods. Not a $5000 project

 

The Q-jet is not that bad! It is the rods and hanger in it causing the issue. And the only tool required to change those is a flathead screwdriver. Have you ever looked into the bores of a Q-jet. They are enourmous. Q-jets are capable of flowing 750 cfm if the AV valve is allowed to open all the way. But you have to have the right metering rods in to supply the fuel.

If you add a cam that puts you up to around 5500 rpm for peak horsepower the Q-jet with the right rods will out perform a stock TPI. The TPI is tuned for the rpm range of the stock L98/Lb9 camshaft rpm range. No matter what you do with the rest of the motor the TPIs runners will not change size for extra volume of air required. And runners and intake bases and throttle bodies get expensive. metering rods and hangers and some time tweeking the Spring that controls the AV valve is very, very cheap.

 

Hey Marc, I am in a similar pickle. If you can quote me a price on those rods and hanger please, I would appreciate it. I am going to be going to a 350 in a year or so, but for now, I am bolting some headers and a 3" catback to my 305 to wake it up a little bit. I just need to get rid of this bogging problem as well.

Thanks

Will

 

See there is a guy in my town with a pickup and he had it some buddy soup it up for 800 bucks. I road in this supposed 355 and was not impressed at all. So upon on return I told my friend with a 4 cylinder saturn to race him. He was like no I will lose and I don't have a license (work permit- he lost it for speeding) anyway I said okay let me race him in your car. To know something about me, I can't drive a stick worth a crap. So we race and I beat the guy. TheN I went on to say the guy probably put a 305 in there because it was so anemic. Same stroke by the way different bore. Okay well either you have a 305 or a very, very poorly mismatched motor. Hedman headers are like a 100 bucks and have a lifetime warranty. I would find out what this 350 has for comp, cc of heads, combstion chamber volume. Then you reask your question. Hell my 305 put 180 horse and 280 foot pounds of torque and I had to hold the accelerator to do a burn out.

 

I've got a huge assortment of rods laying around. A couple of sets of DR's too. They seem to be the best "just bolt em on and go" performance rod. I have all sorts of hangers too, from L all the way down to B, along with some custom hangers. If you wanted a pair of the DR's, I could let them go for $15 for the pair. They go for over $24 new GM and are special order items. $20 total for a pair and matched hanger. Just the swap from stock CH rods and L hanger on my car to DR rods and an E hanger dropped .35 off my 1/4. That was on back to back runs!

The car used to bog for nearly a second or two once on full throttle, and caused some embarassing losses. Just the AV tension and rods/hanger and it responds just like FI. Mash the gas and BOOM!

 

Watch out for those turbos buddy. I raced a Si one night coming home and was bored (wanted to toy w/him) and to my surprise heard the blow off value and dumped myself. So i had to go all out. Not to worry I still beat him but it was too close for comfort. All i got is full exhaust and CAI.