MONTE CARLO stock 305 checklist?

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KarateCrotch

Not-quite-so-new-guy
Jul 30, 2020
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anyone have a good checklist for upgrades and on cleaning up the engine bay (hoses,cables,anything unnecessary) for a stock v8? I’m looking to put out a good amount of hp for a street car and have her looking nice and clean eventually wanna do an ls swap but that’s way down the road from here i wanna upgrade my 305! image.jpg
 
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oldmansmonte

G-Body Guru
Oct 29, 2010
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Buffalo, NY
Looks like half of your hoses and accessories are newish. I'd degrease and power was that biatch. Be careful not to break anything. Make sure the vacuum lines are in decent shape and replace any brittle ones.

Get an air cleaner like this one


The open element top piece is clutch for any carb or tbi style injection. Pair of valve covers and you're in business until that LS arrives.
 
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Gremlinsteve

Master Mechanic
Mar 6, 2018
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In my opinion don’t spend a single dime onnit

save your dimes for the 5.3 swap
 
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Clone TIE Pilot

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Aug 14, 2011
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Looks like half of your hoses and accessories are newish. I'd degrease and power was that biatch. Be careful not to break anything. Make sure the vacuum lines are in decent shape and replace any brittle ones.

Get an air cleaner like this one


The open element top piece is clutch for any carb or tbi style injection. Pair of valve covers and you're in business until that LS arrives.

Nix that aftermarket aircleaner, it only reduces the air pressure differental which decreases low end power as well as let more dirt into the engine. Being in Ca with ultra strict emissions, your options are very limited, that aircleaner would fail right away. Even with LS swaps, used junkyard ones would be illegal, only highly expensive EROD LS crate engines would be allowed for LS swapping in your state. You won't be able to delete any of the emissions. There are a lot of CA LS swap horror stories on LS1Tech.com.

Looks like you have a LG4 305, hopefully a 85 or later one with better CR. Best bet is try to upgrade it to HO L69 specs. Emissions don't really hold the stock engines back, its the tune, low CR on some, cam, restrictive exhaust, transmission tuning, and rear gearing. You could also get a Vortec 350 with a Qjet intake, install the 305 emissions on it and most inspectors would never know. Remember, its not just the engine, but the whole powertrain.
 
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DRIVEN

Geezer
Apr 25, 2009
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Best performance bolt-on for a 305 is better gearing.
 
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oldmansmonte

G-Body Guru
Oct 29, 2010
594
348
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Buffalo, NY
Nix that aftermarket aircleaner, it only reduces the air pressure differental which decreases low end power as well as let more dirt into the engine. Being in Ca with ultra strict emissions, your options are very limited, that aircleaner would fail right away. Even with LS swaps, used junkyard ones would be illegal, only highly expensive EROD LS crate engines would be allowed for LS swapping in your state. You won't be able to delete any of the emissions. There are a lot of CA LS swap horror stories on LS1Tech.com.

Looks like you have a LG4 305, hopefully a 85 or later one with better CR. Best bet is try to upgrade it to HO L69 specs. Emissions don't really hold the stock engines back, its the tune, low CR on some, cam, restrictive exhaust, transmission tuning, and rear gearing. You could also get a Vortec 350 with a Qjet intake, install the 305 emissions on it and most inspectors would never know. Remember, its not just the engine, but the whole powertrain.

Wow, NY is somewhat strict. Nothing like California. Glad I don’t live there.
 
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Clone TIE Pilot

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Wow, NY is somewhat strict. Nothing like California. Glad I don’t live there.



The EPA laws for the other 49 states are nearly the same as CA, just most of the other 49 don't enforce as strictly as CA does. NY did adopt CA emission regulations several years ago, just not the level of enforcement, yet. Rules and laws are only as effective as their level of enforcement.

Then again, most Northern cold weather states like NY don't need strict emissions enforcement. Instead they dump insane amounts of roadsalt to quickly eat cars away. In CA, there are beat to crap 30 year old work vans with clean rockers, while in the North cars as little as a few years old are already rusty Swiss cheese.
 
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oldmansmonte

G-Body Guru
Oct 29, 2010
594
348
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Buffalo, NY
The EPA laws for the other 49 states are nearly the same as CA, just most of the other 49 don't enforce as strictly as CA does. NY did adopt CA emission regulations several years ago, just not the level of enforcement, yet. Rules and laws are only as effective as their level of enforcement.

Then again, most Northern cold weather states like NY don't need strict emissions enforcement. Instead they dump insane amounts of roadsalt to quickly eat cars away. In CA, there are beat to crap 30 year old work vans with clean rockers, while in the North cars as little as a few years old are already rusty Swiss cheese.

That makes sense. I’m so limited in NY as to hor
Many miles I can drive a year without destroying me car. I’m hard pressed to get 1,200 miles a year.
 
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