joesregalproject said:
I believe I still have yet to find one person who truly understands what "engine swap is not possible" means. If I get rid of the 2.41, I have to go into the transmission and put in the corresponding gear for the new rear axle, which is more than I want to do. And if you were trying to argue that your current 305 is any better than your 231 was, I don't see what you are getting at. We had a built 305, intake, headers, cam, in a full size wagon several years ago. As soon as you turned the A/C on, it barely made it up hills.
Joe, people disregard that because a swap is the best route to go performance wise in your situation, anything else won't lead to much. Also most people who state this are often newbies who are scared to do something so big, I sure was. I am only trying to give you my 2 cents and some advice, sometimes when you ask a question you get a answer you don't like. I was like you, I didn't want to do a swap, I just wanted to beef up my stock motor. Then I realized that the 231 was never going to suit what I wanted to do, but that was my problem. If it suits you, then fine, be happy with what you have. I won't tell you not too be and no one else should. But for the record my 305 is lightyears better than my old 231, mainly the 9.5 compression and two more cylinders and displacement. The swap was easier than I thought it would be and was pretty cheap. Also a stock HO L69 305 like I got is 190 HP, 80 more HP out of the gate than a already hotrodded 231. That is not counting the cam swap and used headers that bumped it up to 250 HP but I don't want to toot my own horn here. I will guess you must have had a low output LG4 305, maybe the low 8.5 compression version of the LG4? There were several different versions of the 305 made but the low CR LG4s are almost as helpless as the n/a 231s. The 305 also shares many performance parts with the 350. The n/a 231 doesn't really share any performance parts with the turbo versions. Of course I wasn't trying to argue this engine vs that engine with you, just pointing out that performance potential for n/a 231s is limited in the nicest way that can be said. Which is why I stated to save your money. So don't get your hopes up to high with the 231. But if you want to throw money at it then it's your choice. I choose to stop putting money into the 231 and went a different route.
Now Joe, I wasn't trying to argue anything with you here. However since
you (not me) just brought up the argument that 305s are no better than 231s, you are sorely mistaken. A stock HO 305 would smoke a n/a 231 even with a 4bbl swap and better rear gears because a L69 has more displacement, more cylinders, higher compression, and 80 more HP on it's side besides the OD trans and 3.73 gears. If you think all 305s are dogs, then 231s are even weaker dogs, no question about it. Even a later LG4 with 9.0 CR would smoke a 231, and even a older 8.5 CR LG4 still has a 30 HP advantage stock over a 4bbl swapped 231 (150 stock vs 120 with mods). Stock vs stock a low CR 305 has a 40 HP edge (150) over a stock 110 HP 231. This is a tangent I didn't want to go with you, but you forced me to get tough here and people will probably get sore about this. Again I am not trying to shame you or force you to do something you don't want to do, just stating the hard truth that was also stated to me years ago. It seems you want easy answers and again the hard truth is there are no easy answers with improving the base Regal powertrain. A rear axle swap isn't much harder than a intake and carb swap, and will yeid better results. Your motor will never be able to take any power advantages of a 4bbl swap with out a rear swap. This is becuse the 2.41 keeps the motor revving way too low for any kind of performance. If you really want improvements, they you will need to do major changes, there are no simple magic bolt ons for the 231.
Hurst, I guess you could call it tough love and I have been far nicer about this to Joe than people ever were to me about improving a 231 a few years back. People then told me outright I was stupid to think I could improve it, that I was wasting my money and time. That I should just sell my plain jane Regal "slug" and buy a real car like a GN (their words, not mine). They even told me not to bother with any swap, just sell the car and buy another with a better engine already in it. I sure didn't like being told that, let alone being insulted to boot. Now I don't think anything like that about Joe or anyone else here, and if he is happy with his car, then so be it. I am not trying to tell him what he should be happy and not happy with. I am not telling him he can't try to improve his 231, I am telling him it is money not well spent and that saving up for a better motor will net the best return. Because I have done what he plans to do and it just was not worth it IMHO. Since he is asking about upgrades is a sign he isn't 100% happy with his car. However their really isn't much improving that can be done, 4bb swap and a rear axle swap are about it without rebuilding the motor to better specs or other major changes. Eddy intake and Eddy carb might bump the 231 to 120 HP, but with a drop in MPGs. A GM 4bbl intake and Buick V6 Qjet swap will increase power to 120 HP and improve MPGs slightly, and retains the EGR. Also with a aftermarket carb and intake you will need to correct the TV cable geometry or you will burn up the trans. A aftermarket carb and intake swap is more work than you think. You will need a vac advance dist and adjust it, and a new air cleaner besides re-routing lines. A GM 4bbl intake and V6 CCC Qjet won't have such issues, but will be harder to find and cost more. At any rate I wish him good luck, even if he disagrees with me.
