We agree with you that your Camaro will probably be cleaner than when it was originally produced. The late '70s weren't banner years for the smog police. They were throwing just about anything at the cars to make them clean. The bed-type pellet converter on your car originally was very restrictive and would lose its effectiveness quickly. Dual three-way cats will help in all ways. Just make sure that you run a heat shield on the driver side where you route the exhaust.
Weak LinkQI have a '91 Z28 with the five-speed and a 305ci and the original engine. It is starting to burn oil, and my plan is to replace the engine with a 350ci, but the mechanics I've been talking to say the five-speed is not strong enough. That's why the Z28s with the 350ci came with automatics. Can I put in a 350 and still keep my five-speed?Tyrian ClitsoVia e-mail
A Your mechanic buddies are right. The 350-cid-equipped Z28s had TH700-R4 transmissions because GM wouldn't step up to the plate and install ZF six-speeds from the Vette! Now that would have been a killer combination. I've seen many people install 350s in front of T5 five-speeds without problems. It's going to depend on your right and left foot. What I mean is if you drive the car conservatively and don't power-shift and sidestep the clutch from a dead stop, the trans will give you good service. The original T5 in your car is only rated at 265 lb-ft of max torque. A decent-running TPI 350 will easily make 370 lb-ft. As you can see, you could spit out that trans with ease if you're not careful.
If you do blow the trans, you could upgrade it with World Class internals originally used in the (here's that word) Ford Mustang boxes. The World Class T5s had a torque rating of 300 lb-ft. This is still well below the power output of a good 350. This leaves you with the choice of swapping in a T56 six-speed gearbox.
See "Trans-Mission 305," Feb. and Mar. '05. -Ed.
Smoke Those DualsQI own an '05 Chevy Silverado 1-ton dualie and tow a 48-foot,18,000-pound trailer. I am looking to purchase a diesel power chip or programmer and would like to know which one is the best. I'm looking to spend less than $600. Thanks for any information you may have.Kim ZimmermanVia e-mail
A With the diesel power craze, there is quite a bit of power on tap! With a simple programmer or add-on processor you can step up the power of those trucks. We really like the Edge Product components. I've used several Edge products, from Dodge to Ford, and at least four of its Dura Max Juice boxes. This is a stand-alone processor that plugs in between the factory PCM and the engine. You can change to one of the four programs easily from inside the truck, from the lowest power setting of 40hp gain all the way up to increases of 150 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque! The Juice system will fit into your price range. The Attitude system uses a Juice box with an in-cab display and controller that reads out boost levels, EGTs, and performance information. The system also has transmission protection that monitors the input and output speed, looking for slippage. When you're throwing that kind of power at the trans, this is a very good option.
With all of that power, you should see an increase in fuel economy-Edge says up to 10 percent better. Also, with this tuner you will be able to take advantage of low-restriction air-intake and exhaust systems.
Stop EatingQI have a small-block Chevy with aluminum heads, intake, water pump, and radiator. How big of a problem is electrolysis, and what is the best way to avoid it?Larry CramerBrookings, SD