Ok i need some tips and tricks on how to get some more horse power out of my 350 i have gear drive, rv cams, and the stock carb. The car is pretty much stock minus the cams and gear drive. I need the car to be CA street legal so every thing must be smog legal (Very Sadly) so if you have any info feel free to help me out im looking for stuff as low as spark plugs to as high as CA street legal superchargers so if you guys can help me id appreciate it very much. Thank You

 

You have any more information on the 350? What is it out of? The Camaro did not come with a 350 in 82. Your original computer system is intact? That would be where I started. See if anyone makes a proms anymore (I think those had proms). If you car has a 350 a prom may also free up some power because you computer system was designed for a 305. I would guest your stuck with that computer system and it will be a limiting factor no matter what you do. Your not going to get a ton of power out of any early 80’s engine. GM was lightening thinks up to try to get better fuel mileage. The 82 350 could be out of a truck and that would make it a better candidate for mods.
If you car has the original motor in it is a 305. A 305 with a CCC computer system is tuff to get any real improvement . I would suggest making sure everything is in A1 condition a set of gears and Prom. If you want something faster go much newer or much older. Around me you can buy a 92 with a 305 TPI in it for a lot less then it would cost to get your car up to the 230 hp the 92 has.

 

Ok so the motor is out of a K5 Blazer and do you know what carb is CA smog legal thats better than the stock Rochester Quadra-Jet

 

Is the carb plugged into a computer? The 82 Had a computer assist CCC carb. I do not think anyone made a direct aftermarket replacment. Most people just eliminated the computer by replacing the carb and distributor. CA does not allow the removel of these items.

 

The only plug on it is the electric choke. That i remember. and the vacuum lines the go no where because they are cut for some reason yes i know thats a problem that im working on right now.

 

To the best of my knowledge there is no loop hole for the CA emission. All original emission items must be present and working. That means your question is moot. You are already going to fail emissions. The question is how did it pass last time?
I know even in the strict emission areas in PA most mechanics are younger guys and there is no way most would know off the top of their heads that a 82 V8 had a computer controlled carb and timing or air pimp with air tubes in the manifolds or a fuel purge system. Heck about the only thing they seem to know for sure is that 75 up had a Cat. LOL . Maybe someone from CA can chime in about loop holes? Where I live you can do anything you want as long as you drive less than 2500 miles per year. Having two speedometer clusters helps with that
BTW your Rochester is not a bottle neck until you’re pushing 240 HP @5400 RPMs. There are some guys that say the Rochester can be built to out flow the Holley’s. Dished pistons (low compression) and crappy flowing heads are the issue with an 82 350. With the RV cam a better higher flowing carb may actual decrease your low end torque and not help at all at the top end. High flow carbs are for high RPMs, RV cams are for low end torque and will float the valves at high RPM. It would be a perfect example of combining two good mods and losing overall power.

 

Id move out of ca but its not an option for me still being in high school. Do you know if its legal to port the heads and all that small stuff like that? i mean its in side so they wont see it right?

 

Someone has elimimated the computer system and changed motors and you are worried about something someone can't see? Trucks and cars did not have the same emission requirments therefore they had different emission systems. No way can a 82 truck engine pass a 82 car emission test. Trucks did not have any type of computer until 86 and even then it just controled the timing. Here in PA there are a ton of loop holes in the emission laws but based on our laws without the loop holes your car would not pass inspection here. I can not imagine it can pass in CA.

If an 82 Camaro with it emission system eliminated and a truck engine installed will pass emission I can not imagine they are going to fail it because you ported the heads

 

CA does the sniffer test in addition to a physical inspection. They inspect for the cat, air pump, EGR, and fuel purge (charcol canister). For the sniffer test, your car must put out in (idle and loaded) CO2, CO, and NOx for the 1982 model year using whatever the stock motor put out in the forms of those emissions. If you do not pass all of those tests, the car cannot be re-registered. So, you should really hope you have a stock 305 that has been jimmy rigged, so you can go to a junkyard and get all emissions equipment. You could probobly just get the correct emission stuff and put it on the motor even if it is a 350. But, stand alone timing and a non computer controlled carb with no EGR (You didn't state either way if this was present, but I'm assuming not) will absolutely not blow "clean" best of luck selling it.

 

if the engine is a newer model year and has all the emissions equipment hooked up from what it originally came out of, it would pass because its a newer engine. i know thats a loop hole for pa (i.e. putting a 2005 civic engine in a 97 civic)