I'm looking at buying an 87 GMC fullsize pickup. It's RWD automatic, and has a TPI 305. What are the engine specs for this thing? also, is the tranny a 700 R4, or a 3 speed? If so, what is it? Thanks a lot!
I thought the 305 was TBI(Throttle Body Injection)? It is a good engine but lower on power than the 350 and not much better on gas(I had one of each and stuck a 430 in the 305 truck). If the shifter says OD then it is the 700R4 which is a good trans. if you take care of it when towing. I have a diesel suburban and tow a 26' enclosed trailer at 9200 lbs loaded with no problems but will only tow in OD with the open trailer. I have an extra tranny cooler and a temp. gauge to keep an eye on temp levels.
TBI then. It's fuel injected, and I haven't physically seen it in a long time. It's owned by a friend of mine. This thing is rather rusty, and won't be used for towing, mainly commuting and light duty hauling.
i have a 1989 TBI350/700R4 in my 74 lesabre vert and would not want it any other way. thanks to the 700R4's 3.06 first gear, it has every bit as much (actually better, it will bark the tires in second) acceleration as the ol 455/400 combo. but can get over 21 MPG on th open road. if your motor is a 305 instead of a 350, you wont have as much power. your economy will be similar and if you are not towin heavy loads, you wont miss the power too much anyway. i have owned about a dozen different 700R4 trannys over the years. ones that were manufactured in 1986 and earlier are usually weak and ones manufactured in 1987 and newer are much more reliable. good luck with th truck!
Yeah, it'll be a 305, and I'm not going to be towing. It'll be my commuter/beater truck and will be used to haul stuff from time to time. I'm going to look at it on Sunday to see if I'm gonna buy it, but I've the feeling that it's gonna be a done deal.
