I have read several articles hoping up this engine and i want your opinions. I have vortec heads worked over. I have 750dp holley,edelbrock rpm air gap performer intake,268 comp cam.roller rockers, 2 piece flexplate 153 tooth. ect.. is this engine a pile of crap with no hope with all of these components? i am looking for a street car nota race car so will this stock cast aluminum pistons hold up? how about the crank? my rpm limit will be 5500. chevyhighperformance did this exact setup on this goodwrench engine and it made 380 flywheel horsepower. But will it hold togather for 50,000 miles? I am confused here. why are they building up these cheap engines? will it hold togather or not? as i am going to buy one very soon. talk me out of it if it is a total lost cause and just a dyno figure that will never hold togather....thank you guys .....

if this is junk advise me where to get a assembled shortblock minus heads intake cam...ect...thanks...

 

Unlike the bolt-on 400 HP 305 articles, I haven't seen a Goodwrench build-up that blew up on the dyno.

It should be fine for what you're talking about. Hypers would be better, but cast pistons will last a long time. The HO uses cast pistons, for what that's worth.

Put good oil in it, maintain it well, you'll be fine.

 

yeah thats what i was thinking. the h.o. pistons are different part #'s than the universal crate engine. thats what is making me nervous. everything else seems the same except the roller block of the h.o.

what about bearings are they cheaper in the goodwrench crate vs. say the h.o.??

 

I can't help you there. Haven't heard of that detail.

FWIW, I have one of those Goodwrench engines in an '84 full-size conversion van. The original 305 died at 70k and the Goodwrench was dealer installed. We've had it since late 1996 when it had 79k on it, and have used it to pull a 2-horse trailer. It recently turned over 150k, doesn't use oil, runs as well today as it did when we got it.

 

five7kid,
can you tell me the exact amount of dish in these pistons as the info is not readily available? I'm trying to calculate compression ratio. Thanks
Ryan

 

Again, don't have that level of detail. The heads are 76cc chambers, so the low compression is probably due to the heads rather than the pistons. I'd guess the pistons are somewhere in the 12-14cc range.