i havent swapped an engine before and im low budget but i have a friend with spare parts to pick from and i'd like some opinions. bear in mind that this is going to be my play toy. anyways right now i have a 92 rs runs good but well it is a pos 305. well i have access to a 95 c30 van with a 350 and im guessing a 4l80 tranny. i also might have access to a mid 90's 454. would it be better to run the 350 4l80 combo or 454 turbo 400 combo. and would that 10 bolt be a joke. i can prob score the rear end too but its prob a 14 bolt any advice would be appreciated. i tried looking for info on the BB swap and if i went that rought i'd like to keep tbi if possible.

 

Hey whats up. I have a drag car running low 11's with stock rear end didnt break anything yet. As for the 4l80e its a big trans don't know if that even fits in there, its longer so u would need custom shaft not to mention custom wiring. Not worth the hassle or money. If you're on a budget take that 95 5.7 and use your tbi easy swap. you would need a performance cam i imagine those truck engines come with something mild. keep your trans. when it blows just build it stronger.

 

Since we're talking about a play toy, think big.

The LO5 (350 TBI) is not exactly a performance choice. You might be able to use the shortblock, but even it will have dished pistons. A better cam with swirlport heads would be pearls on a swine.

The 454/4L80E combo, that's a different story. Of course, depends upon the 454, as many of them that are available also have junk heads. You'd need a stand-alone controller for the 4L80E, but we're talking a TH400 with overdrive and progammability. You'd need to do something about the mounts and driveshaft for a TH400 anyway, so why not step it up one notch?

For only about $2500 more, you can have a 9-inch or 12-bolt rear, then you wouldn't have to worry about that again.

 

I hafta agree with five7kid, a mid-'90s 454 has peanut-port heads, and if you transplant the complete engine with no mods, besides headers and exhaust, you're still under 300 horses. And thanks to both the heads and the TBI, that's about all you're going to get without spending some serious money. But if you insist, try to put a 4L80E behind it. The LO5 could have a 4L60E, and that would be an easy install. Just replace the crappy heads with a pair of the ever-popular Vortec heads, then swap the cam, and 400 horses is easily attainable for less total investment than a 300 hp tbi 454. Plus it's lighter, for better handling and braking, your 305 accessories fit, and your axle will live for a while. If your 305 is attached to a 700R-4, that would hold a 350 for a while as well. But if your 305 has an auto, it probably also has a 2.73:1 open rear. The 14 bolt axle is far overkill, and will not fit. Even if you made brackets, it still would hit the floorpan, the gas tank and the panhard. You need a better exhaust system either way, but the 305 exhaust will attach to the 350 if it has to for a while.

 

thanks for the ideas guys. since its going to be a play toy im going with the 454 im about talked into a th350 just needing seals in it. as for the rear end the bearings are shot so its needing some work. do you guys think it would be easier to swap in diff rear from the bone yard? should be pulling the 454 this weekend not sure if its in a 3/4 or 1 ton van. im only going to try and buy the bare minimum. because my 1 year old baby takes most of the funds.

 

You have two choices for the rear end:

1) Bone-yard 10-bolt, which you'll get a lot of practice changing after every time you go out to play.

2) Spend $2500 once for an aftermarket 9-inch or 12-bolt.