In the market for a new engine....i dont know much about engine swaps...but Im trying to learn...I was leaning towards getting a ZZ4 short block....costing from $1700-2000....then I remember someone saying that I could make my 305 into a 350...if I did this though...why not go ahead and make it a 383...but anyways....going from 305 to 350...what would I have to do? Take it to a machine shop and have them bore whatever they need to bore? Get a new 350 rebuild kit with forged crankshaft and forged flat top pistons? Is that all there is to it?? Im guessing this will be cheaper than buying a new ZZ4 short block? What are the pros and cons between a engine rebuild and a new engine? I think the new engine would come with a 3 yr warranty. Any insight/new knowledge will be extremely appreciated.....thanks in advance.

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1992 Teal Camaro RS
T-Tops
305 TBI V8
Open air element
3" Flowmaster Exhaust System w/Quad Tips
Aiwa CD/Mp3 player
10 Disc CD Changer
Rockford Fosgate Speakers
SLP Headers Coming
Dynomax High Flow Cats Coming
More to come.

 

You can't make a 350 from a 305. I don't care how much miracle grow they sprinkle on it. It would have to be bored .249 over and the walls aren't that thick.

 

I could have sworn someone said they were the same block...you just needed to bore it some more...oh well...i guess ZZ4 here i come.

 

A 350 and 305 have the same size mains, use the same crank, same water pump, trans, dist., etc., but the 305 block only has a 3.735" bore in the cylinders. A 350 has 4.0" The most you can ever 'safely' bore out a GM cast iron block is .060". That would still only amount to 3.795" bore on a 305 block.

You can swap a 400 crank into a 305 block. Bored .030" over with this crank (which is 3.75" stroke compared to the 3.48" stroke of the 305/350 crank)will yield 334 c.i.d. Maybe that's what you heard? But you still have to grind down the main journals on the 400 crank to get it to fit a 305/350 block.

Hope this helps.

BTW, I thought a crate motor was a 12mos/12k mile warranty. Maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong. But overall, that cost of comparing a self-built motor and a crate motor is about the same, if you use the same type of parts. Machine work is expensive.

AJ

 

Alright thanks for the info AJ. Maybe it was that I just heard that the parts were interchangable between the 305 and 350....anyone know of a small block with forged crank AND pistons that is around the same cost of a ZZ4 short block? So far I think the ZZ4 is the best deal...but I havent looked around too much.

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1992 Teal Camaro RS
T-Tops
305 TBI V8
Open air element
3" Flowmaster Exhaust System w/Quad Tips
Aiwa CD/Mp3 player
10 Disc CD Changer
Rockford Fosgate Speakers
SLP Headers Coming
Dynomax High Flow Cats Coming
More to come.

 

I can tell you that you'll never get a new short block with a forged crank for anywhere near the price of a ZZ4. A new forged steel crank alone costs around $600-$1000.

Some guys on here might be able to give you a few web sites to LQQK at for a new short block.