I have an "82 Trans Am that had the LU5 crossfire 305 in her but is no good so I will be looking for a little carburated 350 to put in her and I have a few questions. First, can the motor come from ANY chevy (ie. truck, van, suv, or car)? Second, should I buy one that is assembled and is said to (or I have heard) run or one that is in pieces so that I "could see everything in it" that needs put together? Third, can I use the components off of the 305, such as the alternator, ac compressor, power steering pump etc.? And finally is there anything in particular that I need to check before making the final purchase? I see plenty of 350's for $200-$500 but just want my baby running and perhaps build her a performance motor after that. Thanks.

 

The engine can come from any of those vehicles, if you aren't averse to extra work, extra costs, or disappointment.

Since we don't have any clue about your experience or mechanical ability, it's impossible to tell you whether to stick with an assembled engine, or get one that's torn down.

And, other than your statement that the 305 is "no good", which could mean a whole bunch of things, we don't have a clue what you expect out of this new engine.

(BTW, what does your poll have to do with the thread topic?)

 

In respect to extra work, cost etc, I am looking for a little as possible of each. I have some experience with replacing heads, distributors, exhaust and intake manifolds, and replacing transmissions but not too familiar with the bottom end (installing pistons, rods, crank etc.)
By "No good" I mean that there is water sitting on top of the pistons because the heads have been off of it for about 2 years and are no longer with the motor. And with my lack of experience with the bottom end I's not 100% sure just how "no good" that is.
And as for the poll, I just wanted to know. You hear that people use certain types for fresh high performance rebuilds or a certain type for their daily driver and figured that people that viewed the poll could see what fellow 3rd gen owners are using.

 

Just in reference to the oil question you posed...

I personally don't believe it makes a BIG difference one way or the other. Some of those are synthetic or not, and among the synthetics not all are "true" synthetic (I.E. blended)

But if you have a motor with a flat tappet camshaft, as many of us do, what I believe does matter is either a motor oil with a high zinc & phosphorus content, or an additive to achieve that. EPA regulations have steadily decreased legal levels of these, and they have gotten low enough that they don't provide adequate protection by themselves anymore. There has been a direct correlation shown between the reduced levels of these minerals in recent years, and camshafts being wiped out (when the levels went to a max of 800 ppm I believe)

 

A carbed 5.3 would be a great swap if you dont mind spending a bit extra on a couple swap parts. The old small blocks are great, butt he new engines are simply awesome.