Hop up a 305 or Drop in a new engine?
 

My friend and I are going to pull the 305 4 barrel out of our 87 camaro. With all the things we want to do to the engine the total cost would be about $1,000. Would you suggest that we buy a new engine with the money, or hop up the 305 we already have? What engine would be the easiest to drop in?

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87 305 4 barrel

Check out https://www.thirdgen.org/messgboard/...ML/000409.html to get an idea of the opinions out there.

My opinion is that it's generally cheaper to work with what you have. However, if your goals are lofty, then a 305 starts loosing ground pretty quick.

Taking out your 305, working it over, and putting it back in is certainly the easiest. As the old saying goes, "There's no such thing as a bolt-in". No matter what you get, there's going to be some issue that comes up. A possible exception is the HO Conversion Kit from GM - of course that has the dollars issue (multiply your total by 4.5).

Curious exactly what you think you'll be getting for your $1000.

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, WP 305 heads ported & polished, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. 0.030 over 396, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" headers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

Well, i added up a few things with prices in the summit catalouge, and i came out roughly to $1,000. i will give you a general list. Edelbrock cam w/lifters and manifold, TES headers, gaskets, engine stand, cam timing kit, piston rings. I want to get the heads and manifold ported which would bring the total to about 1,300. And then some other little things will prob bring the total to $1,500, which is not to bad when you split the cost. These parts may not be the best out there, but the car is only going to be driven during the summer, and not everyday, so i think these things could work out.

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87 305 4 barrel

um. i got some things you might wanna add, or might not.

new bolt kit
your rebuilding the 305 right? REBUILD KIT
why not throw sum new pistons down there while its apart...

um. misc things you would never think of always seem to find their way into it.

[This message has been edited by zerogauge (edited February 27, 2001).]

for 1000...
rebuild kit around $200
cam$150
headers $200
valve job/mill .020 off heads $150
catback $200


[This message has been edited by 3.1 firebird (edited February 28, 2001).]

What would be included in a $200 rebuild kit? My list of parts did include gaskets and piston rings, and if there is a 200 dollar rebuild kit with pistons, fil me in.
thanks

rebuild kits come with different things when you order them.
main and cam bearings, rings, oil pump, gaskets, can come with pistons

You guys are forgetting that the 87 was the first year for the roller motor centerbolt valve covers and one piece rear main. If the compression is good and it don't use any oil is the only way that i would think about doing anything with this motor for $1000. how would i spend my $$$ heads (Vortec), intake, (edelbrock rpm) cheap headers why spend half your money on the exhaust then the cam but you have to watch the lift

It's hard to do much of anything over a stock rebuild for a grand. Sure, you can rebuild the engine for a lot less than that (ever notice, though, how the 305 rebuild kit prices end at 1986? For later years, it's "call for prices"?). But the heads, cam & exhaust are all terrible, and if you only settle for doing one of them, the other two will kill what you DO do. Since it is a roller engine, the cams are about 2x - 3x the cost of a flat tappet set. You can convert back to flat, but don't forget the pushrods and timing set. Stock heads will restrict the cam, and have poor springs and press-in rocker studs, so World 305's are in order - there's about $700. Okay, now you've got a fresh rebuilt engine with new cam and heads for about $1200, but the exhaust is going to kill power; headers, y-pipe, cat, cat-back, right there is about another $750.

So, figure about twice what you want to spend to get a 305 to run well - assuming you don't need any or at least not much machine work.

Spending $1000 on another engine would still leave you with a poor exhaust system, and for that money, you probably aren't going to get a very good cam or heads, either. It's the age-old dilema...

I found some prices for kits sold on www.engine2go.com The first kit is the rebuild kit, the second kit is the master kit, and the third kit is the rear main kit. All of these kits include standard piston rings.


Kit includes: Gasket Set, Piston Rings, Rod Bearings, Main Bearings, Rear Main Seal, Piston Set, Cam Bearings, Timing Set, Oil Pump, Expansion Plugs, and Valve Steam Seals.
$248

Kit includes: Gasket Set, Piston Rings, Rod Bearings, Main Bearings, Rear Main Seal, Piston Set, Cam Bearings, Timming Set, Oil Pump, Expansion Plugs, Valve Steam Seals, Camshaft, and Lifters. $318

Kit includes: Gasket Set, Piston Rings, Rod Bearings, Main Bearings, and Rear Main Seal.$133

[This message has been edited by icenine9 (edited March 03, 2001).]

PAW also has reasonably priced rebuild kits. I have ordered a few myself and all the parts are quality brands, not no-name junk.
24 hrs. 1-818-678-3000. I believe they have a website now, but I forget the addy. I'm sure someone knows it.