I cam across the website while searching for cam information, and found it loaded with information. I realize that this is an F body forum, but most of the information can apply to my truck, i believe.

My 98 k1500 is starting to go through oil, fine shavings in the oil, and I know there is a head gasket problem, so I stopped driving the truck and plan on rebuilding the engine. The truck was also diagnosed with "sticky lifters" so I was planning on putting in a new cam and lifters, as well as all new bearings and gaskets, timing chain.

I am on a tight budget, and would like to have an increase in power after I rebuild this. After reading stickies and posts on this site, should I replace the cam, o leave it so that I do not need to burn chips? Do I bite the bullet and learn to burn chips anyhow? Would I need to replace the lifters or would the be cleanable? My hope is to rebuild the engine, change the exhaust and add a cold air intake.

Any information on what is best to do to this engine would be greatly appreciated!! thanks in advance

 

Lifters are cheap - replace them.

BUT - as many 305's that there are floating around out there for cheap because all of us F body guys swap out for 350's, may be easier/cheaper to just swap out a used 305 rather than rebuild - I think I sold my 305 for like $50 ust so I didn't have to haul it off myself, and there was nothing wrong with it except needed valve seals in the heads.

 

It actually isn't that easy around here. A good 305 is purchased before a 350 because they are legal for our stock car races. To get a 350, most likely it would have to come from a salvage yard and even then I would want to go through it before putting it in. I have rebuilt 305s before, just never one with tbi. Reading the budget build again (for the 4th time) I would want the LT4 cam?

 

OK - not sure what you want here. Your title states rebuilding a 305, yet you refer to the Budget Build sticky that is building a 350. Also, you state that 305's are hard to find, and 350's are easier to get, but again you mention the Budget Build sticky, which refers to a 350 - so I am confused.

If I Remember Correctly (IIRC), LT4 cam in a 305 is going to require head (valvetrain) modifications to handle the cam lift, and definitely chip tuning - something I think you want to avoid. An LT1 cam is an option, which won't require head mods or chip tuning.

The rebuild is the same, ragardless of cam choice (mostly) - we're dealing with roller blocks and roller cams, so cam choice has nothing to do with a rebuild (which amounts to bearings, rings, etc.). The induction system has nothing to do with rebuilding either - 305 is 305, regardless of TBI or carb or TPI.

It sounds to me like you are interested in getting your truck running again, and it being reliable, and you wish to do so quickly, painlessly, and economically - and such would suggest just getting a 305 block, or rebuilding the one you have, and putting it back together.

And I'm certainly no expert, so wait for more response from others. But I definitely think you want to avoid chip tuning, and any major mods, unless you have weeks or months to play tuning games (which I'm assuming you don't have since your seeking a "budget" fix).

 

thats wrong, he will definately need a chip burned for the LT1 cam, my car needs a tune and it's bone stock.

 

your 98 4x4 truck has a 305 vortec engine in it?

 

A 98 model won't even have TBI would it?

 

 

Like I said - I'm no expert - but I've seen alot of folks on TGO put in a LT1 cam with no chip mods (so they claimed anyway), and thus I did it myself as well and it worked - the TBI ECM has a learning capability (to a degree) and can adjust for a few simple mods - it's when you go overboard like I eventually did that a chip needs burned - I did headers, intake, ported/polished 416 heads, gutted cat - after all that I needed a chip - but with just the cam swap I was fine.

And the TBI is a great technology that remains long after the use in an F-Body - just because Government Motors (GM's new name after the pay off lol) didn't use it in the 4th gens doesn't mean it was obsolete - it's been used long after, and may still be used.

 

The truck has a Vortec 305. Acording to my vin (8th character "m") it is an L30 5.0L Vortec.
No I do not want to spend weeks or months trying to tune it, but since it needs to be rebuilt, I would like to have more power then before. All the other rebuilds/engine work I have done before this truck has been on chevy motors from the early 80s.

 

From experience my L03 with LT1 cam (+full exhaust +tbi performer intake) on stock tune was a little slower then a stock L03, with a coustom mail order tune (took 5 chips and datalogs) it was a wery little faster.
When I started to tune it with EBL, it required, alot more fuel - 23psi with a TPI fuel pump, major changes to the VE and SA tables to be as fast as a healty 91 5.7L z28 with full exhaust.

Learning capabilitys is a big word for that little adjusting of the slow TBI ECM.

 

if its in a truck a stroker kit for the 305 would be perfect wont effect hp much but tourqe gains are nice. and as far as the chip dont do that. take it to your local speed shop and get a tune will cost more but in the long run its so much better