hey guys. im onf of those guys who wants to try and make a fast 305. i got a engine with 145k miles on it and im thinken about having it rebuilt then start modding it. i was just curious on where to start with the rebuild then the mods. im gonna have a shop or my buddy and i rebuild it if we get enough time. but i just wanted to know and here some oponions from you guys because u know alot more than i do.

thx alot guys

 

Why rebuild a 305 when you can get a 350 and rebuild that for cheaper or the same price including the 350 block.

 

That's why he doesn't want a 350. He didn't ask your opinion on whether he should get a 350. While I too agree that it would be a better choice, it's his decision.

 

I was one of the guys that wanted a fast 305 too. I found that it was cheaper to have a low mileage 350 freshened up (and purchased) and put it in than having my 305 taken out, rebuilt, and put back in. 45 extra cubes isn't going to break you. If you can afford the 305 you can afford the 350, and there is no use building a smaller engine if you can get the larger one. You'll go faster and even if you do manage to go fast with your 305, no one will believe it's a 305. 305 is to 350 as edelbrock headers are to slp. If you find a great deal, sure. If you're going to pay full price, no way.

 

hate to do this to a newbie but....

 

hey brody- what are the specs on the cam you have for sale?

 

heh, and still, the original poster's question hasn't been answered.

i'll tell you a little about my 305.

i started with a 1981 LG4 that originated from a Z28. it had approximately 100k on it.

i had the block tanked, new cam bearings installed, and new freeze plugs installed. the block was also honed, since i opted to install new pistons and rings. that cost me approx $140, i'd have to dig up my receipts to be certain.

i am using a set of 416 casting 305 heads from a 1987 monte carlo ss. traded some parts for them.

running an L69 aluminum intake with a holley 600 carb.

for a cam, i'm running a crane energizer 260. specs out at 204*@.050" , .427" lift with a 110* LSA.

if there's anything else i can answer, ask me

robertg

 

well im gonna run my 305 unitl it rolls over adn dies. im thinken about saving anywhere form 800-1000 dollars. will this get a me nice high power 350? considering that i might have to put it in a shop to get it rebuilt? and put in?

 

I also have a 305 and want to do the same thing, you were talkin about jumpin to the 350 which I didn't think I could afford. Did you mean a buy a crate 350, or a used 350?? If I could afford it I definately would.

 

It doesn't cost all that much to get the block blueprinted, heck I only got charged $300 for the whole deal with re-ringing kit in the set. The only bitch was taking the whole thing out and putting it back together.

If you want to go with a complete overhaul, the kit's only $277
at Northern Auto parts.

It's not that costly to go 305 rebuild, if you got extra lying around (most don't) then go with a 350 and do the same thing, only thing extra is that you'll need 350 injectors, 350 knock sensor and whatever else doesn't come with the block when you buy it depending on who's selling it. My only prob with getting a 350 used is that you don't know the condition. If it was abused by the previous owner, only an x-ray will show if the thing will bust under high performance application, at least with your own engine, you know what you did and you know what she can do.

As for having someone do it, prepare to bend over, labor hurts on rebuilding an engine, but if you got the time, do it yourself, you won't regret it, its a fun experience...

I hope this answers your question

PS Rebuilds aren't expensive, performance is. Doesn't matter what size engine it is...

PPS Get a complete bolt kit. The head bolts in particular cannot be retorqued properly to spec. You'll end up with a head gasket failure.

http://www.northernautoparts.com/Pro...?ProductId=498

 

do what i did .... it only costs 10 million dollars and your soul:lala:

 

I am gonna rebuild my Trans AM 5.0L and stay with the 305. Just for the experience of building a string 305. Won't do it until next summer though, I have a 350 for the 81.

BamaZ28

PS Stick with the 305 if you want!!!

 

The ONLY reason people will tell you to build a 350 is this: if the 305 shortblock is good, i.e., rings, bearings, seals, etc., then keep it and build it with parts that will work well on a 350, too.

Why? Because when the 305 finally does bite the biscuit, it is just as cheap to rebuild a 350 as a 305, so that is where those intelligently chosen parts will reside next

Follow the parts in my sig and you'll end up with a 300 hp 305. That is fun to drive

 

F-TA,

I'm not certain I gathered from your post how you intend to do this, but there are a couple of possibilities.

First, if the car is running and you are relying on it for transportation, you have a limited time frame to complete your project. You would need to have all the tools in place, the machine shop scheduled to perform the work, the parts in your posession, and alternate transportation to pull everything together. Even at that, you would need to plan on a couple of weeks of down time to finish the job properly.

Next, if the car isn't running but you need it for transportation, a rebuild may be less desireable than a rebuilt replacement, again due to the time. You would still need to plan a week of down time for the swap.

Finally, if you plan to park the car without using it, you can take however long you need and do whatever you want with your existing engine.

These scenarios present some options. One I would suggest that you may not have considered is to acquire a second engine case, used or otherwise, and a stand to hang it in. Take whatever time you need to determine what parts you might want to use, purchase them, arrange the machine work, assemble and test, balance, clean, and prepare the case for final assembly. Once you have everything ready in the stand, you can plan a couple of days (like a weekend) to exchange your freshly built engine into your car, then do whatever with your tired 305.

If you really wanted a numbers-matching engine, that isn't an option unless you have a grinder and number stamp set. But if your engine case gets decked, the numbers will be gone anyway, so there may not be a big issue there. In this case, you can acquire any engine you desire, be it another 305, 265, 283, 327, a 350, or 400 block, and build it into whatever you want for roughly the same cost as whatever you'd spend on your existing engine. The 400s have additional costs in parts and machining, but they are not prohibitive. If you want to avoid that and the "oddities" of the 400s, stay with any of the other engines listed.

Through this means, you can spread out your costs and time commitment to whatever you are willing to do, take more time to research the parts and systems you might like to use, and not be rushed into making decisions that might haunt you later.

 

choices choices

 

Althou there may be some satisfaction in building up
a stout 'lil 305. Put the same extra effort and money into a 350
and you'll go faster. The 350 will have more torque reguardless.
Which makes for nicer cruising car overall.
The 350 based buildup returns the most bang for the buck.
Unless money is no object and ya just have to have a 305,
the 350 is the way to go at rebuild time.

 

It seems we have to go through this mud-slinging debate every couple of weeks...

My sig, coupled with what I'm about to say, should tell you that I am not biased one way or another.

My position: For the same amount of money, you can make a 305 faster than a 350 - UP TO A POINT. That point comes when you start spending money on the 305 block, with another decision point coming at about 350 HP. Here's what I mean:

If you only spend $800-$1000, the 350 will be slower than the 305. Why? Because the primary things that rob power from a 305 will kill the 350 as well unless replaced. Those are (in this order): Exhaust - replace ALL of the factory stuff from the ports of the heads to the tailpipes at the rear bumper; air cleaner - get rid of that single-snorkel factory piece; cam w/lifters and valve springs. Assuming an emissions-legal set-up, you've just spent about $800-$1000, and those improvements on a 305 will make more power than an $800-$1000 350 without those improvements.

Assuming the exhaust/air cleaner/cam improvements have been made, the next step on a 305 would be heads. Either the porting that Bull talked about, or World 305's (my choice). For the cost of the World heads, you might be able to buy a 350, but it wouldn't have very good heads. (But, before you spend the money on 305 heads, you'd better know what's coming in the next paragraph.)

After that, you're really looking at a 350 for cost-effective improvements. If your 305 shortblock needs any help at all (pistons, rings, crank, bearings), it's time to trash it and get a builder 350. Period, end of arguement.

Don't even bring up the possibility of a stroker kit for the 305...

 

Did I mention that I did the mods to my LG4 when it had 143,600.3 miles on it?

 

I went thru the re-ring kit at 120000 miles, don't regret it at all. If the block is in serious distress then I'd get a 350, but the only prob with rebuilds is time, not money. I would consider a 350 when the 305 had cracking pistons, cracks in the block... bearings going things like that... It all depends on the life the engine had, abused, I would go 350, taken care of like mine was (my father was the first owner, I'm the second) then it was cost effective for me to go rebuild.

 

I did a cost comparison between Northern autoparts and power house who is listed as enginekits.com not sure i will check that powerhouse came out on top by 85 dollars for the same items. yeah the 350 might be a little cheaper to rebuild but if you have a good block why not rebuild it. If you look hard enough like I did you can find take-off parts never used for example I found a ram jet cam for 100.00 not bad hah. Call around and price it out. and if you eventually want to rebuild a 350 everything you buy for your 305 except the pistons and rings will fit your 350 so rebuilding a 305 is not a bad Idea if you think about it.