I'm on a limited budget, under 1500. Right now i have a 305, and am looking into getting a bigger and better engine. I have run across the idea of useing the same block and making it a 327, but how do i get it to be a 327?. I would like to use as many parts(heads etc.) as possible. What would the compression be if i got a stroker crank and used same pistons? i need info like that. Or would it just be cheaper to get a 350?

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1991 Z28 305 1LE, TES headers, 3 Chamber flowmaster, Hi-reving cam... the usual street racer

 

i'd just get a 350..

besides, a 327 used a 4 inch bore and i believe the highest you can get out of a 305 block is a 3.80

you can use a 350 to make a 327 if you are realy set on a 327.. you'll need a 3.25 crank with spacer rear bearings



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My `91 Z28 Convertible

 

Just look in your local buy 'n sell for a 350. I can snag a recently rebuilt 350 with a respectable cam in it for around 800 bux CDN$$ any day of the week. Now ask me why I spent 500 CDN$$ on an Edelbrock TES header/y-pipe setup for my LG4 305. Answer? Good question, but I didn't know any better at the time. Yayyyy 20HP maybe.

Dump in a 350 some sucker has already spent $$$ and time on and is already done for you. Back it with exhaust & intake. Taa-daa you're done for street duty, unless you really have to run mid-low 13's which I doubt many people on here need to. I certainly don't, but a little neck snapping torque always gets me excited.

Later,
Hype.

 

For under $600, you could get a 350 from pep boys, then with the extra $$$ get some exhaust, and whatever else you can stretch that cash on.

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'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...
http://www.spinfrenzy.com/stingerssx...easures.html#4

 

You don't get to 327 with a 305 block and generally available parts. Another post debates the pros and cons of this, but you can get a stroker kit that turns the 305 into a 334 after boring the cylinders .030" over and doing a lot of clearance work on the block (you would have to specify the one-piece rear main seal type crank), and adding special items such as harmonic balancer and flex plate. You wouldn't use your current pistons - they make good paper weights, or ash trays if you know anyone who smokes. The compression ratio would be in the 9.5-10 neighborhood.

For around $1500, you can get a replacement 350 engine new from GM. It won't be a barn-burner, but it will have more power than the 305 ever dreamed. It will have a flat tappet cam (instead of the roller lifter type you have now, unless you changed it over to flat with your new cam), and I don't believe it will have the proper angle center two intake bolts on the heads - but, your intake can be modified to get them mated. A cam change would be wise to complement the other changes you've made before you put the engine in.

There is no good reason for using your current heads on anything other than a 305. For that matter, there's plenty of good arguements for not using them on a 305...

As for the Pep Boys engine, go ahead and spend the $600 plus all it will take to make it run right (probably another $400-500). Then, you can spend another $1500 on the GM 350 after the Pep Boys engine throws a rod or developes a piston slap or head crack, for which they won't honor the warranty because you have a "modified" vehicle.

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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 (LB9 w/ZZ3 cam, TBD heads, exhaust, paint, etc.).
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 & shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

 

Go with a 350 if you want to be like everyone else. If you want to keep you car original do some more investigating in the 327. True you cant get one from you block but if you get the right 327 block there are a lot of other options/engine configurations available. Definetly get rid of the heads.

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'84 Camaro w/ Large Jouranl 327 bored .030 over; 3.73 geared Auburn Limited Slip Diff. FlowMaster Muffler w/ Shortie Headers. TH-350 Built Trany Underneath B&M Mega-Shifter. Many Engine compartment Dress Up Mods. Edelbrock High Flow Water Pump w/ Flex-a-Lite Cooling Fan.
It is still under construction @ www.iserv.net~brodgers

 

You can bore a 305 to 3.795/3.8. The problem with the 305 is the smaller bore making smaller valves which really kills performance. The 327s are 4 in bore short stroke engines which breath efficently at high RPMs. It's always a wiser idea to increase the bore than to increase the stroke when building an engine however in automobile engines without buying a new block this is severly limited of a choice. Stroking a 305 would be different, not very intelligent, but would be different. 305's can barely feed themselves much less increasing the displacement via stroke. There is no originality in car engines, incase you no one has noticed, no matter what you stroke, overbore, or restroke there will be someone with that size engine. A 350 isn't following the line it's just a logical choice. I like originality but as someone once told me, "there is nothing original about putting a SBC in a Camaro" and that's the straight truth.

Now, for $1500 you have many choice but the best choice would probably be to buy a crate engine. It all depends on your circumstance, if this is a daily driver and have time to build an engine you could build a decent engine for that type of money plus you could put in a couple tricks like porting, larger valves, and a bigger cam that you really don't have the choice of if you buy something off the shelf without voiding warranty but on the otherhand if you build your own you don't even have a warranty. A crate engine can be molded to push it's bottom end limits to about 350 - 375 HP. A caprice engine is a little better of a platform as the universal pre 87 engine is hard to get good compression on (with small small heads its comes out to be around 9.2).

I wish you the best of luck, which ever engine you get, or build, it'll be an expierence you'll never forget (especially the maiden voyage!)


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1984 WS6 Trans Am Hartop
Former L69 Car under restoration
1984 Trans Am T-tops
4-bolt main 350, performer intake, headers, Holley 650, T-5, hayes clutch, dual elec. fans and 3.23's.
Daily driver and restoration
13.98 @ 101

 

350! BAH! Put in a 502! that should satisfy you until you hit a tree or worse...

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--Steve S--
1984 Trans Am 305 LG4, 5 speed
RPO codes point to Recaro version
Daily Driver, Flowmaster 80 Series