I know,the stroker kit is an overpriced joke.I'd never buy one,I'd never recomend it.
As I've been finishing the 305 TBI for my daily driver pickup,(no machine work,dirt cheap swap,no need for alarm).I'm aware of the shortcomings of the 305,I'd never invest any kind of cash in one.The one going in my truck is replacing a V6,came in a parts truck that I gave $200 for,and also donated many interior parts,A driveshaft,and many other parts.I thought the engine was a 350,but turned out to be a 305 that was pretty fresh.(Fresh crosshatch in cylinders,bearings look new,etc.)

Now,I'm not going to do this,nor am I saying anyone else should.I'm not looking to start a big contraversy,I just keep having this idea roll through my head,and after Fast355 said in another post he'd done it,the wheels in my head won't stop.
I do engine swaps for a local Speed/Machine shop on a very regular basis,at least 1 a month,often 2 to 5.It's my Camaro $,and often I end up with the old engines,as they don't want to mess with them,and many times I get good running 305s,that I end up selling for $100 or so.
But I ended up with a 383 shortblock that was seized,1 rod ripped the wristpin from the piston,ruined the block,rod,etc.

I also have on hand a new set of stock 400 rods,long since leftover from a build where I changed plans in the middle of the game and went 5.7.

So,say I were to build a cheap *** 335,not for performance,but a daily driver,tow rig,something that needs nothing over 4000rpm,but needs to make a little torque down low,and maybe get OK fuel economy.
Again,I'm NOT going to do this,but what would be the downside of it?With the short rods,you could use stock 305 pistons,the crank would drop in without any machining,granted a balance job would be in order,wouldn't you have an engine with tonsogrunt and be economical too?

I know it's not ideal by any means,but if you could do it with junk you got laying around,would it still be a bad idea?

If I'm plumb off my rocker,I apologize,just need someone to tell me why this wouldn't work!

 

It would most likely work if the rods are long enough for the the pistons to clear the crank. You will also have to have the assembly balanced and use the right flexplate.

 

You are getting the parts for free and it sounds like you work for or are at least affiliated with a machine shop, so you can get any machine work done for virtually nothing, so I say go for it. I am sure that if you didnt want/like it, you could sell it.

The 335 stroker is not worth it if it costs you money.

 

but it's pretty cool if you can do it free/cheap!

 

has any one else done a 335 stroker? i thought about it too. cheap set of rods off ebay, with the crank.. just a daily driver looking to get a little more out of it with out breaking the bank.

 

"Free" is a tough price to beat. I wonder how much a "free" 335 is really going to cost. Keep us posted.

 

Like I said,I have no real intentions of doing it.It's just something that popped into my head.I'm thinking the result,with a super mild cam,small dual plane,small carb or TBI,would be an engine with more torque than a 350,granted without the upper rpm power,but how aften does a daily driver see anything over 4000RPM?Possibly better MPG,but I hate to say.As far as the "free" part,I was referring to hard parts.Common rebuild items to any engine,rings,bearings,gaskets,etc.,will obviously cost something,but shouldn't be any more than any stock rebuild.Assuming you didn't run into piston skirt to counterweight interference,which I honestly hadn't thought of,but is possible.
Thanks for the replies,I was afraid everyone would think I was out to build the ultimate 305,which I'm absolutely not.Just an interesting theory that made me think.

 

I seriously doubt that you would run into any piston-counterweight trouble. The 400 piston is no shorter skirt than a 305 piston. I have pointed out numerous times that a 335 would make a good daily driver engine. Not a race engine, but an economical, torquey engine. I believe there is a member on here with a TPI 335 in a suburban. I almost built one for my G20, but built a 350 based 396 instead, sold the 396 but that is a different story.

I would do something similar, IF I was building one.

Ported stock heads (601, 416, 081 or even 187 swirl ports)
Cam with around 206/212* @ .050, .430/.450" lift, 110-112* lobe seperation (the 330 HP 350 HO cam would work great as you can get them TAKEOUT very cheap with lifters.
9.5:1 compression (slightly dished LG4 pistons)
Stock intake and exhaust manifolds
Stock Q-Jet or TBI system (raise the fuel pressure some and a custom chip, leave the carb alone).
You should have around 350 ft/lbs @ 2,500 and about 300 HP @ 4,500 on pump gas, if you do it right.

 

There's a guy here who has a 335 with a TPI and 273s, he's running in the low 13s. He goes by TunedPort 335
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/262003