The 305 TPI in my 85 Z28 spun a rod bearing hard core.

I bought a 350 carbed SBC out of a 72 pickup, but the shop is taking way too long to put it in. The car has been sitting up there almost a month...

If they don't get to it soon, I'm just gonna do it myself.

The problem is I have never done anything of this magnitude. I've always been a hands on type of person who has good problem solving skills/common sense and can become quite the master at something once I know WTF I'm doing. But tbh, this is quite intimidating since I've never done it before, but It's my only option left. I need my car.


Do you guys suggest any good tutorials or guides on how to drop a SBC Chevy? Things that will need to be done to the engine are as follows. Keep in mind I know the concept behind doing all of this stuff but I have NEVER actually done any of it before:



- The entire intake setup will have to be swapped from my 305.

- I need to replace all the lifters, pushrods and cam on the 350.

- Spark plugs will need to be replaced

- The distributor on my old 305 had some aftermarket MSD bits fitted to it, so I'd like to bring the dizzy from my 305 over to the 350 (If this is an option. Not sure if Dizzies are displacement tuned...).

- The guy I bought the engine from "forgot" the water pump. So I'll need to swap the waterpump from the 305, along with all the other goodies like the starter, alternator, PS pump and air pump. Basically, all the 350 I bought is fitted with is the crank pulley (Which is a different style and I might have to end up swapping the crank pulley from my 305 too), and nothing else. No other front end tidbits.

- The oil will need to be changed.

- Since the 350 is a '72, I will have to install a knock sensor.

- Headers will possibly have to be changed.


Any guides, tutorials or advice would be GREATLY appreciated. I would really to do this right and get a good deal of experience out of this. We all have to start somewhere. I'm really dying to get my feet wet but don't want to blow anything up in the process.

Does the trans need to be removed to replace an engine? What specialty tools (Besides a cheery picker) would be required?

As always, thanks in advance.
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Whoops. No sooner did I post this than I realized there was a dedicated swap section.

Sorry mods

 

Eh, it's as much an "engine replacement" as an "engine swap".

A Haynes manual that covers the '85 Camaro will have most of the information you need.

What heads? '72 truck 350 heads will basically be large chamber small port door stops. Your 305 heads would be better.

305 distributor - no problem.

In fact, everything should be switched from the 305 to the 350 shortblock (at least, that's the way I'd go). Including the knock sensor, which screws into block coolant drain on the passenger side. Oh, flexplate, too.

Main problem will be the dipstick will be on the driver's side on the 350, and the stock manifolds and the dipstick go through the same space (an impossibility in physics). If the car had aftermarket tubular headers, that solves the problem - put them back on the 350. If it didn't have them, consider a quality set like Hooker 2055HKR.

 

honestly i would skip on the haynes and buy a real GM service manual. i paid like $60 for my service manual on ebay and it was worth every penny.

 

There were aftermarket headers installed on my 305.

They were edelbrock tubies. The guy I bought the 350 from gave me a set of tube headers. I can't remember what brand he said they were. All I can give for a description is that they have been painted black.

 

Take a lot of digital photos as you go so you remember how everything goes back, or do like I did and buy a second one so you can refer back and forth.

Pretty much everything can be disconnected with a 9/16's wrench. Clean it up REALLY well with the engine cleaner and the pressure wand at the car wash first, even underneath. Makes it much easier.

Let us know how it goes.

 

I'd get both the Haynes AND the GM/Helms service manual. I have both and both come in handy. Yes, I value the GM manual more- especially because its specs and diagnostic sections are 200 times better than the Haynes.

Example- The Haynes manual will be better at showing you how to actually pull the engine ("remove hood, drain fluids, attach lifting chain, slowly lift hoist, etc"). The GM/Helms manual won't bother with that- but it WILL be better at showing you how to change the heads, and what the valve specs are, etc.

So for someone that never pulled the motor before and didn't own a service book, I'd tell them to get the Haynes manual instead of the GM manual.

Now if he runs into problems, he'd better buy the GM service manual next!

When you're unhooking everything, as was said- take plenty of pictures. Make drawings too if you have to. Sometimes the auto trans cooler lines clip to the oil pan. Wire harnesses have a funny way of not going back onto the firewall or frame or etc like they originally did, so when you remove a clip or screw, put a piece of masking tape on the wiring harness & the frame so you'll remember how it hung across the car.

Oh- you had asked if the trans needs to come out; probably not. As long as you can unhook the bellhousings, you'll be OK. You may need a 9/16 wrench to reach the top trans-to-engine bolts from by the distributor. Or, you can use a bunch of 1/2 inch extensions (NOT 3/8th extensions, they'll twist up) and a breaker bar- that will let you get to the bellhousing bolts from under the car. You'd be swinging the breaker bar back by the trans tailshaft. You'll need to support the trans with a block of wood between the pan and a jack, because once the motor lifts up and forward, the trans will fall down! Be careful when you reconnect the engine to the trans if the trans is an automatic- the torque convertor needs to seat FAR into the transmission. If you try to bolt the engine to the trans, and there's a mysterious gap between the engine and trans, that means the torque convertor is jammed against the engine. Undo everything and make sure the torque convertor seats against the trans.