Ok, i have a broken ring in the 7 cylinder..I figure if im gonna do it, im gonna do the whole thing..I have read the boards about the pros and cons of using the 305..I can only say that I am broke and this is gonna be on a tight budget..here is my plan..I want to bore the 305 block to .030 over, and add a cam and headers..I dont want anything crazy, just a nice driver...what I need to know is can I do the bore, add a little more cam and headers without having to replace the chip or intake..if so what would be a faily nice cam to go with..I'd like a little "lope" in it..oh and by the way its 91 rs with the 305 tbi..any input is greatly appreciated as this will be my first build..

 

The 1st step in rebuilding a 305 is to find a block with a 4 inch bore..

That was a joke... but now watch, the 305 ***** will come out of the woodwork & defend the small bore... If you want to spend money rebuilding the '05... Its your choice. & no, TBI will not learn any upgrades. A higher flowing air cleaner is pushing it. I'm fighting this battle right now.. You're going to have to program/ tune the computer for a cam.

 

There are a lot of good reasons to build a 305.

There are VERY few reason to rebuild one though.

Once you start boring and turning cranks "budget" is out the window.

Personally I would take the 305 to the scrapper and go find a running 350 for less then what it would cost to rebuild the 305. Do a budget build on it and drive it until it needs ring or bearings and rebuild it. You can find running 96-02 vortec 350's for 400$ if you look. That's not even the cost of the rebuilt bottom end of the 305.

Even if being a cheap like me isn't your thing you can by a 350 core for $75, sometimes less if you check classifieds, craiglist, ect, and rebuild that.

TBI is not so plug and play you need to do some research on that and see if it's something you want to get into. EBL is probably the best solution for tuning that I have seen.

 

well i have found master rebuild kits for around 600 bucks on the net, I guess i can forgo the cam and such and just restore her to stock...where you find those vortecs for so cheap? point me in the right direction and i would go that way..if i do decide to go 350 then what all else need to be replaced? I've heard oil pans, wiring harnesses, etc..and it just seems like it would add up fast..If anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it

 

Check classifieds like craigslist, ebay, this forum has one too. Also everyone's forgotten about the junkyard for some reason. They pull motors and one's around me guarantee them. There's even one that will sell unwarranted motors for 150$. Call around, you won't be the first or last guy to call them with this request. 96-02 350 chevy trucks had the vortecs.

Just tell them you need a motor for your 99 Tahoe with a 350.

Before you go buying any kits you might want to call your local machine shop and see what they can quote you first since you are on a tight budget.

You can put a better cam in there then stock with a TBI ECM too just nothing on the mild/wild side. Ask around on the TBI boards you'll find better info on that there.

 

thanks doom86 for the input..i really appreciate the advice..just one last question..say i find one of the 350 vortecs..if i just take the ecm from the same vehicle and replace it in my 3rd gen..would things like the fuel pump and guage cluster still work?

 

I'm not sure honestly hopefully someone smarter then me can tell you.

I do know there is a sticky in the TBI forum on building a budget TBI car based around the Vortec long block. Check it out there is a lot of good information in it.