http://saginaw.craigslist.org/pts/2167528037.html

was gonna replace the 305 in my 86 camaro that has just been sitting in it since 97 and wanted to do a budget swap

 

Are you looking for a used/cheap engine that you can just slap into your car and be worry free? Or, are you looking for a project engine that needs different heads/cam and to be rebuilt? If the former, then you won't spend $250 for a trouble free motor. If the latter, then that sounds like a candidate for you to spend some money on building and rebuilding

 

a little of both im not looking at this and expecting to just install and drive for the next few years but i do plan on getting an engine stand and doing what i can do well its out im not that knowledgeable on rebuilding engines. but my main question is for the price and what is listed is it something worth buying or checking out? honestly my budget prolly wont exceed 400 im not looking for a brand new 300+hp engine

 

Reading forums like this one can make one feel inferior if they only have a..(fill in the blank, v6, 305, 350) because we all know that if it isn't a big block Chevy then it's not a real engine........right?

You posted a link to a $250 engine that has problems and that you have a $400 budget that I will assume is not inclusive of the $250 purchase price.

Does your current engine run? If so, leave it alone and save your money. To pop the heads and have them repaired (description in ad) requires a gasket kit as well as a machine shop and your $400 is already gone.

You wouldn't know if there were any issues with respect to bearings, rings,pistons, lifters, pushrods,cam, crank etc.

Again, you will see lots of numbers tossed out there that "350's are a dime a dozen" or "you can convert for under $1,000" and blah blah blah.

Those statements are true, but how many good engine swaps do you think can be done for under $1,000?

Do yourself a favor, search on turn-key small blocks and check their pricing. Then, look up long blocks which means you need to transfer some items over to the long block (which is no biggie). Look at the prices of those items (don't forget surface freight to a residence of around $350) and then ask yourself, "just how good is that $250 engine" ?

 

well i have a 305 engine now with a broken starter bolt with some surface rust on oil pan to the oil filter to the tranny pan o yeah it needs a new tranny

 

heres a good plan.. check the compression on the motor before you buy it. If it's good in all cylinders but one, we will assume it's the valves in that cylinder like he stated. slap your heads on from the 305 and your problem is solved.

 

well like i said i dont know much about chevy sbc engines so i was just asking you guys for some feedback the last camaro i bought came with a 350 engine. i hear alot of ppl saying its pointless to put money into 305s

 

It is pointless to put money into 305s because for the price of a 305 you can have a 350. They are probably more common then the 305 and every junkyard in the world has one! 45 cubic inches is a big difference even if you are only making .5HP/CI that's still 27.5 HP more you could have!

If that 350 makes good compression you should buy it. Take the heads off your 305 and put them on the 350 to solve the heat issue. You will ultimately have a 350 with a compression ratio that is higher and it will be noticeably faster then both that 305 and 350. You should also switch to a mild cam (mid to upper .400"s and a low duration) to increase low end grunt even more.

A 350 is a great starting foundation no matter how you look at it for a low budget build.

 

@zraffz thanks for your fast reponses and your feedback is alot more understandable no offense to @torque_is_good its just im still learning but where do i go to look for cams? and what are the idea price for a good cam? and how would i figure out the compression? see my problem is the shop is telling me 60-125 to get this stupid broken starter bolt out the block and thats almost half the cost of this 350 im just trynna figure out what i should do?

 

also any feedback on this http://flint.craigslist.org/pts/2160844890.html