go ahead and give me a hard time for not finding answers to these questions already, but i spend so much time researching things (because i started at knowing nothing about anything) that im kinda burned out. im looking for the "best" cam and heads set up for my carbed 305 IYO. basically i want a set up that will work for a 350 (which i will eventually get) but will work on my 305 and be streetable. it will probably be a few years before i get a 350 AND have it built up tho.

 

i know theres alot of ways to go with this..i guess im looking for poor mans option (like just redoing stock heads and getting a cheap mild cam) and also best option regardless of money

 

get a set of stock tpi heads, theyll be good for the 305 and fine for a 350, as long as you run a dished piston or something to keep the compression from getting too high. a little porting and polishing would be recommended.

 

the compression issue would only apply to the 305 correct? did tpi heads come with dished pistons or did they have more than one option? im guessing they didnt come with dished and id have to get some?

 

a lot of 350s came with a slightly dished piston. if you can fork out a lil more money, you can get a set of vortech heads from a 90s truck. theyre 64cc so theyll be fine on the 305, and great on a 350.

 

im assuming ur talking about 350 vortech heads? (im not sure if they made 305 ones)

 

they did make 305 ones iirc, but theyre 58cc, too small for a 350. unless you want a crazy amount of compression or a deep dished piston.

 

Ive heard a lot of conflicting things about whether the 305 vortec heads are anything like (read: as good) as the 350 heads.

Personally I would look for some aluminum L98 (113 heads, same heads they use on the zz4 I think) heads. They have smaller chambers and will give you a higher compression ratio. Unfortunately aluminum NEEDS a higher CR, but still, I think it's a good way to hop up a 305, especially since you wont need a new Vortec intake. You can reuse what you have if youve already upgraded the intake.

Aluminum L98 heads and an xe268 cam I think will get you there. The xe268 is relatively large for a 305, but because you have 3.73 gears and a T5, I'd do it. I think that'd be an excellent combo. It'll sound nasty too, and who doesnt want that?

If you've got morem oney you can get some really nice stuff, but since you cant afford to switch to a 350 Im assuming you're budget limited like most of us. The xe268 and 113 heads will be decent. If you're worrieda bout having to spin the engine too high to make the 268 work, and you're worried about the static compression ratio not being enough to keep the dynamic compression ratio high, then you may want to consider an xe262. It's a good daily driver performance cam, but I wish I had gone bigger on my 350.

I think you'd be better off leaving a little power on the table with the 305 and having a better setup ready for the 350.

Understand though, those 113 heads arent the best around by any means, but they're decent and aluminum which will take 50 lbs off the front of the car and help the little 305 scoot.

I think they're a good compromise.

But remember, if you want to go the Vortec route, you can always shave down teh Vortecs, and build a 350 with dished pistons. It'll cost more though.

Also, I've seen a high compression 305 with shaved factory 416 heads with some minor portwork and a magnum 280H cam do 12s... You have to spin the 305 so high to do that though. I woudlnt do it with a stock bottom end, it wouldnt hold together all that long.

 

thanks for the helpful info, gives me something to look into. i only have the stock intake now, so im guessing with the 268 cam and zz4 heads id have to upgrade, any recommendations? now like i said it will be a while before a 350 will be in the works..more because of the lack of a place to store it even than money, but money is def. part of it. i dont know much about static and dynamic compression other than one is at rest and the other is moving aka engine running? still got a lot to learn obviously. it is important to have the car be reliable (for the most part) as it will be my daily driver (do have another car but i didnt buy this car to have it sit in a garage) can i make the 268 cam work reasonably well or is it just gonna stress out the motor too much? if so ill go with the 262 and just upgrade later when i get the 350. if itll last a few years than thats fine. also if the 262 performs better for this motor id rather get that and like i said upgrade the cam later. my other mods right now are hedman 1 5/8 longtubes with true dual h pipe 3" into summit racing muffs, electric fan set up from clutch (yippee), building a dual air snorkel, the carb rebuilt with performance in mind with a new hei dist. with a 65k coil and 8 mm msd plugs. oh and a hypercrap chip which may have to come out idk. i only mention this stuff in case it may be pertinent to what i get. im guessing not. im long winded but thanks again for the info.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...num-heads.html (ud have to scroll down a bit) This def. makes it seem like theres alot of issues to deal with to make the heads work, it sounds more difficult, but hell i dont know maybe all head swaps are this involved. i dont want to have to use more than 92-93 octane all the time too. i wish i knew more. ah well back to the books, so to speak.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350-383-Sbc-...sories&vxp=mtr

something like this work? or should i focus on 58cc i dont know what its missing but 400 bucks seems like a helluva deal
oh wait it did say bare and not complete

 

since youre looking for heads that will help the 305, and still work well on a 350. you shouldnt go smaller than a 64cc unless you plan on building a high compression 350 later, or going with a dished piston. but the 64cc is a happy medium. not too big on the 305 so you dont loose a lot of compression. not too small on the 350 so you dont have crazy high compression. since you said you were going for cheap i suggested the vortechs. some of the best flowing stock heads, and can be had for a fully assembled set in a j/y for maybe $100. the down side to the vortechs is you need a new intake to go with it since it has taller intake runners. if you have a carb (stock or otherwise) you can get a good used intake for cheap as well. having TPI makes it a little harder to get a vortech intake. tbi is as simple as getting a carb intake and using a tbi adapter plate.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...tec-heads.html

vortech heads on here for $150 plus shipping, full assembled....

 

Just to be clear, dont go smaller than 64cc unless it's aluminum. But like I said, the reason you want that 64cc chamber is to get a good compression ratio, and if you need to you can get dished pistons and be fine.

Also, as far as a lot of issues to deal with.

1. High performance engines run high octane. If you're not running premium in them you left a bunch of power on the table.
2. The 305 with 58cc 113 heads is gonna have the same compression ratio you have now. No difference.
3. The intake manifold bolt angle thing is something you're gonna have to deal with with a LOT of decent heads. It just depends on whether they're from an 86 or newer engine. You could use some 128 aluminum L98 heads, but they're not as good as the 113's. Vortec heads would require a whole new manifold altogether.
4. Since your compression ratio is the same with the aluminum heads, you may be able to continue running crappy low octane fuel.

But seriously, if you're wanting tobuild a high performance engine, trying to build it to run on low octane minivan fuel is like trying to run a marathon and tying your shoes together. You may as well leave the 305 alone.

Do you know if those Vortec_ heads have the same ports and combustion chamber shape as the 350 versions? Regardless, with the smaller valves and smaller chamber (putting 58cc iron heads on a 350 isnt a fantastic idea) I wouldn't bother putting them on a 350, so they should raelly only be for the 305. I think at that point he'd be better off just working with his factory 416 heads, shaving them down and running a cam in the mid 20s for duration like the xe262 or the xe268. He'd just have to compare the cost of buying those heads and refurbing and buying a new intake manifold vs shaving down his own heads. That way he would have a ridiculous amount of money into heads, so he could get proper 64cc vortecs when he goes to a 350. $150 a pair might be worth it, but it just depends.

 

i didnt pay much attention to it, but those are the 059 casting which are the 58cc 305 vortecs. it has slightly smaller valves and a 165 intake runner instead of the 170. they also have a slightly different bowl design to help keep the valves unshrouded. they have a flat edge instead of the heart shaped edge.

 

See Im not sure those are anywhere near as effective as the 350 heads. THey're probably some of the better 305 heads out there, though. But 416s can flow well enough get 305s in the high 12s.

 

i wasnt suggesting to just go buys those, but more of an example of how easy they are to get ahold of, and a general pricing of the vortec heads. i just ran across those while browsing the classifieds, not searching.

 

If he could find a Vortec intake used for cheap, or he was gonna commit to Vortecs for his 350 (and buy separate 350 Vortecs for it) then those would be a pretty good option.

 

I appreciate the info guys. Also I meant more than 92 octane really. Right now I'm thinking cheapest
Route because I got a freshly built lt1 waiting for me
For 2k. A lot of money for me but guy built it and decided to
go with a 454. He doesn't need the money hell hold it
He also has one for 750 but needs a rebuild kit prob. Hear
Those aren't cheap

 

any heads you get for your 305 wont work on the lt1. if thats the case then those 305 vortecs would be a great choice for your 305, but as stated youd need a vortec intake as well. and depending in your fuel delivery method can get expensive.

 

my 305 is the lg4 carb. i am planning on looking at the 750 lt1 motor in the next week (ish) to see if its worth picking up. if not i may see what he wants for the alum heads on it (dont know if theyre 113's yet) but thanks for the ideas if i dont get the 350 motor 1st i will just probably go with ur guys advice and wait for one of those combos to appear. oh yeah, since my lg4's compression is already a paltry 8:6:1 is a 64cc head gonna make the comp too low? yeah i havent had money for anything ive done on the car so far and things have still been progressing..cars about to be painted, the exhaust and headers, even buying the car itself..money just showed up each time. God doesnt promise to supply everyone with lt1 motors (or better ones for that matter) but sometimes he does sh#t just to bless us..like the afore mentioned items. so well see!

 

LT1 heads dont work on regular 350 blocks. Regular 350 heads dont work on LT1's.

Also, LT1's are cheap cheap. If you pay anywhere near a grand you better have EVERYTHING you need to do the swap included. Wiring harness, computer, sensors, etc. I've seen them for $400-$650 in varying states of completeness. Always the complete engine, but the ECM and wiring harness seem to drive the price up a little bit.

An LT1 with a cam swap will outrun any regular old school 350 pretty handily. Those things can be beasts. You come across someone with a 383 and aftermarket aluminum heads and all bets are off. The only problem with the LT1 is the stupid Optispark.

 

huh, i had no idea. i figured t 500-700 was a steal for a motor that was partially rebuilt but with all the parts to go with it. (i dont know the state till i see it) but it was a motor with higher mileage originally too. so 113 heads will still work on my 305 tho?

 

oh also i have a non cc carb now..
and ive been looking but so far lowest i saw was 1000ish for an lt1 with 132k on ebay

 

look in the local jyards for lt1 4th gens. you can probably score one for $400-600 and throw a couple hundred into a rebuild kit.

 

For a rebuilt LT1 that's decent, but I dont trust anyone who says their engine was "just rebuilt" or "partially rebuilt" (what does that mean?) or whatever. I usually assume it's just a pull out, and an LT1 pullout for $400-$1000 is a decent deal assuming for the higher ranges of that price you get all the extra bits too.

But an LT1 with a cam swap will do 12's easy. They're all roller blocks. And all the bottom end parts are the same or very similar to Gen I 350 parts. So you can stroke it to a 383 no problem if you want to later on. It's fuel injected so you probably wont need to overbore it far when the time comes.

The only issue in my mind with the LT1 is the optispark, and whether or not you end up replacing it every 2 years or not. Some of them were better about it, some weren't. The 95-97 (I think it started in 95) versions have a better setup to keep the optispark internals dry, the years before that are a little more prone to opti failures. But I've heard of guys with later LT1's and they still have issues with it.

The LT1 intake system is FAR better than the TPI, and to get a similar setup on a Gen I block you have to pay huge money to get a Miniram. The higher compression ratio means you can run massive cams and be fine. It's a good setup except for the problem of the optispark, but it may never happen to you.

http://columbus.craigslist.org/pts/2666171699.html

http://columbus.craigslist.org/pts/2616376910.html

Just go peruse craigslist.

 

oh wow. huh, i guess i should be looking around a bit more. arent impala lt1's less desirable for some reason, or they exactly the same as other similar year lt1s

 

oh and the guy is a friend of a friend, the guy currently has the heads off and a few other things but hasnt got past that point. i was mistaken on the partially rebuilt, but really who knows. i got a guy who will go with me to help me from making stupid decisions, hes def. got a better idea what to look for. all i know is lt1s dont have dist. behind the motor, but by the water pump. anyone got any other ideas what to be on the look out for when buying an Lt1..other than maybe getting one 95 and newer cause of optispark not being sealed on 92-94s?