CLOSE THIS. NOBODY CAN READ, AND NOBODY WANTS TO READ WHY I WANT TO DO WHAT I WANT TO DO. PLEASE LOCK THIS THREAD AND/OR DELETE IT.

I UNSUBSCRIBED SO EVERYONE CAN STOP COMMENTING

 

Yeah, I read the disclaimer... Friends don't let friends rebuild 305s. There's no smiley shaking the finger in a "no" manner, so this one will have to do. Think of it as a global pandemic friendly hug.

GM 305s are not like a Ford 302. The 302 doesn't have a bore size disadvantage that the 305 has. You owe it to yourself to step up to a 350. You can't rebuild a 305 for what a new GM Vortec crate 350 costs. You'll spend more and get less. You're worth the 350. It's not your fault, you can rise above the puny 305, I believe in you.

Don't hate me for looking out for you.

 

Horse, meet Water...

 

YOU'RE NOT MY SUPERVISOR!!

But seriously. Don't waste money on a 305. Swap in a 350 if you want to stay original. LS swap it if you want to get close to modern power.

 

Nope, no to the 350. And I was not meaning that they are exactly alike. I know they are bored differently. I was meaning the longevity. And, yes I can rebuild a 305 for less than a crate engine. So far, I'm looking at $1500 for the entire rebuild. Can the crate Vortec 350 cost less than $1500? No. My love for the 305 stands.

 

My first statement was typed nicely, and will say it nicely again. No more talk of the 350, please. It's not going to happen, get over it. Do I need to link another TGO member that rebuilt a powerhouse of a 305? But, that's not the reason I'm doing it, I'm doing it to keep the car a 305, and that I prefer a 305 over the 350. My choice, my thoughts, my opinion, my engine rebuild. I don't go to other rebuild threads and tell them that they should keep the 305, or switch to the 305. Please respect what I want to do and just recommend parts. Not a 350 or a crate 350.

 

Longevity is the same between 305 and 350.

If you "rebuild" a 305 for less than you can buy a 350 for, you will end up with an oil-burning, poor gas mileage, unreliable, smelly, blowby-plagued POS, that gets beat by Kia minivans and Chevy Sparks. You are kidding yourself with "confirmation bias". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias You DON'T want a motor like what you will get by doing that. 350 parts are CHEEEEEEEPER than 305 parts, because SO MANY MORE of em are made. Basically, if you have 2 identical piles of money, however large or small, and spend one pile on a 305 and the other, identical, pile on a 350, you will get MORE FOR YOUR MONEY, every single time, from the pile that goes to the 350. (barring idiot builders of course, who can strike at any time on any motor of any displacement)

But as you say, it's your choice; you don't have to listen to logic, reason, fact, or experience. You can live in a bubble and "believe" whatever you like. Just don't expect any of the rest of us to share your delusion.

Horse, meet Water.

 

It won't be original with a 350. 350s didn't come into play until 1988 in the Camaro. As for LTx/LSx, budget says too expensive. And it's not original.

 

Obviously, nobody will listen. Moderators, please close this down. Delete it. Ask for help and you get criticized for doing what you want to do with your car.

 

Napkin math, you could probably swap in a truck 5.3 for right around your $1500 budget, and would have tons more power potential

Can't help you there.

You're right: The 305 is a very reliable engine, and you can run one forever. That's no longer an option because you yanked yours out and started tinkering on it. Us ignoring your big bold warning are just trying to help you out.

 

This means that the part you need, is a block with a 4" bore. That is the ONE SINGLE MOST RECOMMENDED part. It should be obtained before selecting any other parts.

 

Jack meet ***

 

That's not helping, it's irritating and not the help that I asked for.

 

Deleting your entire thread and asking mods to lock it down is Charmin Soft bud.

Sometimes the advice you need isn't the advice you want to hear.

Good luck with your 305 build. Keep it as cheap and as stock as humanly possible and I'm sure it will work okay.

 

BBF..........Ignore these fools!
My 305 HO is hurt bad at 280k !

Gonna replace it with a 305 long block from the big box parts store for $1250 bucks!
No muss no fuss and could care less it aint a 350 or 383 whatever!
I want a smooth crusin' Sunday driver..................

 

My engine my choice!

 

There are threads already long done that have asked this same question. There is no new information and no new thinking on the matter that I am aware of. I wanted to rebuild my 305 TPI and found no reason not go 350 aside from having to buy a separate engine and not rebuilding then one I had in there already. I just couldn't find any reason for it other than that. I was able to pick up a rebuilder 88 TPI 350 long block for $600. That is certainly an extra cost because the old engine wasn't worth much. The engines are identical for all interchangeability purposes.

 

You knew the response you were going to receive, before you even clicked the "Submit New Thread" button, because you know in the depths of your heart and subconscious that you really don't want a 305.

If someone gave me the best 305 ever built, in good health, and I had a thirdgen without an engine (I do), I wouldn't install the 305 if I were going to keep the car. I'm not trying to bust your ***** here. Rebuilding any small block Chevy is foolish. I've btdt, and I wouldn't recommend it for all the pitfalls involved. We live in an instant gratification, disposable society. Trying to go about it any other way makes things difficult. Trying to do it with a 305 is self-immolation. For about $2,000 you can have them deliver a new from GM Vortec 350, a vastly superior engine to any 305, for little more than your $1500 budget. At least before the Mexican beer flu, and mass panic. Assuming things go back to normal, cut out the drive thru and beer for a month or two and save up for a better engine. It's worth it.

 

Given the terse response this guy gave Paulo when Paulo was asking him what I thought was a fair question , I'd say he's WAY too hardheaded to take any good advice from you all here regarding the 305 VS 350 .

Some people learn by absorbing the wisdom of others who've made the same mistakes , , , and some have to pay the installments on the tuition of the school of hard knocks themselves ....

 

I didn't read his reply to Paulo as nasty, just a bit terse.

I think people around here take things far too personally. No one is attacking anyone for appreciating their 305. I lovingly refer to my own L03 as a toilet bowl 305 because I hate that it's TBI, and hate that it's a 305. It's perfectly fine for getting from point A to point B, and it'd do that for decades, it's just bloody deafeningly boring to drive. I don't discourage people from rebuilding whatever junk SBC they're asking about because I don't like that person. I dislike that I spent handsomely on rebuilding an older 350, and it was a lengthy and disappointing experience. These are discussion forums, and people are going to share their opinions. If it's on topic, and within the acceptable guidelines of the forum, it's fair game to reply. Don't take it personally DontBlnkBadWolf, it's not as much about what you're planning as my own frustration in dealing with machine shops, and the experience of rebuilding old junk engines, or accepting boat anchor 305s as viable. It's just always a let-down. Your chances of success and satisfaction are increased by going a different route.

 

I'll go with terse as a better description than nasty , Thank You Drew .

 

People are like this. They get some idea stuck in their head, and nothing that comes along can jar it loose.

Personally I fail to see why anybody would post on a message board asking for "advice", and then get attitude toward people with lots of BTDT when they try to explain why whatever their hare-brained scheme is, is FOLLY. The whole "I want to build my 305/283/327/267/4.8/whatever" notion is in that class of things. Instead of thinking about how much it's going to cost them and how little they're going to end up with at the end, when they could spend THE SAME and GET MORE if they made better decisions, they get their panties all in a wad up their crack and all of a sudden those of us trying to help them NOT make the mistakes we've ALREADY MADE and are willing to share the results of our bad experiences, turn into The Bad Guys.

It's pretty obvious that this is this d00d's first rodeo. He thinks he's going to buy the cheeeeeeeepest of everything, and it's still going to turn out wonderful. Well, it might; but the odds are pretty damn poor. Doesn't generally work for anybody else, not sure why he thinks he's going to be so "special". To get a STOCK motor that runs any better than it did in STOCK trim, you have to do SOMETHING better. Usually ALOT of somethings. Cheeeeeeeeping out produces what I described earlier. I'm afraid for this guy that that's what he's going to end up with. Not the best possible introduction to our hobby. Butt hay, it's HIS choice; he can ignore all the advice he gets and do whatever he wants, HE'S the one who gets to enjoy the consequences.

 

It would seem that numbers matching 3rd gens are fetching big money on Barrett Jackson.

so it this was 4 cylinder or V6 would you apply the same logic. (numbers matching)

A small block is a small block... some are just better platforms than others.

 

I'm OK, but thanks. It's not like it made me cry or I needed to call my therapist.

If you're going to like the 305, wear it proudly. Boat anchors need love too. I like mine simply because it starts and runs when I want it to. I have low expectations.

 

Your thirdgen is worth no more with the original 305 than it would be with a 350. There is nothing special about having the "original" engine, and in fact it's boring...

 

This x-2000 if the original engine is tired.

Sadly it seems like DontBlinkBadWolf abandoned ship in disgust. Bummer.

 

It's too bad. I was looking forward to the same question asked in a different way trying to get the answer they like.

 

Wow idk why we cant just answer the question. If he wants a 305 let him have a 305.

i dont see people griping about guys that want to restore their cars to stock originality . Imo no vehicle should be kept stock but i aint gonna belittle those folk

 

Orr, he didn't ask about "originality". He threw that in later. He asked about "rebuilding" AND modding his 305 for more power. He gave us a budget of $1500. I don't think a 305, or ANYTHING ELSE, can be "rebuilt" for that; at least, not one that will stay together without smoking, knocking, leaking, and all the rest of those things that cheeeeeeeeep "rebuilds" do, for even as little as 10,000 miles. Let alone any kind of "more power" stuff (with the exception of picking a better cam, which of course can cost the same as a stock replacement one).

 

Right for that budget you only can do a very basic refresh, hoping stock crank and rods check out and basic rebuild pistons. That will take upa decent amount of that budget

Your shop rates will vary however. But still no discussion on what he could do after that is taken care of. Just go 350 is wise but not what he wants

 

Right: but for $1500 he could go to the junkyard and buy a 96-2000 5.7, and order a Performer from Summit (seems to me he had a carb), and maybe a flex plate or flywheel depending on his year (I forget); and PROBABLY get a super strong-running and reliable 350 that way WITHOUT all the CHEEEEEEEEEEEEP "rebuild" problems, within his budget or at least very close to it. NO WAY he's going to get ANYTHING CLOSE to that by messing with that 305.

Sometimes common sense, and the idea of GET MORE while SPENDING LESS (another instance of common sense), can overcome "want".

 

thats always a gamble buying used stuff. I’ve been burnt and so has alot of my friends. Then again some had success. If it pays off its worth it. If heads are cracked or deck scorched from blown gasket overheating or something, now you have two engines need rebuilt lol

i’d take my chances on stock crank rods (provided shop says they are straight and good) new hyper pistons any day of the week. Hell a set of scat rods are 300$ and pretty strong. I wouldnt say these parts would be considered cheap and unreliable. As long as the shop knows what it is doing. I get from the performance stand point its only a 305. To most that isnt enough

Guess what it comes down to is how much performance is desired here? For some a mild 305 may be all thats wanted. I dont know the guy lol there has been plenty of guys here wanting to stay with a 305 and thats ok by me. Let them be happy

i kept the 305 in my 91Z because i can turbo things. A 305 is a wonderful platform for boost lol.

 

Which is why the advice I give is to buy it from a junkyard, where one gets a GUARANTEE, even though it doesn't cover labor. NOT for example a craigslist motor, in which case all bets are off. Pay what it takes to get KNOWN GOOD and GUARANTEED IF NOT. Worth every penny of the difference between $300 or whatever, and $800 or whatever.

Anything is, to some extent; but not a $1500 "rebuilt" ANYTHING.

And of course a turbo in this case wouldn't be "original" either.

I'm reminded of a thread I just replied to, that contains some other, but illuminating, results of "doing what the customer wants", even if it's not A Good Idea. https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/body...o-sunroof.html

 

Where you getting a guarantee at a wrecking yard? lol.

Hey, if the guy wants to spend his money on a 305, let him...he can stroke it to what, at 334? or something? He can spend twice as much as it probably would be to make the power of a 4inch block, why should anyone care about how he spends his money?

Sofa probably lived through the days like I did, we had a 396, or a "400" from a truck, and then found a 427, then a 454...we kept going knowing more cubes made more power with less effort.

I say give the OP advice on how to build his 305 and let him/her learn..."I shoulda had a real V8"

 

Ok, fine...

Step 1 - Set block on end.
Step 2 - Drill holes in plywood.
Step 3 - Bolt plywood to block.
Step 4 - Enjoy artisan, custom, coffee table; or sell to Hobby Lobby; make many dollars for investing in better block to build. Very nice, yes?

 

You forgot the 8 vases to hold the flowers in...geesh, though you had a build plan....

 

Gotta leave something for the little woman to make it her own. Otherwise the rest of the Bunco ladies will say nasty things behind her back.



She'll figure out those are for bottle storage and dispensing Solo cups soon enough.

 

Nice!