Hey everyone. I am rebuilding my first ever engine. I am just about done with the tear down. It is a Chevy 305. I know that isn't a real desirable engine, but I know it makes a good cruiser. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any upgrades that could help looks or sounds. I wanted to get a new cam. Now I heard that you can put a Chevy 350 into a 305 but wasn't sure if that's true. Anything people can help me with I would appreciate. Thanks.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness is a very true adage.The cam bearings are very soft as compared to the cam; meaning don't be a brute and just muscle the cam into place.Use plenty of oil in the assembly process.Fit the rings into each bore and verify the correct size before installing them on the Pistons.Spin the engine by hand after each piston in the hole to make sure nothing has "bound up" since the last piston/Rod install.Use a torque wrench,pre lube the oil pump before firing engine.Clean the block with HOT soapy water and dry off engine before installation of parts.Remember,oil is cheap,motors aren't!
Check out putting perfume on a pig by fathack- it is a thread for 307s but lots of great info and lots of stuff there applies. Good luck with your build. Puttin' Perfume on a Pig...307 Tech?! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/index.php?threads/Puttin'-Perfume-on-a-Pig...307-Tech?!.45615/
read and understand the processes before you get into to it and like said before cleanliness is a must and so is paying attention , many motors have been ruined by not paying attention and forgetting simple things . also orginization skills will help too . keep track of everything .
Pick up a couple books. How to rebuild your small block Chevy and How to hot rod your small block Chevy. Lots of good info. I used those to rebuild my first motor which was a 350. I had an Edelbrock Performer intake, holy 650 vacuum secondary, L79 cam and a set of headers. That was back in 87 so I am sure there are a bunch of great combos available that didn't exist back then.
As far as upgrades on a budget build, Summit sells a cam and lifter setup that is very reasonable and they really aren't bad at all. They have various degrees of how radical they are, but their tech guys should be able to help you select a good one. I have also bought "off brand" aluminum intakes that some of the vendors sell at large car shows, as well as some no name electronic distributors, and have had great luck with them. The last intake I bought was some name brand intake with the name ground smooth, and I think I paid $79 for it at a show. You can also pick up an Edelbrock reman carb from someone like All American Carburetors for about $200 and they are just like new in every respect. We have bought a bunch of them. Those mods and a set of headers will make the 305 much more responsive. Go onto YouTube and put in "How to rebuild a 350 Chevy engine" (same as your 305) and there are a ton of very good videos on the subject. Don
Set of 416 heads with some port and polish work along with a smaller rv typ cam and 500cfm carb you will be pretty impressed with how well the combo works in this size engine.
Make sure you use head gaskets with the correct bore- many kits come with 350 gaskets and they are to large for your bore. Do not use large valves as they can hit the smaller bore. Use a smaller cam than you would for a 350.
Is it a roller cam 305 block? We used to find 350 tpi cams and swap them in, maybe not as feasible now. Either way, a small cam will do wonders. Check out northern auto for your rebuild kit, upgrade the cam, summit offers about the same deal. If the 305 block needs bored or you need to buy pistons, I would just get another 305. They're just fine for cruising but I wouldnt want to have much in the rebuild. Boil it, hone cylinders, new rings, bearings, gaskets. Anything more than that, find a new block. Try to fund the 305 heads with larger valves if you need to rebuild the heads. Edelbrock Performer and 600 vac secondary carb or any non computer controlled 4 bbl, small cam, 1 5/8" headers, it will run respectably
Good info that they put out. Read what Flatheadjohn wrote in post #2 about five times or until you have it pretty well memorized and that goes for any engine that anyone is working on. Keep the rod caps with the rods and pistons they came with. I've had far too many engines brought to me in boxes that someone took apart and didn't put the cap back on the rod when they pulled the rod and piston out. Most of us mark the rods and mains before we start taking the engine apart. Cleanliness is paramount to having a successful engine build of any type if you expect it to last. Have a clean work bench or table with nothing else on it to lay your parts out on after you have them cleaned up and dry and ready to assemble. Having all the parts cleaned and prepped before starting assembly should be part of this process. Don't put parts , bolts or what not on the lay it out for assembly bench until you have it cleaned and ready. If you want to paint the pieces while it apart have the painting done after the cleanup and what machine work you are going to do is done. Study how to put back together in the most efficient manner. Usually I put the cam in and then put the crank in as you can guide the cam a bit with your fingers if needed. A long bolt or maybe something for a handle that is fairly long welded to a bolt that screws into the front of the cam for a handle helps keep it straight when you are installing it without nicking the cam bearings. When you install the crank torque the main bearing bolts and turn the crank a couple of spins before lining up the timing marks, That way as someone else mentioned you know if you have a problem right there. I'd install the timing gears and chain after I had the crank in and give the crank a turn or two and check to make sure that I had the marks lined up right. Again that lets you know if you have a problem. Install each piston with the crank at bottom center. Make sure that you have the tangs for the bearings matching each other. Torque the rod bolts on the rod and turn the crank a turn and then line it up for the next piston to be installed. Yep as someone else said, that lets you know if you have an issue right then and there. The other guys pretty well covered the heads and head gaskets. 305 engines have a real small bore so big valves don't work. Depending on what year the engine is you may be able to pick up a used aftermarket intake for low bucks off Craigslist. Don't go too big on the carb. Get a copy of How to rebuild a small block Chevy if you don't have one and get a copy of how to hot rod a smallblock chevy too. You can find them at most parts houses or book stores or online. I used one as a teaching aid for a number of years.
All good info so far. However, DON'T think more power by swapping to "better" heads, as most any head NOT meant for a 305 will have larger combustion chambers that will DROP your compression ratio. Stay with the 416 or 601 (better/smallest chamber) heads, with 1.84 intake valves. Here's a case where E-Bay is your friend, as far as getting name brand parts for cheap; rings, bearings, cam, that sort of thing, and many times the shipping is free (I don't know how they get away with that!). When the economy was at it's worst, Craig's List was discount city for parts/engines, and sometimes deals can still be found. As far as teardown, disassemble the engine marking everything and keeping everything in order. IF your block needs to be bored, I can help with a set of NEW, .030 oversize pistons (HO style, not dished) for CHEAP, just send me a PM. Some parts will interchange with the 350, but even though the crank may have the same casting number, it will be balanced differently. Same with the rods, they may look the same but are't, but will work if rebalanced, and pistons won't swap at all as there's no way a 305 will go to a 4 inch bore. Most other bolt on parts will swap, but again, don't use 350 heads. Machine shop work is where the costs really start to escalate; the simple valve grind only, now turns into needing new guides, plus they are warped and need surfacing, or the thin wall castings (all late model stuff are) are cracked. This really boils down to what your engine will need, what you're willing to spend/afford, and what your expectations are. You can most likely replace the 305 with another, lower mile 305 or 350 than what it would cost to overhaul yours. You wanna play, you gotta pay. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
A decent core 350 can be had for cheap...i/e 50 bucks or so, the cost to rebuild a 305 vs a 350 is the same, I'd use the 305 as a "teaching aid"...take it apart, and reassemble it and check clearances, etc..following assembly procedures...that would put engine #1 under your belt, plus give you some confidence that after spending a $1000-plus on machine work and parts, you'd feel better knowing it was going together correctly. I'd never tell some one who even has good mechanical skills, "yes, just get a book and follow it" for their first engine assy., I'd tell them to find a friend/etc, who's done it before, buy some pizza and spend a few weekend evenings/afternoons with you putting it together....hence me saying use the 305 as a tool to learn.
Thanks everyone! I didn't expect this many replies! Hahaha. Has any one heard of getting a 400 crank and bore .060 to make a 334? Just wondering if it was worth it. I've read several articles and heard yes and no. Thoughts?
Why 305? You can find 350 all day long if you want power might be cheaper in the long run consider you can find used high performance parts
If your thinking stroker crank for your first rebuild...... Just do a 383 with a 350. Start slow,learn the basics before getting crazy! There are MANY things to understand about an engine..... Cover the basics, spread your wings as you grow....... Rings and bearings are for a "freshen up",but if you are going in blind,and not knowing about machine work.......... I wish you luck,and bring your check book......
What he said ^^^ make sure you know the name off all the parts nothing worse then when someone dosent have a clue what you talking about
Thanks everyone for the great info and help! I am super stoked to be doing this and it's awesome to know I have people her I can count on if I get stuck!
Stroker 305 is foolish - much cheaper and more effective to build a 350. The only reason to stroke a 305 would be to fit a specific class, and a 327 would probably make more power than a stroked 305 which would still have its breathing limited by its smaller bore. Nothing wrong with a 305 if it fits your needs- they are good daily drivers and are not designed to be high performance engines. Yes they can be better than stock but breathing is key to performance.
I second the idea of using the 305 as practice and finding an experienced friend to give you a hand with your build. I remember building my first engine, it was a Buick 3.8. I was like 18, read about 100 Hot Rod magazines showing how to build a 350 and thought I knew what I was doing. Armed with only a couple magazines and a chart of toque specs I had at it. This was around 1992 and I don't remember getting much help from the internet. I muscled through it, meaning I had no idea what I was doing but just kept going until it was done, and by the grace of God everything worked fine. Except the rear main, I spun that early on and paid a shop $100 to replace it. Those rope seals are a nightmare. In other words, take your time, ask questions and getting the help of someone that knows what they're doing is invaluable the first time around.
I have a 305 for my 50 chevy truck its a great little engine it has a 96 hyd roller and rotating assembly and ho305 heads the only thing i am changing is the heads when it goes back in and that is only to lower the compression and make it look older. People ask why a 305 they are all over and you doent have to care if it pops from too much fun
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