Freshening up a 350 on a budget

[bhayes1]

Wanted to run something by you guys.

My truck has a low mileage 305 in it currently that I am actually really happy with. I know they have a bad rap, but for what I use the truck for it is just fine.

With that being said I have the original 350 sitting in the garage collecting dust. Engine was removed due to water in the oil and what sounded like a rod knock. No idea of the actual mileage on this engine.

If I had a true need for an engine replacement I would without a doubt go back with a crate motor. However, a part of me wants to tear the original 350 down and freshen it up with new bearings, rings, and gaskets. If I were to do any more than that I would just buy a crate engine when you factor in machining cost, parts, effort etc. it just doesn't add up to put much into the original 350 as I have read post after post about how happy guys are with the low dollar crate motors.

My old man is retiring next year and heading out of state so I figured it might be a good time to take on the challenge while I have someone around who has done this a few times. Is it worth it or would I be wasting my time?

[Marv D]

Without spending some $ at the machine shop finding out WHY it was watering the oil,, it's a very risky proposition.

If it had water in the cylinders when it was left to sit,, once you pop a head your decision may be made up for you. Deep pits in the cylinder walls mean more machine work than a used block is worth usually.

$400 in refurbishing the heads, $300-$400 in the block, turn the crank, new cam/lifters gaskets carb rebuild,,,, and your EASILY $1500-$1800 into it
.
Myself I would rather rebuild one than do a crate,, but that's only because I am a bit more particular about it than a mass produced crate rebuild

[Ironangel]

Thats really a question only you can answer. If the motor was knocking a bearing may have been spun causing damage to the crank as well as the rod itself. Water in the oil could be a blown head gasket which in turn led to the knock. You wont know the extent of the damage until you put the motor on a stand and tear it down. I rebuilt my 72 350 three years ago and by the time I had the heads freshened up,($600) installed a Performer intake, ($175) a carb, ($300) a cam and lifters,($200) miscellaneous hardware, gaskets, ($150) break in oils, etc. etc. The price for rebuilding can far exceed the time and effort not to mention the expense of a gen 1 motor rebuild. That didn't include bearings, crank polishing, pistons or rods...That motor is still running strong but if I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now. I would opt for the $2000 L31 Vortec 350 and sell the motor on the floor... http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...FQW4wAodvh4J8Q ~Ghostrider~

[bhayes1]

Haven't pulled the heads off yet, so I don't know the condition of the cylinder walls.

My thought process was to pull the heads, check them to see if the are warped by means of straight edge and filler gauge. If they are good I was going to assume just a bad head gasket and proceed. Ball hone the the cylinders, new rings, gaskets and bearings.

Basically if I am going to spend more than $500 bucks then, for me, it doesn't make sense to move forward. For others with the tools and a more well rounded skill set it may be different. And again this would be more for the experience than out of necessity.

[Coley]

Ok....so $500 is your budget, so we have to work from that.
Now, from time to time someone is selling a good, used 350...they generally are a dime a dozen to find.
If that is an option (?), find one that is already (still) running and do a compression check, prior to purchasing...and make sure you give it a good overall inspection.
If it is already pulled, see if there is minimum warranty on its condition.
Again...there were billions of these things made and put into just about everything for 30 years....so a good running used one for $500 is not much of a stretch.
Long term, when you have more funds....you can consider a rebuild of the original or perhaps get a crate engine.

My two bits.
Coley

[bhayes1]

$500 isn't really my budget but its the price I'm setting to make logical decisions off of.

Like I stated, I am not in a position where my truck is broke down and I am dying to get an engine in it, it was more or less for the experience of going through the internals of a 350 without completely throwing money away.

I pretty much knew the answer but I think you guys confirmed it for me. Let the 350 collect dust. Save it for if I decide to get rid of the truck I can pass it along to the next guy and if I get tired of the 305 or if it starts giving me issues then pull the trigger on a crate 350 with vortec heads.

If I were to go in deep on the 350 and have it machined I would go back with a 383 anyhow.

Thanks for the info fellas.

[garyd1961]

Tear the 350 down and see what you find inside then make a decision. I can tell you now that you are looking at more than $500 even if the block and crank checks out ok, I spent $200 just in gaskets on my 383. Unless you are a seasoned mechanic with access to a machine shop you can't beat the price of a GM crate motor.
If you were starting with a motor that is already running good I might could see it happening but not one with the problems you described.

[Dead Parrot]

You won't lose anything but time if you take the 350 apart, at least enough to learn why it was leaking. Once it is apart, you can measure the cylinders and learn how worn they are. If the leaks are due to cracked metal or you find a bunch of rust in the cylinder walls, you could still go through the exercise of disassembling everything as a learning exercise. Then haul the pile of metal parts to the salvage yard for whatever money you can get. One less thing to trip over in the garage and a little more money for the wallet. You could even practice assembling everything but just reuse all the old parts. Again as a learning exercise while your dad is around.

If the block is in good shape, you might get a bit of money on CL from someone that is really convinced they can do a better job of building from scratch then buying a crate motor.

[Alex V.]

Really can't hurt to the heads and oil pan. If there wasn't water in the bores when stored it could be brought back without extensive machine work. And, if you're inclined to do so, borrow or rent some precision measuring tools and learn to measure the bores to see how bad they are = whether it has to be bored out or not.

[Ironangel]

What Alex, the Parrot, and Gary said, Marv too...We've all been where your at, tear it down and take a look, go from there...I will say this, what Marv said about buildin your own motor is worth a mile a crate motors! Thats something you cant buy or put a price on! And when it comes to a 350 over a 305? Aint no comparison there, that stock 350 will feel like a big block compared to that school marm's 305..."just sayin" ~Ghostrider~ PS. Didn't see Coley, what the Canuck said too!

[68gmsee]

I have "freshened" up engines before to get by --but only to get by. Most of the vehicles I did this on, I wound up trading them in as soon as I was able to afford it. It's best to go all out and do it right if you want to keep the truck for the long haul. It's better to do that than have to do it again later.

[garyd1961]

I always thought you "freshened up" a motor already running good.