Engine Swap Help...

[Big Mack Daddy]

Hey guys, I know I'm new here but I'm in dire need of help... Yesterday the motor in my truck took a dump and now I'm in the market for another motor. I found a 305 of an unknown year but it has the carbeurated intake on it. How hard would it be to swap this into my 1991 C1500 with a 350 TBI? Can I put my intake on there? Will I need another computer? If I decided to go with carb, what all would have to be done for all my guages to work? Thanks all and any help is appreciated as this is my first complete engine swap... and to any Chapmanville members, feel free to stop by anytime, I live at Caney Branch...

[bwood]

It would help to know the year. There are one piece rear main seal engine (87-up truck engines) and the original 2 piece rear main seal. They are both small block and will fit in the same holes. They do use different oil pans and flywheel/flexplates. So if it is a 2 piece rms, you will have to use the pan from the donor (and it may not fit depending on the original application) and you will have to get another flywheel/flexplate as the bolt pattern on the two different cranks will be different.

Now if you can get past the above mentioned items, it should work. The only other issue I can think of is the center intake bolts are differnt on the TBI engines than the carb engines. You can put your TBI intake on the other engine, you may just have to do some light mods to the bolt holes mentioned. If you are dropping in size (ie 350 to 305) you may experience some over fueling as the fuel injection is sized for a 350. If it is a 305 to 305 swap then the fuel injection will work ok.

[60ratrod]

now if you can get the tbi manifold to fit on the 305, another thing that you need to keep in mind is you are going to need all of the other sensors that are on that dead 350, like the knock sensor. so what i would do is try to find a good running tbi'd 305 or a tbi'd 350 to put in the dead motor's place. the junkyard near my house pulls all of the good running motors and i have found 4-5 tbi'd 305s and 350s, and they weren't asking that much for them either. otherwise everything else on that 350 will fit on that 305, and seeing as how the 350 injectors are too much for a stock 305 you can always get a set of injectors off of a 4.3 out of an s10/s15 truck and blazer, astrovan, or even a 1500 sierra/silverado cause the injectors for a 4.3 and 305 are the same

[Big Mack Daddy]

would it be easier to just go carbed and get a fuel pressure regulator and set it to 4-5 psi? what else would be involved, the motor is an 84 model. and going into a 91 model.... and thanks bwood and 60ratrod for your replies, they were greatly appreciated...

[60ratrod]

like i said, if you haven't already gotten the above mentioned 305, then i would just look for a tbi'd motor. and another thing you need to take into consideration is your local emissions laws. if you have to get smogged every year, and you take your truck in to get checked and they see that carb'd engine and they check the emissions info sticker to see what was originally equipped in that truck, then your truck will get flagged and you won't be able to get it checked until you get the proper setup. so i would just stick with the tbi. tbi motors should not be that hard to locate.

[Big Mack Daddy]

tbi motors are few and far between around here and there is no emissions testing so no worries there.

[bwood]

You might try www.car-part.com

The engine doesn't have to be out of a truck, look at the full size cars too like the Caprice.

[Big Mack Daddy]

thanks man but i already have a new motor sittin in the shop, its a 305 from an 86 model pickup, got it for $100 all it needs is valve cover gaskets and oil pan gaskets.