Want to swap a 305 for a..?

[TheBumbleBeeTruck]

I'm new here, and looking for some advice. I'm 16, and got my first truck, a 1985 chevy 3/4 ton stepside, yellow with black fenders, and an orange flashing light behind the cab. Called the BumbleBee truck. I'ts an ex county truck

It's got a 305 in it right now, which really has no power. It struggles just going up hills, and's just plain not powerful. I'm also a boat guy, (since you can run boats when you're 13, I got 4 boats right now.) I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't make it up a hill with a 3000-3500 pound boat.

Well, I went for a ride again in my buddy's 1985 dodge 1/2 ton, that he put a 440 in. That thing really moves, even though he says it only has about 300 hp. That really made me want to look into some crate engines.

So, I'm really new to all this, and was lookin' for some opinions on what the best engine is. So I'm looking for a 350, or maybe a 383, but I want to try and keep the price around $3500, so I'm guessing that kinda limits me to 350, or a 355? Looking for turn key, or almost turnkey preferably. I was hoping to get something around 300 to maybe 350 hp, I looking for something with good torque, because I need to be able to tow boats with it, but also like to hotrod around with it a little bit, (remember I'm 16.)

The transmission in the truck from what I can tell is a 700r4, at least I know it's a 4 speed automatic. Will an engine like i'm talking about bolt up to that tranny, will put to much stress on it?

Any advice/ knowledge like best brands, best place to buy (I've been looking on Jegs mostly so far) etc is most appreciated. I really don't know a whole lot but would really like to learn.

here she is


She's a chick magnet


Thanks

Logan

[wwj75c30]

id say do a 383 my dads 97 has one itll tow about anything we need too and still haul its a quick truck for a daily driver about 375hp and 450tourqe and try to throw your 305 heads on it i hear they do more compression

[wraprail]

If you want to tow stuff, can't beat a big block. 396, 400, 454 any will bolt in. Same motor mounts will bolt in place of a small block without changing anything. Same distributer, many parts are the same and stock they have tons of torque for towing. A little more weight but you will end up with air bags and slammed anyway so weight won't be an issue. Lol good luck!

Oh yea, WELCOME!!! You can't beat this site for anything you ever want to know about GM trucks. These guys know Everything! Great to see your very first post of what will surely be many. Enjoy!

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Another option is the mid 90's LT1 engine.

A few bolt-ons, and you would be right up on 350hp. It bolts in to place, and offers great power + torque. If I didn't have a 400 in the garage I would build one up for my truck. It uses alot of the old school sbc stuff so it is failrly economical to swap in.

[MalibuSSwagon]

I, for one, vote for the 305. I started out having all sorts of issues with mine. It came with a carb that was too big, swapped that out. I went thru alot trying to diagnose what was wrong, it just wouldn't run right. Ended up the timing chain was worn out and the cam was almost flat. Replaced all that and did a TPI conversion, runs great and has plenty of power for towing with the SM465 and 2.73 gearing. Could use shorter gears, but it moves well enough.

Always, my point is spend a little time diagnosing the issue instead of spending $3500 on a new engine. You could save yourself a boatload of money. Gearing could also be an issue, check which rear gears you have.

[andrewmp6]

I'd stick to a 350 maybe rebuild your 305,But just remember more power the more gas it drinks.

[83GMCK2500]

Welcome! Hey bud, I worked on BI this summer, had a summer internship there. I spent a few years living in Poulsbo before I went back to school. I took a few years off of college and worked out at Yank-A-Part on Stottlemeyer towards Kingston. They have a decent selection of these trucks out there if you need anything and if they get a decently running motor in anything they test them. If you like to work on vehicles and tinker on things, I know they have hired high schoolers before. No guarantees but you should go introduce yourself if you don't mind getting your hands dirty.

You could slowly piece together a nice little TBI 350 or carb'd if you want to keep the carb with what is out there. I know there are a few 87-91 trucks/Suburbans up there, between this forum and everyone that has done the swap you could do it. If I were you, I'd grab a 350 from Y-A-P and if you don't already have a shop in mind, then I'd take it to Westbay in Bremerton and have them rebuild you a longblock.

[GM-power]

Being that your 16 dont swap a big block in... gas money will eat you up!!!! If your good friends with any good mechanics ask them if you could build the motor with them and do all the work! Get a roller block 350 get some vortec heads and a good roller cam and build a 355 or 357. I got a mild 357 in my truck right now and itll get up and go! For $3500 you could probably do a ls swap if you can find a motor and trans at a good price. Get good power and mpgs. I like the old school stuff myself easy to work on haha

[swissarmychainsaw]

Hey Bumblebee welcome. Bainbridge! Nice.

I had a 305 with a 700R4 tranny too. I also did not like it much, but it will give you the best mileage out of a truck. What are you getting for mpg?

I sold mine and got a '75 350/350 that gets 9-11 mpg.

My best advice is this: If you have $3500 to spend, then sell your truck and buy what you want.
You can buy a very nice truck for $3500 and get the 350 or 454 that you are looking for, and won't have to do any work.

Nick

[nekkidhillbilly]

or for 3500 you could prob buy a 5.3 and 4l60e

[TheBumbleBeeTruck]

Thanks for all the responses!

Something I forgot to include. I know an engine like I'm thinking is worth way more than this truck is, but my long term plan is to get a 66 chevelle. I've been looking for one for a couple years but didn't find the right one before I got my license, so I bought the truck (although I let a really good deal on one with a 383 in it slip me by-Rrrr) Anyway, so my plan is to get a nice crate engine, put it in this truck, so I still have something fun to drive in highschool, but when I can find a good 66, I can put the crate engine in the car, and put the 305 or something else back in, when I have more money.

Yeah, I wasn't really thinking about a big block, not only gas, but I've heard my insurance would go way up as well.

As for mpg I'm getting now, I really don't think it's very good. I don't actually know, because my odometer doesn't work, nor does my gas gauge. But I'm spending about 45 bucks a week on gas, mainly just going to from school. But I'm having to give it so much gas to make it up hills, or to accelerate, I'm sure my mpg must be worse than normal.

I didn't want to sell the truck, long story I guess, but I realize there are a lot of good deals out there, or I could be putting money in a 4x4.

I'm kinda like the old school, not really as interested in fuel injection, kinda wanna stick with a carb.

Got 3.42 gears.

83GMCK-

Cool, where were you working? I was just at yankapart the other day, they had about 20 square bodys there, but most of them were totally stripped already. I would loove to work there, cars, parts, and big machines! I'm not around in the summer, I go up to Decatur island if you know where that is, to work.

Thanks again for all the responses!

[mrolds88]

Originally Posted by TheBumbleBeeTruck

Got 3.42 gears

There's a lot of your problem. Combine those gears, a .70 overdrive and the somewhat low horsepower of a 305 and you get dismal performance. With the overdrive, I would go with a set of 4.11's. Its a 3/4 ton and there is a bazillion 14 bolts with 4.11's for sale on craigslist, at pick a parts, etc. They are cheap. Just get one and swap. There are 2 different 14 bolts. Full floating and semi floating. The full floater has a hub that sticks out through the wheel and has 8 3/4" bolts that hold the axle in. The other looks like a car type axle. Plus when you swap one thats like the one you have, you have spare parts for down the road.

[BigBlocksRule]

383 is your best bet. Torque like a big block without all the weight and swap issues. I like 'em better than a 406 for towing since you get full water circulation around all the bores.
Find a 90's model 4-bolt main block with a fuel pump provision (poke something through the pushrod hole, I've seen a few that weren't drilled and it's a PITA and expensive to have done) and hydraulic roller lifters. I prefer Scat for budget builds, one of their "9000" cranks and some 3/8" capscrew rods. You'll need to run reverse dome pistons, shoot for 9:1 compression. Add a pair of Vortec heads and an intake and you'll have a hoss on a budget.

[MalibuSSwagon]

I guess I should also mention that I have an SM465. It gets heavy loads moving no problem.

[softballnrd27]

5.3 is the best bang for your buck and you can put a carb on it if you wanted to

[TheBumbleBeeTruck]

So, if I put in a different rearend, would the speedo be off?

So, something else has come up, a friend of a friend of mine has a 350 crate motor, never run, but its been sitting there a few years, for 700 bucks. He said it was a 350hp model. But, I went out and looked at, and I thought it looked just like the 260hp version like so http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...Fc9sfgodYmIA0A

The guy runs a hauling and car work bussiness and he seems really knowledgable, but it just caused me to wonder. I just want to make sure I'm spending money on what I'm gonna like. What are some of your opinions?

Thanks

Logan

[MalibuSSwagon]

Originally Posted by TheBumbleBeeTruck

So, if I put in a different rearend, would the speedo be off?

So, something else has come up, a friend of a friend of mine has a 350 crate motor, never run, but its been sitting there a few years, for 700 bucks. He said it was a 350hp model. But, I went out and looked at, and I thought it looked just like the 260hp version like so http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...Fc9sfgodYmIA0A

The guy runs a hauling and car work bussiness and he seems really knowledgable, but it just caused me to wonder. I just want to make sure I'm spending money on what I'm gonna like. What are some of your opinions?

Thanks

Logan

260hp/350tq is perfect for a truck, you need torque to get that heavy truck and loads moving. Even if it is the basic model crate engine, thats still $700 dollars off list price. If it was stored properly, it's a good deal. A cheap rebuild would cost you double that.

[mrolds88]

Yes Logan, the speedometer would be off. Swapping the right gears is no big issue. If you can swap the rear end, you can swap the speedo gears.

[TheBumbleBeeTruck]

Ok great. Could I just pull one from a scrap yard? Can you tell what gears are in it from the outside?

Just curious, would you be able to smoke the tires some with 260? The 305 can't even lay a foot of rubber hardly, and that's when the roads are wet!

Thanks

[solidaxel]

Originally Posted by nekkidhillbilly

or for 3500 you could prob buy a 5.3 and 4l60e

................. End of search, easy swap 2000 to 2006 complete 5.3 and 4L60E!

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by TheBumbleBeeTruck

Ok great. Could I just pull one from a scrap yard? Can you tell what gears are in it from the outside?

Just curious, would you be able to smoke the tires some with 260? The 305 can't even lay a foot of rubber hardly, and that's when the roads are wet!

Thanks

My buddy Tim had a 260hp crate 350 in his truck and some 3:73 gears with a posi. It could still light them. My friend nick bought it for $500 and is paying my to build a vortec 383 for his truck. His truck has a replacement 305 with low comp pistons and small cam, its just like yours. Worse than the le9 305 which I think was rated to 240hp as I recall. In my truck I have the H.O LB9 305 from an 85 iroc these motors are the same motors with factory flat top high comp pistons, only diff was the cams and intakes. Torque/hp and carb/tpi respectively.

From what it sounds like your engine is either extremely worn or has a real bad tune. Factory these things had like 4* initial timing and a stupid slow advance curve. Time the motor to 12* and it will respond. Get one of those mr gasket recurve kits and use only the medium springs. That should wake up that 305 if its the factory le9.

I would get that crate 350 and then order a crane 266h10 cam and lifter kit or if you want a little more go power a comp cams 268he- not the xe series cam though. Add a performer or performer rpm intake and a 600 holley with some headers and you will be happy. Take the rest of your money and have the transmission built with a patc kit so it will live.

[83GMCK2500]

Originally Posted by TheBumbleBeeTruck

83GMCK-

Cool, where were you working? I was just at yankapart the other day, they had about 20 square bodys there, but most of them were totally stripped already. I would loove to work there, cars, parts, and big machines! I'm not around in the summer, I go up to Decatur island if you know where that is, to work.

I worked for Ozone International.

Originally Posted by TheBumbleBeeTruck

Ok great. Could I just pull one from a scrap yard? Can you tell what gears are in it from the outside?

Just curious, would you be able to smoke the tires some with 260? The 305 can't even lay a foot of rubber hardly, and that's when the roads are wet!

Thanks

At Y-A-P when they process vehicles into inventory they drain the gear oil, this requires pulling the covers on GM axles. While the cover is off they ID which gear ratio is present and write it on the cover and around the rear wheel opening on the bodyside. It is also recorded on an inspection sheet an input into the computer. If there are any chunks of material or anything obviously broken that is noted as well.

I know this is not going to makes sense, nor is it something you will want to hear...I am 30 now, my first truck was a 1986 GMC C2500 Camper Special with a 454, TH400, and 4.10s. Was it capable of smoking the tires? Without question. Did I? No. Why? It's expensive. You start smoking the tires and sooner or later you are going to tear more up than the tires.

[nekkidhillbilly]

Originally Posted by softballnrd27

5.3 is the best bang for your buck and you can put a carb on it if you wanted to

this

[19silverado77]

Definetly if I had the money id swap a 5.3 with a manual in my truck with fuel injection better power along with better mpgs. best bet