In this video I go over the small block chevy 305 and how it can still be a viable engine if you use it for it's intended purpose. If you are needing to reach out please direct messages to jamesvaughned@gmail.com
As an engine builder, I tore down many a Chevy 350 and 305s and one thing I noticed that the 350s had a lot more cracks between the two center valves and the bores-were closer together creating quite the heat spot… However, on the 305s there’s a healthy distance between the cylinders where the cooling could be more effective, which was a great advantage because of my experience, I rarely saw 305 cracked head or block therefore, depending on how you build the engine, the 305 can handle a lot more more heat and run cooler than the 350… Fact… Keep on rocking
My C10 truck's original 305 is now 41 years old, and besides basic (often neglected) maintenance and occasional external bits like fuel pump and valve cover gaskets, it just keeps running despite sitting outside year round next to salt water. It's remarkable to me this thing is still running fine after 41 years. Hauled 60,000lbs of topsoil and gravel in the bed past summer, one yard at a time. Original 3 speed transmission too. Absolutely blows my mind. She's a keeper.
A 305 bored .30 over, a healthy cam, good flowing set of heads, TPI (from the 80'), Specific tuner chip for engine build, true dual exhaust, torque converter with a good stall in a 700R4 w/ lockout bypassed, and that little 305 will perform trust me.
I got a 305 with vortec heads from a 98 k1500 center bolt valve covers mild cam true duals long tubes 750 double pumper and torque converter updated beehive springs retainers and keepers I had the machine shop cut down the stud boss I put in 7/16th screw in studs instead of the 3/8 press in studs I went above and beyond on that motor 4 years ago now I’m doing it all over with a 355 vortex all that stuffed in my 84 2 door cutlass supreme
Had a 305 in my ‘83 TA. First build on an engine. Machined the block, .030” over flat top Seal Power pistons, World SR torquer heads (170cc runners, 58cc chamber, 1.94 intake and 1.5exhaust) comp XE268 cam, roller 1.6 rockers and Edelbrock performer RPM intake topped with a 600CFM carb. Made 370hp, a lot better than the stock 140. Was a great little engine and ran like a champ. Currently putting the car together with a Blueprint 400 that made 520hp/tq on their dyno. Gonna be a riot of a car.
I bought a 1997 Chevy 1/2 truck , used with 60, 000 kms. I sold it to a farmer buddy , when the clock got 120,000 kms. It is now showing 570,000 kms on the original engine . The truck never got any TLC after I sold it. The body is ready to fall off, as it never , ever saw a car wash. The Transylvanian is tired, but the engine still runs pretty damn good ! I’ve owned 3 trucks with 350’s, 1 six cylinder, one 4.8l , and 3 5.3 l engine. All were decent engines, except for the 4.8. It didn’t have enough power to pull itself on a soft , muddy road ! Enjoyed your video!
I can tell you for fact that the L69 305 H.O. made more than 230 h.p stock. On the dyno with the factory Rochester carb, intake and est distributor with timing set to 42 degrees, motor was completely stock from a 84 Z-28 only performance part used was the dyno headers and 18 in collector extension with 3 inch bullet race mufflers. Stock it made 297 h.p. with 345 ft lbs. Then we built the motor to run NHRA super stock, look at the rules, when finished motor made 629 h.p. and 593 ft lbs. Peak h.p. was 7600 rpm and peak torque was 5800 rpm. Car set A national record back in 1988 and held it to this day for its classification. Engine was built at L&L Auto Machine in Groton Connecticut by David LeBrun. Look up the History in the archives. The 305 isn't a bad Engine, people just automatically assume they were junk cause it was gm's entry level V8 for passenger cars and trucks.
No the 305 is not a bad engine. It just isn't an ideal platform for making power in comparison to other small block chevys. 629hp is very impressive for a 305, however it certainly isn't the easiest way to make that power. I personally have an L69 in an 85 SS Monte Carlo and it is a solid engine, has over 200k miles on it. But it's not the best thing to build into a street car. The Monte will likely be getting my whipplecharged 454 to replace the 305.
@@RatMaro dude, he is talking 2hp/cu-in that's insane David Vizard levels of improvement.......granted the streetability probobly sucked since it probobly wanted to be over 3500 RPM all the time.
People can look at it however they want but one way would be Chevys move towards much better performance, especially in the 84 H.O. Z28. In stock form the car ran 15.2 in the 1/4 mile, that's better than quite a few muscle cars from the heyday.
I'm going to say it - The 305 IS a bad engine. It was designed for low HP in the dark ages of smog. The only redeeming quality is parts interchange. 350's are plentiful and the improved breathing boost performance all around. If you have a good running 305 with good compression you can make impressive power but I would never put any meaningful effort into one in terms of the short block or machine work. The small bore limits the classic SBC too much IMO. Even a good head with a 1.94 intake is going to be limited due to the shrouding of the bore. They really need a 4"+ bore to come alive. I won't say you can't make a very good running and respectable 305 - Bolt on good heads, intake exhaust and stab in a good roller cam. 350hp is pretty easy and drivable. Also, you can spray 100 or 150 on top of that if you want. Anything with 450-500 is going to be very respectable and fun. When the time comes for a rebuild, start with a 350 short block and transfer all the good parts from the 305.
Always cracked me up when everyone said the 305 was junk. Port the heads, throw a cam in it, gap the rings and put a pro charger on it. That little combo in a 89 Formula with 3:73 gears will shut allot of mouths!!!
My understanding was always that, for the price of building a 305, you could just build a 350 instead. I think the 305 is nice if you're building a cruiser, and you can definitely still squeeze some power out of them. I have an all-original 84 Z28 with the H.O. motor, and the main thing that kills power on that engine is the exhaust and emissions systems. I think they made 195 bhp in 84. A little port job on the heads, headers, and decent exhaust starts letting the engine breathe a lot better. The engine isn't weak, it just has asthma.
I have the same car, the very first thing I did 10 years ago was a MagnaFlow stainless exhaust system. At the same time I took off all the smog equipment including the cat and put it in a box. It definitely runs and sounds much better, the other thing I may do is change the computer controled carburetor to an Edelbrock and a vacuum advanced distributor and be done with it, I tell people all the time it's a cruiser/show car not a race car. I've had faster cars, I like this one the way it is. Clean and original.
The camshaft that came in my 82 Z-28 was what a hot Rodder would call flat with no overlap. That is the main problem, mine also had crossfire a joke. Aluminum intake with a 500 cfm Edelbrock was a much better induction system. Poorly made drivetrain and exhaust. Ran much better with Edelbrock and older distributor. But the flappers on the Fiberglass hood really work, Why?
your understanding is correct, since both engines will share 95% of the bolt on parts. The F body (camaro and firebird) ALWAYS had a lousy exhaust setup--even at the beginning, Pontiac fans found a GTO engine in a Firebird was worse due to the exhaust doing a 90 degree bend after the rear axle into a muffler then another 90 degree bend to go around the gas tank. In the 1980's the 305 had one cat con while a 1986 Mustang 5.0 got four of 'em. you can buy a 334 cid stroker kit for the 305, but most of us can search FBM for a cheap 350 in an age of LS worship
@@bridgetwarnerif you have an 84 Z28 L69 H.O, as you probably know the intake manifold is a Winters aluminum. You might wanna hang on to it, when I was restoring the engine bay on mine I did take my manifold off because the factory black engine paint was peeling in spots, I cleaned the rest of the paint off and put it back unpainted. It looks good that way.
I had an '83 Z28 back in the day with a 5.0 HO ( 305 High output). It had the T5 5 speed manual with a 3.73 posi trac and I could easily keep up with the 5.7 L TPI IROC Camaros -- which were among the quickest for the era.
Dude, Back in the 80,s Chevy 307, 267, 305; Ford 302 & Dodge 318 where and still are a fun engine. They where dirt cheap, big plus. We use to add a dual plane intake, usually eldelbrock a qaudrajet factory 4 barrel, hand port the intake and exhaust manifolds as well as the heads and maybe put new valve springs in, lol that’s a big maybe. Then do a hill Billy valve job and hand lap them to seat better. Finish it off add a cat back exhaust system.
I’ve got an 80 k10 on 35’s with a sm465, np205, and 3.73 gears with a 90 model 305 in it. I’ve got a 500 cfm summit carb on a performer intake, long tube headers, and a recurved distributor (all in at 2500 rpm). Ton of power no, but towed 3 round bales of hay on a 1900lb trailer a few days ago without an issue.
I put a 305 in my 84 Camaro with around 300hp. It's fun to drive but the main point is I get 22 mpg on the hwy. Where's the 3:50 I took out with the same power got 17 on the hwy. The only difference is I get better fuel mileage went cruising. Floored it gets about the same as the 350 did
Ive actually heard good things about the 305 ho heads like the 416 and 601 i got a set with 1.94 valves im going to put on a 350 hoping for one hell of a runner
Great video! On my channel a few months back I tore down both a 77 era 305 and late 80s 305 ( mercruser 5 litre) and you can see all the differences in the early production version vs the best non vortec version with the 187 casting heads out of a 24 foot Bayliner and the early one was from a 77 Caprice with a th200 transmission... The 200 and mercruser 5 litre ended up in my S10 build if you ever Want to do any screen grabs of the differences! Keep up the good work man!
Man, I have an 84 El Camino Super Slow. It has 60k origional miles. It's a beautiful car. I don't want to thow away a fantastic running, low mileage engine, just because it's not a 350. So far, I have put a Holley 450 on it. That made the biggest improvement, over the 600 Edlebrock. I advanced my total timing a lot. Deleted a spring, and added weight to the centrifugal weights. Added an underive crank pully. It runs fucking sweet. Burns rubber all day, and pulls real hard. I have a lot to do to it yet. I am extremely pleased with it right now. There is a lot you can do to those engines, without spending much, or going in. Whenever I wear this engine out, I will upgrade. If I never wear it out, Im good with that too. The car is fun as hell, right now. Man, when it showed up at my house, it ran great, but was a LEAD SLED. not anymore😂 So don't be down about that 305 you got!
The Vortec 305 doesn’t actually have Vortec heads. I just slapped a spare whipple supercharger on a 98 C1500 305 2WD for fun. 340 horse and 420 torque now. Sure makes the old beater fun and she hurts some feelings now too. 😂😂😂
I had a 305 in my 78 Olds Starfire..Old version of a Monza. In a small light car it was decent and I added an aluminum intake and 4 barrel and it was fun as hell to drive. Later I got an 84 Z-28 and the 305 4 barrel was dismal, I swapped it to a 350 TPI.
A company called California discount warehouse used to sell a 305 stroker kit , with a couple piston options and several cam grinds. I had good luck with that on a small budget back in the 90s
My 79 Olds Cutlass with a 305 was built in Sep 1979 in Arlington TX. For some reason it not only has high revs but pretty good take off power. There is enough power to raise up on the front where there is limited steering traction. There was a recall that 305 cams were known to chip, GM would have replaced that, mine never chipped, so I think the factory used a different cam. In 2019 I finally change the power steering pump. The bracket GM used is from a 1980 Cutlass with 1979 hose lines, I have a special hose made, could not just buy that. The factory hood is fiberglass another strange one. I bought this car from a large company fleet car said to be a COPO.
Smaller cylinder bores are easier to light off with less chance of detonation. GM was aiming for a V8 that would run low octane fuel and emit less. So, in a way, GM hit the mark in that regard with the 305.
For best performance the 305 vortec 520 or 059 casting numbered heads are by far the best choice. I plan on rebuilding my C10's 305 and using 520 heads.
As far as heads go, I would only compare the years that the 305 was out to the years the 350 was out. They came out during emissions era so it ain't fair to compare it to double humps and other things of that nature. When the vortec head came out and the valve spacing was different, it did help the 305 out tremendously. But no matter what you do, the 305 will always have a breathing problem in the combustion chamber because it just does not have the width. I'm not trying to put down this real five as a junk motor. I had one in a Monte Carlo SS bracket, race weight 36.90 with me in it. It was a full option car and it went 1370 with headers, aluminum intake and such an 11th on nitrous. But the only thing internal I did do that motor was $40 valve springs and a camshaft to the camlo bore flat and I wasn't going to spend money on a brand new motor when all it needed was a cam in it. Which all Chevys were known for 80,000 plus mile area at the time. If I'm building an engine, no I'm not going to spend money on a 305 if I have a running 305 and it needs something mild yeah but if you're solely looking for performance no not the 305.
I think the best you could say about the 305 was that it was hit or miss. My sister had a '77 or '78 Monte Carlo with it in there. My mom had a '79 El Camino with one in it. They probably both had the 2 bbl carb in there so neither car were speedsters. I don't recall any issues, at least engine wise, with either car. However, with that said, I would never have bought a car with one given a choice. I doubt I would have jumped off a bridge had I been forced to take a car with one in it, but I do know some had camshaft issues. The real problem for the average driver was that they didn't save much fuel for any loss of power compared to the 350. I'm talking the stock ones back in the '70s and '80s. By the Vortec era, I really don't know what Chevy was doing with it (I had a '96 Tahoe with a 350), nor do I know what you can mod it with. I do know a guy who had a Firebird of some sort with a 305 HO that got stolen. When they found it, the engine was gone. This was around '87 or '88 and Chevy didn't have any HO replacements so they had to put a regular 305 back in there and he said it was a dog. At any rate, the Ford 302 was a FAR better engine and it isn't even close.
For it’s intended purpose it was a great dependable engine for a daily driver. I have the LG3 2bbl 305 in my 1978 Caprice, it’s a great cruiser, it doesn’t make enough power to break that is why they run forever 😂👍
LOL, Thats what we joke about around here, we say that a 305 doesn't make enough power to blow and that's why people claim its bulletproof. But yes I totally agree its perfect for a daily driver and even makes enough power to tow a light trailer in a half ton pickup.
Have a roller cam 305 in a 92 caprice, picked up some Vortec 305 heads I will add along with GM ramjet 430/450 lift cam. Should make a good cruiser engine. Probably go in a 50’s pickup
The 58CC chamber was standard 305 size. The difference between 8.6:1 and 9.5:1 was in the piston crown - the 8.6 had dished pistons while the 9.5 had flat tops.
Had one in my ‘85 Silverado.The weakest factory engine in my experience.A friend had a 307,however,that he griped about often.Anything can be improved upon with additional cost and labor,tho.
Hi guys, I have a rebuilt 305 with .030 over flattops, a set of pocket-ported #416 heads, Crane hyd. 218/224, .455/.480 lift cam, an old Edelbrock C4-B intake and 625 Carter AFB, and it runs my 62 Stude Lark (3350#) with TH-350, 3.42 gears to the tune of 14.16 @ 96 mph in the 1/4! (6500 rpm shift points). A 305 is a Small Block Chevy, just have to find the right combo of parts!
I have an 1988 gta trans am 5 speed with the h.o 305. Only mods are a chip and a hooker cat back ( also hollowed out the factory cat). The car only has 118 thousand kms (roughly 74 thousand miles). I’m a licensed and capable mechanic. My dilemma however is; should I bag up the factory 305 (to keep it numbers matching) and toss in a crate motor, or keep it as it and keep ripping her.
If you have a 305, bolt some Vortech heads on it, modify the heads to increase the lift, replace the springs and run a XE-268 Comp Cams roller and a Performer RPM dual plane or a good single. You'll get about 350hp and 325tq. Run a 4.10 gear or similar and have fun with your mullet blowing in the breeze in your IROC with the T-Tops off. When you blow the bottom end replace it with a 350 and make closer to 400hp...
@@mikef-gi2dg And plenty will believe you. I can say in an 80's F-body with 3.73 gears does work very well. Deep 13's easy and mid-12's with proper setup.
@@lifewithflex4471 12552520 & 12558059 are 97+ Vortech 305 heads with 55 or 58 cc chambers. I forget which. 350 vortechs have a wider chamber that overhangs a little on a 305. Going from 12-15 year old memories and a little google fu on the part numbers. With a good roller cam the combo isn't going to break the bank and runs a LOT better than anyone would think a 305 should run.
Yes, getting a better set of heads with 1.94 intake and 1.50 exhaust and 56cc heads. But there are people trying to use a 350 style cam with 112 to 114 lca which is a big mistake. a 108 to 110 lca cam is needed.
Heads do not flow as well on a 305 everything else being the same. To your point I'd also say 9 times out of 10 a split pattern cam with more exhaust lift and duration will always make more power than a single pattern.
A narrower LSA will help the engine breathe better on the high end, but will sacrifice torque on the low end. If you're building for streetability and intend to daily drive the vehicle with this engine in it, you're going to want a cam with a wider LSA on the range of 112ish.
I had a friend who was a junkman. He built a pickup to haul 10,000 lbs of scrap engine blocks to the scrapyard. He used a 305 because it was good on fuel. It got the job done. But it is not a good engine if you want more than 300 ft lbs of torque. I don't care what cam you pick. It wont do it.
I have a 1 piece main 305 in a parts car and would love to find a crank out of one of those mid 90's L99 4.3 v8's. A 30 over 305 block and one of those cranks would make it a big bore short stroke 267😂😂😂 Yes I know it wouldn't come close to my 383 but I've been wanting to do a v8 cruiser/fuel mileage build for awhile. Maybe once the restoration is complete.
The L99 uses the same bore as the 305, so you'll wind up with a 265. That's what the L99 is. On the flipside, I once wanted to build an engine with the 350 block but an L99 crank, giving a modern 302. The L99 has a 3" stroke. Edit: I'm a goof, I didn't see the "30 over" part.
Mine runs great. LOL! I've qualified number 1, through 16 at NHRA events. I only use a 305 because the rules limit me to that engine. If you have a real nice complete (free)305 it may be cheaper to build it, but if don't have an engine, don't waste your money. The 416 head was also a truck head.
I just got a 1977 Nova Concours that came with a 305. It's an all original car with 46K actual miles, I want to keep the car original so I'm gonna upgrade this engine to about 300 HP and keep all my original parts. Also what if you bore the engine .030 over that should make a really nice difference shouldn't it?
Good intake / exhaust. Next, decent heads with 1.94 valves. Modified vortec's, Edelbrock performers, etc. Lastly, a split pattern cam. XE-268 is a good choice. 325-350hp right there. Maybe go down a step if the car is heavy.
I wonder if high temp JB weld could be used to fill-up some of the combustion chamber space to get higher compression? Probably not worth the trouble over getting better junkyard heads
One thing that the haters never point out is that many 327 and 350 engines also came with the 1.72 intake valve, the 350's just have more head options. Pretty much any 305 head will accept a 1.94 intake, just like the hi-po 283's came with. Also by 1976, all sbc's were low compression, even the corvette 350's. Currently I own 283's, 327's, 350's and 305's, they all can be good with careful parts selection. The wonderful LS 4.8 and 5.3 also have small bores, they just have superior cylinder heads from the factory. Thank you for the informative video!
The smaller bore shrouds the valves compared to a 327/350. The same head will always flow less on a 305 vs a 4" bore. The LS were designed better and are more tolerant to the smaller bore. Smaller bores are good for emissions and with the proper platform architecture are not as big of a hinderance.
@@harleysgarage327 No, but my point is I wouldn't spend money rebuilding a 305 bottom end. Get a 350 bottom end when you're ready for a rebuild. Rings, bearings, ball hone and a rattle can finish maybe, but full machine shop work? No way. Not worth it in my opinion unless you just truly want to be different or there are rules to follow.
@@cobra02411 I agree it costs more to build for less power but if that were all people cared about, no one would build Fords or Mopar's and for that matter no one would be building a 350 either because the LS is the best power for the money. That would make for a very boring hot rodding community.
what you miss is the flow capabilities of the 305 head. i have heard of guys putting them on 350s with pretty good power boost. as a former machinist, i can tell you that you can port a lot of meat out of them and get great flow. on a 350 motor though, you get better compression in theory, and you can put any valves in them because the 350 allows clearance.
Great for a mild driver...smallish cam better heads intake the usual. Haters dont get not every engine has to wind up to 7k not having a giant cam etc. Lots of guys did 331 strokers back in the day.
I had a few 5.0L vortecs. 1 was very peppy. 1 was a turd. 1 was ok. The peppy one could fight off some 350. It was actually impressive and I often wondered if it was a 5.7 mislabeled. In a 98 gmc Z71 SLE x cab fully loaded minus leather. 1st year third door option I think.. Would 307 heads be any better bolted on an older 305?. I currently have an 86 k15 with a great running 305
The 307 SBC was not a performance engine. The heads will bolt on but they have bigger chambers (owing to the larger bore of the 307) and will drop compression.
Not everyone is after high hp and high rpm motors. Small valves were designed for low rpm torque and fuel economy for a high torque engines so don't be knocking small valves and small ports. 305s are a great engine. I just put 305 416 heads on a 350 with the 1.840 for a low rpm torque mileage 350, power from idle to 4000rpm, I dont care about the hp it makes. I'm after torque and did it for almost 10 to 1 compression even with dish pistons. Big valves and big ports do not work for low rpm power, just makes it worse.
1980 that is mostly what we had to work with . It was still fun to hot rod them back then. Today i do not see a reason to build one unless it was a #match monte ss or something. 1980 camaro 305 4bbl 4spd weiand intake and a holley with 3 teens in it out ran a 1979 350 vette . True story. 1984.
I used to dislike the 305, but it's a good reliable engine when you already have it. My trucks are both 305s and there is no reason to change that. If they catastrophyícally fail, I'd drop in a 350 I have sitting, otherwise I'd look for a 4.8 or 5.3 LS. I wouldn't put much effort into spicing a worn, standard, 305 up. Get a 350 and build it with all the nice prep work you do when it's all apart. Finish the 305 and sell it to offset the 350 build, or keep it as a back up for a truck or another daily driver.
Had 305 in a 77 Camaro. Long story but when I did stop for those cops, I make sure I just outside the city limits because well you just have to know that old Town. That is a long long long time ago. But the point is the cop said to me that boy where is your truck at? We would never caught you. Fast forward to a 96 or so Chevy 454 with a 305 in it. Well I'm not racing anywhere with it. But I'm pulling trailers and it was quite the engine. I think I blew a head gasket I'm not a cracked the head. I just drained it and parked it to one side because it's actually worth fixing. Let's 77 Camaro 305 junk. 305 in the mid-90s Chevy 4x4 was great for what I used it for. But nowadays it's sugar truck I like an LS. Old-school 327 all the way. 283 for cat-and-mouse but I don't recommend that game.
Unless you need it to increase car value it’s a good boat anchor cause the manufacturers couldn’t figure shit out without computers but we know they could have done better by the article,The 350 Chevy Should Have Built.
I have a 1986 Trans Am that I have owned since 1990, it has the original 305 in it. I have thought about getting a 350 or 383 put into it, but I would probably get a crate engine since I was told by my mechanic that it would be a little more affordable, but with the added horsepower I would more than likely have to get another transmission & since I don’t have the ability to do it myself that would run into a lot of money. So for now I’m going to leave it as it is. It is not my daily driver, she sits in the garage and I only take her out on nice days, I only want maybe about 50 more horsepower, I do not want to race it.
if you have the money get a crate 350, if not but you have some knowledge and time you could buy a good used 350 or 383 if you can find a decent priced one and not get ripped off gen 1 or 2 better to match it to what your car has, and disassemble it and take it to a reputable machine shop and they can tell you what you should do for a good mid range build. Also the 383 is gonna be alot more expensive to buy or build, but of course if you have the money a crate engine with a warranty is nice
i would do small mods like headers, exhaust, intake, etc. that way you can bump the 305 hp up, and if you like it, keep it. if you dont, all that will bolt onto a 350.
y have a sb when u can have a bb u would never see me rebuild a 305 i have running 350's and 327's sitting after i pulled them and put a bbc in mostly i use the 4 inch stroke 454 in my rigs
You can... But why? Spend the money on a 350 and build a 383. I do like the turbo idea - everything is better with a turbo. Add an e-bay Chinese choo-choo and amplify the fun factor!
From what I know you can’t, i could be wrong but if you bore it out that much you’ll hit the cooling channels, the 305 blocks were casted slightly differently from the 350 block
I have a 305 in my 95 1500 and you said I think 20mpg how do you get that was it in certain cars or years etc I also had a 350 94 and it got better milage both tpi
I also have 305 5speed 95 Chevy Cheyenne 1500 long bed and with a 3’’ exhaust kit with a free flowing air intake with oversized heavy duty 2.5’’ radiator i get about 26/27 MPG on highway with 264,XXX miles on it. All that stock shit for better emissions kills power and miles like no other.
I drove an 88 TC 1/2 ton with a tbi 305 made bout 18 mpg, also stabbed a 2bbl 305 outta 77-79 a body into a 66 TC 1/2 ton & hit 16 mpg with it, pretty darn snappy for a stock 2bbl engine with a turbo 375 stock gears and headers
The chevrolet 305 5.0 litre LG4 is a legend it is simple reliable and unbreakable under normal driving conditions offers good mileage on regular gasoline in most models it is not a hot rod motor by any means but in terms of durability it is far superior to most anything offered in regular production from 1976 until 2000
i had a 86 camaro (non IROC, it was the stock body, no ground fx or rear fin). The IROC of that yr had two offerings of the 305, with 190 hp option and a 220 hp option, depending on the TPI or TBI, auto or manual depending. But the stock entry level maro had the V-6 and the low-output LG4, which was a 4 4bbl carb. The cool thing is you have an engine that fills the engine bay, it sounds like a V-8, and you can tell ppl that "I got a V-8 in my car" lol thats about it, u could NOT hang with a similar-year H/O 305 trans am or IROC, or 302 Mustang . But i was still able to spin the tires a little bit upon launch, and it was *somewhat fast, esp as felt on the highway. It was 145-150 HP tops. To me, i liked my 86 Camaro, it was like the little engine that could and i have a spot in my heart for it.
@@Defender78 a stock quadrajet LG4 305 would easily hang with a 302 EFI H.O if they were both automatic cars and same rear end...ya the ford has more horsepower but the engine sizes are the same the 302 EFI is a top end motor and fox body cars are lighter than third gen F bodies I've owned a couple 5.0 fox cars a 90 25th anniversary 5.0 litre 5 speed and a 92 5.0 GT and I'd take the Camaro with the 305 LG4 any day of the week over any 302 mustang wether EFI or not in terms of reliability the Chevy wins hands down... cheaper parts and better mileage
The 4.8 & 5.3 LS motor bore size. Is not much bigger than the 305s. But people are completely fine with running those engines. And making great power with them. You can have the 305 block bored to the standard bore size of the 5.3ls. So you can fit just as much valve inside a 305 block as you can the most commonly used & available LS blocks. When it comes to cylinder heads yes there are not as many cylinder heads that work well with the smaller bore on the 305. But there are options available. It's definitely not hard to build a 400 to 500hp street engine from a chevy 305.
The secret to the LS is the heads. Even the cathedral port heads are damn near 300cc. If you look the LS head is almost 3x thicker than the gen 1 small block. This makes HUGE ports that you just cant get with a gen1. Its similar to the standard mopar wedge vs the max wedge......max wedge was just taller heads & intake.
@@yurimodin7333 I'm definitely aware that the LS heads have much better port designs. I'm just stating that there are gen1 SBC heads that can flow enough air to support 500hp on a 305 block. And of course you can make even more with power adders. You will probably find the limit of the factory block before you run out of top end potential. Even on the smaller bore 305. A 305 built with a 5.3 LS ring package & the right heads with any power adder is still a very capable combo.
@@shadowopsairman1583 That would be a fun test. LS heads on a 305. They're better designed with smaller bores in mind so I suspect they won't suffer as much flow loss from bore shrouding the 305's do. I'll bet cc for cc they flow better on the engine than a classic SBC head would.
The same people that say the 305 can't make any power because of the bore size will brag up a 5.3 ls. Which is only. 044 bigger bore than the 305. Put a good set of aluminum heads with 194 valve and a roller cam. And the 305 will make good power
nobody ever does this with the 302/351, just with the 305 and 350 and the 318 and the 360. if you built a fairly mild 375hp 305, you're life isn't really gonna change if was a 350 that made 37 more hp unless you live your life a 1/4 at a time. you did save a good bit by getting a 305 nearly free because nobody wants them though.
Getting ready to put my 86monte SS in the shop for some work. I got two options that come in around the same price. LS swap to go fast but I found out it’s all original numbers in engine and car is in good condition so option 2 is 3.83 posi rear, keep original 305 put in 350 heads 202 valves mild cam and headers. Which option to go with and what would be the horse power?
I have an 85 SS with the original engine and im personally swaping a whipple charged 454 in it haha. I'd do whatever makes you happy. My thoughts are I'm just going to keep the original engine for it off to the side just in case. But I'd personally move away from the 305 if you're looking for power. You can make them decently quick, but it'll be pretty tough making what the LS would make with just a cam.
@@RatMaro I was thinking about just keeping the 305 but space is an issue. I’m wondering will the 305 upgrade option give me the ability to burn out and take off quick with some more power
@@SF-ht6dx With a cam and heads it will pick up considerable power. Just not going to be as much as the LS would make with similar upgrades. If you're wanting to keep it original you can still make a decent amount of power. My guess with the right intake, headers, heads and cam you could make a bit over 300hp. Significantly better than stock.
The 3.736 bore just killed the 305, it is almost impossible to make any power with that small bore and then the huge, in comparison, 3.48 stroke. One of the reasons Ford performance really took off in the 80's was because you could really make some power with the 302 ford with its 4.0 bore and 3.0 stroke. Most Camaros had the 305, and the 350 was rare in comparison, you could only get the 350 with an automatic transmission in the Camaro to make it worse... I would personally never put money on a 305, to me it is not worth it, especially when 350 Chevys are everywhere and are so cheap.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AScojLj139A.html What about this 305 that makes 350+ hp with stock bottom end and aftermarket heads and intake?
@@SOU6900 If you put those heads, cam, intake, roller rockers, headers, etc.. on a 350 cube engine, it would have probably made 75-100 hp more. You can make some power on a 305, but the bore size limits you to small valves, and on top of that it shrouds what valves you have. Interesting thing is that a Stock DZ 302, a stock L79 327, or a stock 350 LT1 will all make over 350 HP on a dyno with all stock components, except dyno headers, not one performance part, granted these are Chevy HP engines, but they have over 50 year technology: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AjJSK5sLOeE.html
I dont mind installing bolt on parts onto a 305 as long as you dont tear into it. All the parts can then transfer over to a 350 when a person upgrades.
Truth be told, the basic 350 sold in the same year as the 305 barely made more power, and the average person would not be able to tell the difference. As your video showed, you can make anything perform if your put your mind to it. A bigger engine should always make more power than a similarly equipped smaller one. If you got something bigger go for it. If you are new to hot rodding and all you got is a 305, build it and learn how to maximize what you got on a starter 305. When you are able to go bigger you will have VALUABLE EXPERIENCE on maximizing what you have first, that will save big $$$. Also forget about being the fastest so and so out there, there is always some one faster, and who cares anyway.
The truth is the 305 5.0 litre LG4 rocks probably the best small block V8 ever to be produced from any brand...this guy in this video barely looks 25 how could he possibly know how good a 45 year old engine could be?
I've owned 3 of the GM 305 engines. I took two of them to some serious mechanics that I knew asking what could be done about the fuel mileage. The answer came back ( nothing ) I was doing well to get 12 -13 mpg on any of the 3 that were in Carmaro's . I hated those engines ,weak as hell and drank gas like I drink beer. I quit watching this video when you said you could get 19 mpg on a 305. I don't believe it .
Believe it. I've had a 1982 Impala with a 305 in it, and it has achieved 28mpg on the highway cruising. It got 16-18 in the city, in a 3600 lb land barge. I'm not sure what your configuration was, but it has a lot to do with the built engine's power band, final gear ratios and how heavy your foot is.
@@silicon212 4 stroke engines don't have a power band . Like I said I've owned at least 3 chevy 305 engines while I was working at a Chevrolet garage. Talked to the seasoned mechanics there and a few that didn't work there and all said the same thing. 305 was crap and it sucked gas. Most all 1975 to 77 Camaro's had what is called highway gears. The days of 411 posi etc was over by that time .
@@MrTonyPiscatelle 4 stroke engines indeed have a power band. I've been around long enough to know what highway gears are too btw. I grew up in the 1970s. I've been around this all my life, and I _am_ a seasoned mechanic.
1.94 in a 305? I dont think so, They struggle in 3 7/8 bore 283 or 307. Most stock 327 and 350 had them. Unless the bores were scallopped. or it had only .400 lift My brother had a 305 TPI 86 Pontiac. It was not real lively!
There are head options for the 305 that place the valves a little closer together - one such head is the discontinued WP S/R Torquer 305 that had 1.94/1.5 with 58cc chambers and 170cc intake ports/65cc exhaust ports... a little pocket porting and you're bolting on 60+ HP.
A 283 has more potential than a 305 but it was a good engine it's reliable but if you're looking to make more power you're money is better spent on a 327 or 350 not to mention the obvious ls. Probably the best bang for buck engine out there.
