mclenty0

Will this motor fit in my 86 firebird as is? I want to swap out the 305 for a 350

92RS_Ttop

iTrader: (3)

Yes, it is a direct bolt-in physically. But, if the 305 isn't original to your car, you may need a different flywheel/flexplate. And a 350 requires more fuel/air, so if you're running the stock computer-controlled intake system(whether carb, TBI, or TPI), you will need a new prom for a 350. If you've already swapped to an older carb & distributor, or are planning to, you should be able to make it work with some tuning/adjustments.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

later blocks are more likely to:
accept (any 86-up) an LT1 T56 flywheel
have (87-up) roller-cam provisions
accept knock sensor threads
leak less with their (86-up) one-piece rear main seal
wear longer due to metallurgy of the block material (compare high mileage engines)
have a third starter bolt hole for starters compatible with 153 tooth flywheels

It's before my time, but I think there were a metric ton of guys for whom the mid-70s blocks were good building material.

I wouldn't have an 010 block instead of a 1987 block. There's no advantage except perceived "stronger zinc content casting." If you want a roller cam and a T56 and went with an 010 block, you instantly cost yourself $500 in aftermarket parts. A later block would have worked with stock parts instead.

Night rider327

iTrader: (13)

A small block chevy is a small block chevy, is a small block chevy.
If one fits, they all will.
All gen I sbc engines from 1957 to 2000 will interchange as far as fitting in and bolting up

mclenty0

Sorry not to mechanically inclined but was does the 010 high nickle part of it mean

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Absolutely nothing whatsoever.

More likely, 010 is part of the casting number. The SINGLE MOST COMMON 350 block casting, was number 3970010. It was made from 69 to near 80. There's MILLIONS of em out there. They are nothing special at all, just, yerbasic 350.

The whole "high nickel/ high tin" thing is a myth. After an experiment that only lasted a few weeks, they quit trying to produce some blocks out of the inferior metal; and after that they were ALL back to being the same alloy again. Which happened to be, the full "quality" one.

I'd be ALOT more concerned with other facets of the block than the "high nickel" myth. Specifically, I'd be looking at its condition; like, how far has it already been bored, and how far does it have to be bored to clean it up. And then, if it's not already too wore out to be re-used in the first place, does it have any of the notorious 70s quality control problems: The Starter Bolt Hole Problem, where the whole starter pattern is drilled too far from the crank, and the starter doesn't engage the ring gear properly but instead makes that horrible grinding sound you can hear from a half-mile away and it gets worse or even doesn't contact the ring gear at all if you shim it; The Lifter Bore Problem, where the lifter bores (or some of them at least) don't point straight at the cam, so it eats cam lobes no matter what you do; The Bell Housing Dowel Pin Problem, where those aren't centered on the crank, so the trans bolts up off to the side somewhere, so it eats pump bushings or pilot bearings; and so forth. Other common issues include the decks being so far out of square that an intake won't bolt on right, cylinders that aren't perpendicular to the crank such that the rod binds on the wrist pin and the crank journal, the oil passages drilled from front and rear so far out of alignment that they don't meet in the middle properly and the front half of the motor is starved for oil. The list JUST GOES ON AND ON. All of that stuff is FAR more important than that ridiculous "high nickel" myth.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

You're not wrong, but I think it behooves people to know what they're getting into when they're mixing and matching parts from different eras. Older heads wont allow factory serpentine belt systems to bolt up. Older blocks wont fit a factory T56 flywheel. Older heads and newer heads have intake bolt discrepancies. Converting an old block to use much better modern roller cams is quite an expensive proposiiton, whereas using a newer 87+ OE block is is fraction of that cost, and the cost of the block is a fraction of the machine work costs, which will likely be a lot less if it's newer block anyway.

If you have an older block and you want to use a modern 6 speed transmission, you instantly cost yourself $500-$700 in a flywheel, compared to an OE one that's everywhere, and another $500-$700 to convert it to a roller cam. If you got that newer block, you'll spend less than that in machine work and save yourself $1000-$1500 to get the same parts in it with the same transmission.

Essentially, there is pretty much ZERO downside to getting a modern 87+ block beyond just trying to find one. If you're in love with the notion of "high nickel" and you feel you "NEED" 4 bolt mains to build that 500hp motor that you are going to put pro comp or factory heads on... (meaning you're going to be lucky to hit 300hp) then carry on with the old block - remember, main bolts dont make horsepower. But consider that $1000 you save and putting it towards some high end heads, like some AFR's or Profilers... and picture how much farther ahead of the game you'll be. You're not going to be jealous of any LS swapper for a long time if you go that route.

My 1 pc RMS block needed to be bored and honed. Deck was spot on and so were the mains. It only needed to be bored because one bore had some rust in it from sitting a while. Modern fuel injection goes a long way to minimizing cylinder bore wear... the new blocks are more than worth seeking. I'd take a new 2 bolt roller cam ready block over a 4 bolt vintage block any day. If you already have the old block, and you're going to run a flat tappet cam anyway, and you've got no interest in ever running a T56... then carry on. But if you ever want to make north of 350hp streetably, it's hard to beat a modern block for the cost advantage it gives you in making that happen.