Got my 305 tore down except for crank and pistons i have 2 of the pistons out and i try to turn the crank from the balancer bolt but it wont budge my no.1 cylinder is rusted do i need a special tool to turn the crank? Help please

 

They do make a special crank-turning tool so you don't stip the threads out of the crank snout, but I've never needed it.

First, spray the rings with pentrating oil every way you can possibly hit it. From above, from below- whatever it takes. Let it sit for an hour or so.

Next, unbolt the rod cap on that cylinder, take it off and put a big wooden dowel into the underside of the piston and beat the pee out of it until it breaks the rust, hops over the ridge at the top of the cylinder and pops out the end of the bore.

It's the rust between the piston rings and bore that usually holds things up. Sometimes the ridge at the top. But usually if rust is present it's the rings that are rust-welded to the bore. Rings are "sacraficial" components. Doesn't matter if you hurt them since they are being replaced anyway.

It's not a delicate operation. Nor does it need to be. Bottom end parts are tough buggers. Only the bearing surfaces and the bore itself need to be handed with reasonable care. The rest you can apply some fairly serious force against without worrying too much about hurting it.

 

A 1 1/16" 12-point socket fits over the crank perfectly. Makes turning the engine over easy.

 

Buy one of these.

 

put some oil,wd40,gas or whatever down that cylinder and see if anything loosens up as long as your tearing down the whole engine. marvel mystery oil works well too. if the crank is that stuck try carefully wedging a pry bar between a flat spot on the crank and the block and try to move it

 

It's a 305. Who cares whether it turns or not? Waste of money to build that.

Throw it in the trash.

Get a 350 core and don't look back.

 

The guy might just be wanting to build what he already has instead of dropping cash on something.

He's right though, a 4-bolt 4" bore block would be ideal.

 

This comes up AHELLUVALOT on here.

Problem with building a 305 short block is:

Having it cleaned up costs the same as a 350.
Having it bored costs the same as a 350.
Having it align-bored (if necessary) costs the same as a 350.
Having it decked (if necessary) costs the same as a 350.
Having its bolt holes tapped costs the same as a 350.
Having its crank turned or replaced costs the same as a 350.
Having its rods reconditioned (if necessary) costs the same as a 350.
Pistons for it cost the same as a 350.
Rings for it cost the same as a 350.
Main bearings for it cost the same as a 350.
Rod bearings for it cost the same as a 350.
Cam bearings for it cost the same as a 350.
An oil pump for it cost the same as a 350.

THE ONLY thing that's different is, if you take ALL THAT STUFF and do it to a 350 core instead, you end up with a 350, instead of a 305.

And worse yet, in case you go ahead and build that 305 and then AFTER THE FACT discover it's inadequate or unsatisfactory in any way, you get to put EVERY SINGLE PIECE of that short block in the trash when you face up to the inevitable. NOT ONE SCRAP of it (except the oil pump) can be transferred over. It's a COMPLETE DEAD-END.

Meanwhile:

You can add about $100 to this $1500 project, IF you do it at the very beginning (which is to say, start working on some other core besides a 305 one); and in exchange, get about 15% more motor, in the end.

15% more motor, on top of say a 300 HP motor, means you get a 345 HP motor instead of a 300 HP one.

So here's the math:

$100 added cost, for 45 added HP; that's $2.22 per HP.

In this hobby, the break-even point for "worth it" is usually considered to be roughly $10 per HP.

So if HP at $10 apiece is "worth it", and you can get em for $2.22 each instead, why wouldn't you?

So how is it A Good Idea to rebuild a 305, especially if there's ANY HINT of any kind of a "more power" goal in effect, again?

 

they all cost about the same. takes the same amount to bore a 350 .030 and costs about the same for a low budget 383 crank. or you could completely build a 400 small block intop a 406 or the like. they are all really the same.

 

yeah its so cheap to come buy a good 350 that doesn't need EVERYTHING on it. Ive been looking. can't fine one for less then $1000 that isn't a bare block or needs to be re machined. With either buying one for that price or having to get a bare block and doing the internals the projects just went up another 2k that most of us who were planning on adding to our 305's that we don't have. But in someones case were they would have to buy a new crank and pistons on their 305, then yes i would agree since you have to buy them anyways, it would be way worth it to get the bare 350 block and then buy the parts your were going to buy anyways. I wish that was my problem but my bottom end is fine and has less then 15K miles on it so it would be a waste and way more money to start from zero again.

 

where are you looking. theres 350's that are mild built around my area for 350, or stockers for a few hundred bucks.

theres no reason not to swap to a 350.

 

If i could find one for that price i would agree with you. I'm looking in las vegas where they are trying to sell 350 motors with 100k on them for $1000.

 

look on craigslist and stuff like that, any local forums and such will have them cheaper. theres a site out here for all ofraoders in michigan and u can dig them up all day for less or around 500 bucks.

 

I know man, i used to be a an east coaster and i remember these falling off of trees. I don't understand why everything is so stinking expensive out here on the west coast. I mean really? $1000 for a 4th gen 350 with over 100K miles on it. I'm just trying to find something decently priced that has at least a bottom end on it.

 

your looking for an lt1? or an ls1? those arent regular sbc's

 

Oh i know man i was just using it as an example. Any 350 ive found out here for just a couple of hundred is in very sad shape and need to be completely re machined. Its just frustrating. I would like to just build a 350, but since my 305 already has the bottom end done its alot cheaper to build. with most any 350 out here ive found, they need everything. Go ahead and glance at Las Vegas craigs list. Youll see what im talking about.

 

Hey tyler, what heads did you go for your 305?

 

not sure. they are iron aftermarket heads i believe, my dad and my neighbor used to be close so when my neighbor went to big blocks for racing we got all his small block stuff. i was only a little guy but i know there was alot of work done to that tiny displacement engine. ill check when i start pulling stuff off the motor

 

ok. Theres just so much to consider. I think i should just let it sit on the stand and find a 350. One will come around, i just get impatient seeing the motor sitting on the stand and not being able to drive my firebird.

 

I remember my dismay when I tore down the engine from my IROC to find it was a 305. Fortunately, a buddy had just called me two days before offering to sell me a 350 factory roller block he had just found. $150 and I had my 350. Of course it's never certain until the machinist hot tanks it and magnafluxes it for cracks. The cylinders were rusty but they cleaned up nice at .030 over.

 

My neighbor just came over and looked at my 305 and told me he has a 350 bolt main 2 piece rear that's bored .40 over that he will give me. Think i should take it and run?

 

Exactly!!!

Just like your 305.

Doesn't matter how "sad" the shape is; machine work costs EXACTLY the same. Parts cost EXACTLY THE SAME.

It seems SO HARD to get this across to people: it doesn't matter what motor you build, IT COSTS THE SAME. (among SBCs that is... not fair to say that across brands)

So, the whole argument about "I got this old dead motor for cheeep (free, I've already got it, etc.)" simply ... DOESN'T matter.

Because the ACT OF BUILDING THE MOTOR is what costs, not THE MOTOR.

Go get yourself the 350 that's in THE ABSOLUTE SADDEST shape you can find. Pay THE LEAST you can. As long as the block isn't BROKEN somehow, it'll cost you EXACTLY the same to build, TO THE PENNY, as the MOST PRISTINE 305 you can ever .... have on hand for free.

No you don't want a .040" over 350 block. Go find a 96-2000 truck motor that has a cracked head or burns oil like a freight train or something, that way you get the roller cam.

Costs EXACTLY THE SAME to build that, as somebody's used-up 70s garbage. Remember, EXACTLY THE SAME.

Did I mention, any motor you build, will cost EXACTLY THE SAME? Might as well start out with the best you can, it'll cost EXACTLY THE SAME.

 

roller blocks started before 96 i thought

 

Yes, but 96-2000 blocks are whats left in the bone yards cheap.

 

The factory roller blocks started in 87. From 87 on, all chevy small block V8s were roller blocks, though not all vehicles got a roller cam. These engine blocks that came without roller cam can be swapped to a hyd roller cam without retro roller lifters. You just need to purchase the lifter anti-rotation keepers, the hold down(spider), and the cam retainer. The cam retainers changed size in 89 so you need to be sure you get the right one. I've swapped the truck blocks over to roller cam a few times. The parts were cheap at the local engine recycler.

The roller blocks can be identified by the machined flats around the lifter bores and the machined flat with threaded holes at the front of the cam bearing bore, behind the timing chain.

 

Well i found 350 with in a 1999 suburban at the local junkyard. They want $220 for it so i guess im going to go spend the day pulling it. Hopefully the vortec heads are in reusable condition. Wish me luck!