Getting rid of my 305 engine. I was putting in a 350, then I decided to go to a 383. So I'm all set to order and 2 friends tell me they think its a mistake to leave the 305.

To me the 305 was never really impressive, but it works and its easy to deal with.

Any comments on what you would do?

 

Let it go, The 305 is and always has been a weak motor. I have scrapped several decent condition 305 cause I could not find a buyer. Not sure why anyone would want a 305 over a 350 unless their primary goal was MPG and they don't mind getting out run by a mini van.

 

The only thing I can think of is if it's the original numbers matching engine to the car and even then you could just stash it away.
Myself I'd go 383 all day long and twice on Sunday,I mean who wants to get smoked by a Honda Civic. lol

 

off the line, I was smoked by a uhaul, I'm hoping it was empty.

This is what I thought, the 305 was just an economy engine, and I cant understand my friends appreciation of it.

So I think I'm all set for purchase, Might dumb it down to regular 350 and not upgrade to 383. Or I might just go 383 without EFI. Too many add-ons, too little money.

 

If you buy a good 350 you could upgrade it to a 383 down the road. A 383 is just a 350 with a longer piston stroke. You can buy an upgrade kit. I would suggest getting a 350 4 bolt main and good heads so all you need to do is drop the upgraded crank, rods and pistons in your existing 350 when you are ready.

Also keep in mind that you 305s transmission and read was built to handle the power that came from the factory. A 383 is a high torque motor that can twist apart a trans like that in the first all out run. If you look around you can find pretty good deals on low miles 350s. Many hot rodders are pulling perfectly good motors in install LS motors in their cars.

 

So if I drop downgrade to a Chevrolet 383ci, 360 HP I should probably upgrade to at least the 4 speed trans? Was hoping to keep the 3 speed and just upgrade clutch. Anybody have a good place to get one of those?

 

The 3 speed is is most likely a Saginaw. I do not think a 4 speed base Saginaw is any stronger. You will need either a BW T10 or a muncie M20 or higher 4 speed. Best place to find them is swap meets. My 3 speed lasted a little over a year with 300 HP but I was careful with it. I beat it but not all the time.

 

Yeah, that's about how I want to go. I am not ready to replace the 3 speed because I haven't looked into what else that cascades to; drive shaft, differential, etc. And about a year or so is all I want in prep for a new trans.

So just keep my eyes open on a used Borg Warner T10 4 speed and get that for when I need to replace the Saginaw.

But do you think putting on a performance clutch will help in any way. Gotta help with the torque, right?

 

Clutches job is not to slip once it is fully engaged. As long as it does not slip then its working. The less clutch slippage while letting the clutch out the harder the shock to the trans You could upgrade the clutch but your second gen has a mechanical clutch. If you go big heavy clutch you will need to change the linkage. The Z bar and ball studs are a weak link. If I had to put a clutch behind a temporary manual I would get a cheap one. I sure would not put a clutch that can handle 700hp in front of a transmission that is good for 300hp

 

Sounds good to me.

Now, since I have your attention, if I want to clean up all the wiring while motor is out, are there any good wire loom products I can purchase to make life easy?