Hey guys. I need to do a budget 350 for my S10 project.

Origanally I was going to just slap in a "350" my buddy had for 150 bucks.
I ran the casting numbers and it turns out to be a 305.

I want a gen1 350, 2/4 bolt doesnt matter.
I would like to see 300rwhp through a 700r4 and a 10 bolt.

I am not opposed to using say LT1 rods/pistons. I have heard that these work in the older blocks. If I could get a set of used ones that would be safe to use that could be ideal as im a college kid..

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to reach this goal. I would like to get it NA and without aftermarket heads. Porting is to be minimum.
All assembly work can be done by my friend Josh, he just got back from UTI.

What do you guys think? Help me out here..

-Eric

 

sbc parts are cheap. but if its 300rwhp, how long do you think the rear will last? i am guessing its a 7.5" and they are known for their strength. if you are just driving it around you shouldnt have a lot of trouble. course that 305 is pretty cheap, and i will be willing to bet that s10 is pretty light. thats something else to think on

 

Yeah, I realize the 10 bolt wont last too long. It has a posi and 3.42 gears and that is how it will stay. If camaro rear ends can hold up to 3k stalls with a4 transmissions i cant see the s10s having much problems.

What kind of power would a 79 305 have? Thats what year it is... would it be worth buying and dropping in until I can get ahold of a 350? Knowin my luck shes got approx 120 horsepower though lol.

I know those motors just suck in general... small bore long stroke not known for revving capabilities or power for that matter.

Any other suggestions?

 

tHAT 305 probly has about 150hp max. Just something to think about. You can find 350' a dime a dozen and parts are so cheap its not even funny.

 

What do you consider a budget? Rings, bearings and gaskets are usually more than what most people expect to pay on a budget buildup. Not including the cost of an engine to start with, expect to pay at least $1000 for a good buildup. Many factory parts can be reused but a new cam with lifters and a new intake are usually wanted. Port and polishing the heads can be done yourself but the heads will still need some machine shop time. What about the block? Bored out? Should be decked and line honed to make sure everything is square.

To me a budget rebuild is just changing the bearings, rings and gaskets. Anything else is a build up.

 

I can work with about 1000 dollars.
What I was thinking was re-ring/bearings.
I would like to do something to bump compression because most of those older motors had approx 8.5:1 which will be damn near useless to me.
Completely re-do the valve train... lifters, cam, pushrods, springs, retainers, rockers(i can be content with stamped in this regard)
I wouldnt be opposed with changing out some of the bottem end if it could be done for minimal cost i.e. low mileage used lt1 parts? obviously I would need to have it all balanced also. Distributor, intake, carb ect. I would probably buy a used intake. I owuld probably buy a used intake, but as far as carbs go I'de drop a few hundred on a nice holley or if I could find a used BG that would be nice.
I just found a cloyes double roller timing chain and big sproket in my trunk that my buddy gave me... i've just gotta find the small sproket. Its buried in there somewhere.

Anyway Can anyone recommend parts? cams?
I want to try and get this power through home ported heads with no more than LT1ish compression. Any higher and ill have pinging problems from hell.
Thanks
-Eric

 

The first rebuild of my 79 Z28 was a low buck rebuild. I reused the factory pistons, rods, and crank. My brother and I used a bottle brush hone to rehone the cylinder bores, so the new rings would seat. I went with a L79 327 cam (it's still a decent cam, but the Comp XE 262/268's are better) with stock springs. We did nothing to the heads, but if you're a little adventurous, you can get a DIY porting kit from Standard Abrasives for about $35. Don't go overboard hogging out the ports, just clean them up. I bought an Edelbrock performer Intake for it, but you'll probably be able to find a used one on Ebay (the internet wasn't around back when I built mine in '89).

If the engine comes with a decent, functioning Q-jet, hang on to it. They're rated at 750 CFM right from the factory, so it might be worth it to just rebuild it.

My Z28 ran 14.18 in the 1/4 with this engine, but that was with a car set up for the engine (converter, gears, etc.).