Technical If you found a cheap 305 SBC....

Are those heads on the long block 305 you posted the heads you can buy for $100? If so you've found your 283 heads. 416 cast # with 1.84 intake (not 1.94 unless modified) 58 cc camber.

 

Run it and keep the hood closed.....your car will look better with it down anyways......

 

Run it like you stole it

 

305's don't even make good boat anchors. Had plenty of SMC's blocks in my 79 years, the 305 in '71 Chevelle was without a doubt the most worthless POS ever made. My '54 235 six had more power. Spend your money on worn out junk yard motor, you'll be happier in the long run.

 

DAMN there are a lot of frigging guys who can't read and comprehend for shit.
Man asks if the 100 buck pair of somewhat fresh 305 heads will work on his 283 and half of you get into a pissing contest about complete 305 engines.
Outside of "looking newer" the 305 heads should work pretty good on the 283.

305 engines aren't the best to rebuild for hot rod projects simply because the pistons are more expensive than 350 pistons and you just flat don't get the performance per dollar spent that you would with a 350. It's the I just gave away 45 cubic inches and spent more to build it thing.
It amazes me somewhat that guys always like to bad mouth a 307 but if you were to tell the same people you stroked your 283 with a 327 crank they would think it was cool. A 307 with a pair of 283 Power pack heads and a hydraulic Z28 Cam can run pretty good as proven in a truck I put together for my son back years ago.

 

Unless the 305 was later installed in that '71 Chevelle, it wasn't a 305. They weren't built until '76

 

For that price, buy it and run it. If you don't, give me the contact info of the person that has it. I will be rolling through Nebraska in a couple weeks, and a detour through the Fremont area would easily be worth picking up a $350 rebuilt 305 long block.

The 305 in my "fleet" rolled past 180K miles a couple weeks ago. Changed plugs twice, oil every 3K-4K miles. Lots of those miles pulling a trailer with a Harley or two on it. The only complaint I have about the 305 is that other people complain too much about them

 

All that money you will save by not having to rebuild an engine , get your car running and take your favorite girl out for a night on the town. Take the hot rod , have fun cruising on your date night and you your life will be blessed because your girl is happy. Heck, let her drive.

 

Don't do the date night if your favorite girl isn't your wife. Then no happy life.

 

For that money I would be all over that for $350.00 if it was rebuilt. You could not rebuild any small block engine in my town for under 2k. buy it and run it. best money for the mile
Vic

 

Oops my bad. It was a 307 POS. Ignore my rant I no nothing of the 305, and 48 Chev your entirely right and include me in your observation. (Maybe I should have coffee before logging in, huh?)

 

Those 283's and 327's were pretty wore out at 100k miles; bores were usually eggshaped, valve guides wore out. The 305's seemed to last for many more miles (have an 1988 now with 200k). Maybe the fuel injection contributed to longer life or did GM use better casting technology?? Seems the word was that the auto manufactures were forced into better quality for emission longevity reasons.

 

My 78 O.T wagon had a 305 , ran great...., regretted I sold that damn wagon...hauled all kinds of stuff and decent gas mileage to boot....

 

Funny this thread popped up, he must have been listening in on our conversation....ha ha ha

 

Ran rebuilt 305 heads on my small block. Great torque and power. I’d throw them on your 283 in a heartbeat.

 

I found a separate pair of rebuilt 305 heads, plus the complete long block.

 

Well, you know what they say about opinions. Here is mine. Had had some health issues several years back. kind of messed with my memory. I decided to build a 305 instead of 350 in case i screwed it up. I'll make it short. 3 angle valve job. Did a little research found out what rpm i would be turning at about 70-75 MPH. bought cam where that rpm was smack dab right in middle of the cam's range. I've been driving that puppy now for about 250,000 miles. Still runs great. 17-19 mpg.Its in a 3500lb car with 3:08 rear,BUT a saginaw 4 speed with low first gear.Do i set the world on fire ,no. but do i keep on cruising down the highway, Yup.I know there are a lot of folks on here who know a whole more than i, but it's all about the whole combination, vehicle weight, gear ratio, cam shaft. final drive RPM.They ain't torque monster's but they ain't door stops either.The heads, I'm not sure which casting number it is, but one of the casting is a little bit thicker/better than the others. They will do good on 283..Thats my a-hole.........er my opinion.GOOD LUCK

 

Not all 305 heads are the same. Look before buying.

 

......'75

 

To add to what I said. Then get the whole 305 instead. It's a possible HO 305.

 

If I found a cheap rebuilt 305 sbc, I would put a Quadrajet Performer on it, install it in something in the 3000 to 3500 lb. range, and wear it out.

 

305 is a fine engine for a near stock driver. Not a performance engine since it has the small bore with the same stroke as a 350, just can't breathe all that well. But for lower rpm and good all-around driver the 305 will work fine. I would buy the rebuilt longblock and run it. You are minimum $1000 ahead of any other options, and saving time as well. Nobody will know what it is without getting real close and scrutinizing the casting numbers, it looks just like most SBCs. 305 were made in smog era, so put a decent cam and 4 barrel intake, with an HEI distributor, and run many miles with good results.

Agree that not all 305 heads are good to use. Some have very small valves and ports. I do not think I would ever rebuild a 305, but for the money here it's a good buy and application.

 

For the first 18 months of running my A Cabriolet was with a cheap wrecking yard 305. I pulled the pan checked the bearings, pulled the pistons, home honed the bores, fitted new rings, seals, valve stem seals. Fitted a Victor Jnr intake, Edelbrock 600 carb, hedman block huggers & MSD distributor. It ran very strong was trouble free. I changed it because I was donated a recently rebuilt 350. Sold the long motor including the Intake for $200.00.
So, imho, there is nothing wrong with a 305.

 

check what year the 305 is!86 and newer has the one piece rear seal that takes a different flex plate/flywheel,not a problem ,but increases the cost of your swap.More and more race classes are requiring a 305 [racesaver sprints etc]so parts costs are coming down.

 

A friend of mine installed a 305 in his OT 68 camaro while he was building a big block for the car. The 305 had a mild street cam, high rise intake, and a small DP carb. I was impressed how well it ran, he could fry the hides off it. It was fun, then he got the BB done and the real wild fun began .

 

Send any unwanted 305s or 307s to 1100 Viking Dr. Jasper Al

We have an unwanted engine adoption center at our school

 

The little Chevvie in my '34 is a 305. Undoubtedly the slowest car I have ever owned, it went 15.1 @90mph at the HAMB Drags last year. But, it gets 25 mpg, runs great, I never have to worry about it.



As long as you don't care that it is a turd, run it and tell people it is a 283.

-Abone.

 

I installed a 307 in my 57 chev dump truck. It outpulls the original 261 and uses less fuel. smaller bore long stroke engines make better low end torque than large bore short stroke engines. The bigger the bore and shorter the stroke the more RPM needed to create HP and torque.

 

Sounds like a plan, and I won't be draggin' the Stude, so just want reliable more than fast!