[Farm Boy]

Are there any wrecking yards in Bakersfield that let you pull parts yourself? Here in Central California we have Pick-N-Pull yards. They sell complete engines with all accessories for $230 ($180 + $50 core deposit). A couple of times a year they have ½ price sales when you can get a complete engine for $90 + a core charge. I have bought several engines from them over the years. I have snagged 2 early small journal 327’s, a complete 454 with a Turbo 400 from a 1985 Suburban, and a 4-bolt main Goodwrench 350. The Goodwrench engine was like new. I gave it a set of rings and bearings and dropped it into my son’s pickup truck. Pick-N-Pull only has cars and trucks 15 years and older in their yard. All engines are the same price at P-N-P, it doesn’t matter if it’s a big block Chevy or an old import 4 cylinder, it’s never more than $230.

 

[nitrouspro]

leak down testers

To test an engine for leak down, the heads need to be complete with adjusted valves. Intake and exhaust manifolds, oil pan or valve covers are not required. The way they work, is you fill the combustion chamber with compressed air @ 100 psi , when that piston is at top dead center, the second gauge tells you how much air is continuously leaking off. So if the 2nd gauge reads 90psi under the load, the engine is leaking 10%. With standard rings, that' would be a normal reading, with zero gap rings, you would read 100 psi, or 0 % leak. If an engine leaks 20% or more, it will most likely need work, ie:rings, valve job etc. Hope this helps/al

 

[airmentbob]

305 or 350

i ran a 305 in my car for a while. didn't have the same power as the 350 but it still had decent torque. it was from an 80 camaro, 200 hp 2 barrel stock i think, but it had a quadrajet and an edelbrock 2p2 intake installed on it at the time, something like that. probably a good 50 ft lbs and 50 hp smaller, but it ran. I also had some ridiculous gears in the rear, i think that was the compensator. not a bad motor though.

 

[dgas56]

I know you have made your decison but I have to chime in here. the lowly 305 is given a bad rap, Your 307 was given much the same treatment back in its its day, many considered them a poor design and I personally feel they will not take a rebuild well (soft crank and blocks), I worked for a bone yard as a youngster, the owner scrapped every 307 he got saying the engines were not worth the storage space and Chevys worst design. I neither agree or disagree. I just know that the 307s I know of as being rebuilt have not lasted very long (probably due to the hard driving the owners gave them) The 283 was a long favorite of rodders and aceppted Hot Rodding well as will ANY SBC w the possible exception of the 267 (Tho I had one in a Monza the would bark the tires in each of its Saginaw 4 speeds gears.)

THAT said I am doing as you are- installing a cheap 305 I got from a buddy as a 338 ci long block for $125 w flattops, High volume oil pump,true roller timing set + a small cam-either 260H or 268H Comp cam ( I'll know when I get it fired up) out his sons wrecked 78 Camaro w 4500 mi's on the rebuild (goofy kid didn't even make thru his graduation summer B4 wrecking the camaro) I did all the traditional outside stuff using what I had on hand, mostly seconds or take offs from other motors. I had a Torker II sitting around so I used it ,Had a 650 DP holley laying in th cabinet so I bought a Summit kit and rebuilt it to use. Both are probably too big for this motor but WTH I had em. Had a recurved point dizzy w a MSD coil so I used em, passe now but plenty good for an intrim motor, Had Rams horn manifolds so I used them-I had the gaskets and new biscuts anyway (Why buy new headers for a motor that will only be in there a year? But I AM looking for a used set,Got any?).. Right now I have all of $300 tied up into it bolted in and ready to fire (except hoses,which I will get this weekend) I am NOT going to another BTT50's w/o a car!

I have owned many, many , MANY small blocks and have always liked the acceleration of the "baby" 305's. It will be fine until I can get all that is needed for the car to support that firebreathing BBC I have waiting on the stand. IF I had my 'druthers I WOULD either buy a crate (best deal going really) OR build a 350 But I have/had neither on hand.
Granted not everyone has a a lot of crap laying around to use or access to cheap motors. But CL and Egay can easily save a few bucks here n there.

 

[Junior]

Update, actually it's a 307. just checked casting #

Thats even worse than a 305!!!

 

[hotwls13]

Are there any wrecking yards in Bakersfield that let you pull parts yourself? Here in Central California we have Pick-N-Pull yards. They sell complete engines with all accessories for $230 ($180 + $50 core deposit). A couple of times a year they have ½ price sales when you can get a complete engine for $90 + a core charge. I have bought several engines from them over the years. I have snagged 2 early small journal 327’s, a complete 454 with a Turbo 400 from a 1985 Suburban, and a 4-bolt main Goodwrench 350. The Goodwrench engine was like new. I gave it a set of rings and bearings and dropped it into my son’s pickup truck. Pick-N-Pull only has cars and trucks 15 years and older in their yard. All engines are the same price at P-N-P, it doesn’t matter if it’s a big block Chevy or an old import 4 cylinder, it’s never more than $230.

We have 1 u-pull-it all the rest they pull for you and charge a premium. At our U-Pull-It they charge around $300 + $50 Core for a complete 350. Another $200 for a 350 trans with core. Still not too bad, but we would still need to go through it to be SURE everything is good.

I know getting an engine throwing it in the car and running with it is the cheapest method, but my friend Jim doesn't work that way. And I'm glad for it. He believes in doing it right the first time (as in not cutting corners and hoping for the best). Sometimes the cheap side of me wants to just get it in there and drive it, but then the logical side kicks in and say's have a little patience. Jim knows what he is doing when it comes to this stuff and he isn't affraid to rebuild what needs rebuilding.

My original budget was $1500 for engine and trans. Getting the $500 rebuilt 700r4 plus $100 core (the 350 trans i have) brings my engine budget down to $900. With the 307 I already have for $100 then buying a 350 for $150 brings me to $650. I can get a bottom end rebuild kit for $230, Performer Intake for $50, New Performer Carb for $240. That brings me down to $110. Still need some misc stuff (alternator, water pump, starter, hoses, distributor, coil etc). So, my guess is I will come in a couple hundred over my original budget. But, I went with a better rebuilt trans that cost about $300 more than I thought. I'm also hoping to get $100 for my 307.

Anyway, it's all good. I like the idea of getting an inexpensive (around here $150 is inexpensive) 350 that needs some work and going through it. At least this way, we will KNOW it was done right and will last me a long time without breaking the bank.