Hey Guys,

Im a 305 H.O engine and it seems that every single forum that I visit I am been bashed on..:sad: called a boat anchor:sad: , Constantly trying to be replaced with my older brother the 350!! :sad:

Is there anything posssibly good about me?? :confused:

I'm sure you're a great area code.

http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=108096&highlight=305

Hey at least your not a Ford........

I'm sure you're a great area code.


:yes: :yes: :yes: LMAO. south florida baby!

305's are like 307's, no respect....

At least there were "sorta performance versions" of the 305!

Nope, nothing good about 305's. Especially the carburated ones and that includes the H.O. versions in the late 1983 & all the 1984 Z28's. The 305 is a boat anchor if you are lucky and a turd if you are not. I know. I've BDTD with a H.O. 305 in my 1984 Z28.

Here is my 2 cents: The 305 is the BIGGEST TURD of a V8 engine Chevrolet ever produced. Especially the carburated ones. I had one in my 1984 Z28 which was a H.O. 305. The camshaft went flat around 92k or 93k miles. First it started running bad, then I lost manifold vacumm etc. A buddy of mine had one in a 1979 Camaro and that engine was also crap. These things were lucky to get 100k if produced from the mid 1970's to the mid 1980's. They were all junk!!

The 305 smokes, burns oil, valve seals are just as bad on those if not worse than the 350.

You can put the 305 in the same class as the Turbo 200 transmission. Both are junk. I've BDTD with 305's. Never again!! A Chevy 350 usually goes double the mileage of the boat anchor 305!! The only REAL 5.0L Chevy ever offered was the legendary Z28 engine of the 1960's aka a 302. The 5.0L of the 1970's & 1980's is a pile of crap and not worthy of the 5.0L designation. It's worthy of the ZERO designation because that's what 305's are worth!!

I love the 305.
I have one in my 73 CJ5.
At least w/305, parts are plentiful.

of course they are your near mexico where the 305 was made.

I'd have to take great exception with South Side's bad luck.

I've had occasion to put a combined quarter million miles on a pair of Monte SS's with carbed 305's. They BOTH ran good, completely trouble free, good performance for that time, great cars and good engines.

South Side I must disagree respectfully. The 75-76 SBC 262 was the biggest turd. Rated at 110 horsepower I had one in a 75 Nova and my friends 250 straight 6 in his 76 Nova was actually a better running car. Hands down the worst V8 Chevy ever made........262.

Had a customer with a taxi cab, I think an 87 caprice. I took care of it since approx 100k miles, had a 305. The car went 879,000 miles. It smoked, it leaked, it went through about 7- 700r4's, and several ccc q jets. The origional engine kept going. I don't remember even pulling the intake.
The car got Tee boned. Went to the crusher.
I saw multiple 305's go well over 300k. Change the oil often, we changed them once a month... 12-15k miles. Never used synthetic. These cars never cooled down. Engines were always running. Same for the 350's.
600th post!!!

Ive seen 305s log many hundreds of thousands of miles. Good performance engine? Probably not.

I've BDTD with 305's.

BTDT maybe? :)


And never underestimate the mighty :D :

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b217/RamAirDave/Customer/100_2528.jpg

South Side I must disagree respectfully. The 75-76 SBC 262 was the biggest turd. Rated at 110 horsepower I had one in a 75 Nova and my friends 250 straight 6 in his 76 Nova was actually a better running car. Hands down the worst V8 Chevy ever made........262.

Oh god man, I had one of those too! First car - 1975 sun yellow, auto on column, bench seat, 262cid. That damn turd wouldn't turn a freakin tire when it was WET out!! I'd call it the worst Chevy motor, and the 326 the worst Pontiac!!!


I do give the 1985 TPI 305 props for that timeframe. Good torque, but all out of breath by 5000rpm.

Cheer up you could have been a 262.

Larger Dave

Since strokers are big these days, maybe we should redefine the 305 as a "stroked 262"?

305`s have their place in the vehicle market...this is just a fact...will they pull down a house with their mighty torque???NO!!!will they set any land speed records with their incredible horse power???NO...but they will carry your tools from jobsite to jobsite for 200000 miles so that you can pay for your fire breathing mountain motor bbc...jm2c...

Guys, As far as the Camaro is concerned the 305 engine was relegated to junkyard hell at the end of the 1992 model year (a quote used to describe the Camaro 4 banger of 3rd gen lore). Good riddance!! The 305 in the Camaro has been dead for 15 years and I hope it stays that way!! The 305 is a piece of crap and never should have been used in Camaro's. The 1976-1984 305's were the worst V8 engine ever put into a Camaro. Maybe even worse than the 267 V8 placed into the 1980 & 1981 Camaro's.

200k miles with a 305 in a Camaro? I've never seen one made between 1976-1984 that made it over 100k in a Camaro including my 1984 Z28 and that was with the car being maintained well as I worked in the auto service field at that time.

The 305 can not carry the 350's jock strap!! Just my 2 cents!! That's also why the 5.7L IROC Z's especially the 1LE versions will always be superior to their 305 brothers even the 305's with the 1LE... 1976-1984 was a dark period in GM's history and thr 305 made beween then including the L69 made it an even bleaker period. I'm not a big fan of the 4th gen Camaro's but at least GM had the brains to bury the 305 into the pits of hell after 1992. And for Heaven's sake I hope the 305 stays buried. If GM ever trots out anotehr 5.0L I hope it's the 302 and not the evil twin from hell the 5.0L 305.

well your 58cc heads are great on a 350 or a 327..........:thumbsup:

The 307 will respond to all LT1 Options including the 2.02/1.6 Fuelie Heads, but alas, the lowly 305 although noted for long life is not much of a performance engine.

Geese, I was going to pat you on the head and say something like 'there-there little guy. You'll not grow into a ZL1 but someone out there loves you. And best of all you're not my 262 from my 75 Monza!' (Vega)
But you guys saved me the trouble.:thumbsup:

Well, I don't hate 305's but, I not a big fan either. I don't think Chevrolet ever intended the 305 to be anything more than a daily-driver/grocery getter engine. Even still, alot of thirdgen Camaro guys manage to squeeze a little more HP out of the 305 by adding Factory -601 HO heads, LT1 Corvette cams, headers, etc.

No matter how you slice it, the 305 isn't a going to be a dragstrip terror by a longshot. But the upside is many performance parts will bolt right on to a 350 later on...

I think South Side must have been beaten by a 305 once to be so vocal against them... :D ;)

I think South Side must have been beaten by a 305 once to be so vocal against them... :D ;)
mated to a Turbo 200 (based on other threads) :D ;)

I think South Side must have been beaten by a 305 once to be so vocal against them... :D ;)a 305 powered monzo?

The 267" is the 3.50" bored 350" engine!!

Another POS from Chevy too..........

BUT, I would drop a medium journal 3" stroked crank in one to make a little-bitty 230.9" motor that should rev to the MOON!!

As for a 307, turn it into a 283/292/301 jobber and go big engine eating!!

pdq67

a 305 is just like any other small block- take care of it, and it will take care of you.
i know of one in an early 80's 2wd pickup that had over 400,000 on it when it got traded in. the only work it ever had done to it beyond the usual oil changes and tune ups was a new intake gasket at 150,000 miles. it didn't leak or burn a drop of oil.
the L69 that was in my 86 Caprice was a pretty good runner- always started on the first crank, had decent torque, and got 26mpg. but the head decided to seize an exhaust valve and crack out when cruising down the interstate at 80 with the AC going last summer. the car is gone- but if i can scare up another head, that motor is going in something- i'm thinking a Monza or Vega or something like that would be a good home for it, or maybe a 4X4 S10 for a winter bomber.
i think i wanna build that 305 and head to Chicago and track down the South Side Goon and show him what's what..

I like the ole 305's. Nice easy back and fourth engine, not too bad on gas, but will get you from point A to point B anytime you wish.

At least you arent this 305......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuKYBb9wPDs

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Joe

The 305 can not carry the 350's jock strap!! Just my 2 cents!!

Well speaking of bottom ends, the 305 crank and rods are the same as the 350. So I guess it is carrying a 350's jock strap.............:rolleyes:

Guys, maybe it's just me but everyone I know whether they bought a Camaro or Firebird new or used had bad luck with 305's. None made it to 100k. My 1984 Z28 came the closest at 92k. My neighbor had a 1984 Trans Am. He bought the T/A new and he was an older guy and took care of it. His 305 puked early. My buddy's neighbor, she bought a 1986 Firebird new with a 305. She was older and took care of it and her 305 puked early. My other buddy had a 1979 Camaro his 305 was a turd. A guy in high school bought a 1977 Camaro with a useless 305 in it and that turned out to be a turd. :yes:

New, used, whatever a 305 in a Camaro or Firebird that I have seen from 1976-1986 like the Turbo 200 made those years was a turdball. :yes:

Maybe they were better off in Caprices or something. I worked for a company that had their 1986 Caprice as the company car. That thing had like 150k on it by early 1991 & still rolling. :thumbsup:

Who knows maybe 305's in Camaro's & Firebirds in or around Chicago, especially the South Side are cursed? :sad:

As far as 305's in a Chevy Monza. I know someone who had good luck with his and souped it up to run fairly well back then.

But the 305 gets as much love from me as the Turbo 200 trans, the Oldsmobile diesel and the ultra turd 4.1 LV8 DFI in the Cadillacs of the early to mid 1980's.

Don't forget that some Cali. Monza 2+2's came out STOCK w/ 350 V-8's in them that were rated so low, it was terrible!!

I don't know if the Monza Coupes had 350's in them or not??

pdq67

Well they derated the 350 to 145 horses in 77 as well. How do you build a motor so poorly that it can only produce about .4 hp per cid? That's sad. The Z returned with the mighty 175 hp that year. Again sad.

Dave,

They tried every way they could to kill the American V-8 and we wouldn't stand for it!!

Think about how GM f--d up the Olds 350 Diesel engine to keep from having to sell them!!

Millions and millions of corn-popper diesels are sold ALL over the world AND GM can't make one after me finding out that they OWN the little Metro 1000 cc, 3-banger gas jobber Suzuki used........................

F-- GM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anybody know GM's tie-in to Izuzu(Sp?) and their diesels!!

pdq67

305 ? Isn't that the same as the old 3.1L Multiport in the Cavaliers? :D

hey, a 3.1 with a 5 speed in a small car like a Cavy will probably surprise someone driving a stock 350 powered car from 1970. that is a very peppy combination. hell, even with an auto, a 3.1 does ok in a Beretta or Cavy.

and as for the gutless wonders that GM put out in the mid 70's- that's nothing a few hotrodding tricks like a cam, headers with dual exhaust, and intake won't take care of.

Thats my point, actually. The 3.1 was a "hot, peppy" motor in the Z24 Cavaliers. I had one and it went like a batoutaaheck. So, the 305, at 8 cyls, is about the same as that 3.1 with 6.