Thread: 350 Engine swap?

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Im in the process of building a 350 superstreet motor for my 1987 Chevrolet Silverado. I have a few questions about things that are going to be needed to make this truck run strong and steady.

The motor that is in my truck now is a 305. I've been speaking with my girlfriend's father about this. He's pretty well qualified to help me make decisions because of the fact that he builds superstreet/race engines and transmissions for a living and he does very well with it.

He and I decided that I would be very well off to build a 350 with flat top pistons, hydraulic cam/lifters. When I asked him about what heads I should go with, he said I had so many options. One option that i submitted to him and he was quite impressed with was using my 305 heads on the 350 sbc and using my T.B.I instead of carburated.

As far as installation goes for the injection, using whats already there is very much easier but I'm wondering if thats a good quality way to go.

Will the 350 sbc with 305 heads and T.B.I injection do well?

Don't do it. The 305 heads have small ports and valves and they will choke a 350. 305 heads have small combustion chambers. If you run them with flat tops your compression will be impractical for the street.

Also, if there is any computer's controling any part of that engine don't do it. When you change the compression and cam it throws off the computer. As far as the heads go, they will definatly boost the compresson and you would need a lower compression piston to drive it on the street. You might even have the machine shop put larger valves in and get a higher lift cam to off set the chokeing of the engine.

Using a 305 head on a 350 block with a flat top piston and a mild lift cam isn't an uncommon thing. Many people have done it. The computer shouldnt know anything different because the computer is controlling the fuel injection and im not changing the injectors or the intake so changing the block shouldn't mess with any of that. Also another question, how stout is the 292 inline 6cyl that you find in like UPS trucks and stuff? A friend of mine said he has seen them put into full size trucks and they just haul ass because the 292 has such a long stroke and potential to make tons of torque.

Another question, I could also do what I've seen done in a few chevelle's that really haul ass. That would be to tear out my fuel injection, rebuild my 305 with flat top pistons, stock heads, a high lift cam, some good rods, lifters, and rockers.

In place of my injection I would put a race demon carb. Demon carbs are my favorite out of everything on the market today. I have access to a Barry Grant Silver Claw carb from back in the day when gas wasn't 1/2 your paycheck. But that is kind of a collector's item because they don't make them anymore and i dont want to ruin it.

My last question, no matter how i decide to go, whether i put the 350 in, or just get nonstock with my 305, could I put a blower on the motor and still drive it as a daily driver or is that too much? What about gas mileage difference with a blower as opposed to plain carburated? What would be the pro's and con's between TBI and Carburation?

If you are going to run a blower, you need the compression down around 8 or 8.5:1. 305 heads do choke down a 350 and not allow it to breath correctly. Just because others run them doesn't make it the right way to go. There's lots of good chebbie heads around, why waste time with something that won't allow the engine to breath good??? Especially if you are going to run a blower than the runners really need a lot of CFM and big valves to get the compressed air through the heads and into the cylinder.

A 292 does make a lot of torque and is a great truck motor.

Ok, I understand about the 305 heads are going to choke the motor. The reason I wanted to use them was for money purposes. The motor that is in my truck as of now is going to need to be rebuilt and i want to put a different one in and get started on it so that i can have it built when the current motor decides to take a dive.

The reason that i ask about the 292 inline 6 is because i have one and ive seen a lot of companies that make parts for them. Would that motor do well in my 1987 Chevrolet Silverado? Or would that be too much weight for an inline 6? I know that truck is a lot of steel and I just want to make sure that the 292 would make enough power and torque to make me happy or if i need to go with a v8. I want a unique street rod but i neeed to be able to drive it at least 30 miles a day without it breaking me on gas. (That means anything over 350 is pretty much out of the question.) Any Suggestions? I think if it would work, the 292 would be a very fun and unique way to go. I mean seriously, how many people do you see with inline 6's as a street rod in a truck that big and heavy? Lemme Know... Thanks!

If you set up that in line 6 right you can get 300hp out of it no problem. Just think it is 292 ci and only has 6 cyl, thats 48.67ci per cylinder. A 305 has 38.125ci per cylinder and a 350 has 43.75ci per cylinder. You should have no problem with that engine in your truck.

With the 292 having a longer stroke than a 454, I know that it isn't going to turn nearly as fast as say a 350 or something. It wouldn't produce quite as much horse power as I'd love to have, but with that motor it just doesn't seem like it needs hp to run quick. I know it probably wouldn't run it in my truck because of the added weight, but I've heard stories of these 292 inline 6 cyl. running 11 flats in the 1/4. True? Lemme know... I'm REALLY thinking about doing this. Would I be making a mistake to do this over a 350 or what? Thanks!

I doubt seriously that building a 292 CI sisx to the 300 hp level is going to be an economy build. I'm sure they have run 11's in the quarter, but I am also sure that the only thing close to stock on the engine was the block!!

With 350's in such great abundance, and almost everybody and their brother building them, parts are plentiful and cheap. I've seen good heads and intakes go super cheap at swap meets. The 292 parts would not be near as plentiful or as cheap, and stock they aren't much to write home about.

Well I'm told by my girlfriend's dad that I can build this 292 to 300hp for 1000 dollars said and done. He's a mechanic and gets cost on the parts he buys. A 300 HP 292 would be something very unique and not done by many before. Like you said, every body and their brother is building a 350 and dropping it in. No one really does 292...He also runs a machine shop and said that I should talk to the machinist to see if i can bore the 292 to a 310, a 310 inline 6 would be very nice...Definite answer, worth the time and money to do it, YES or NO?

Well, ok i looked at a vendor for performer parts for those 292 engines, the rebuild kit alone is 800 bucks!!! I think not, but if you have the money for them i think its a great way to go...bored out to about 310 or so is 51.6 ci per cylinder. A 350 gets 43.75 per cylinder so power per cylinder the 292 is stronger. Parts are really high though...so i think im gonna try a different route. Lemme know what you guys think i need to do. There's also the possibility that im going to buy my sister's truck. It's a 97 Ford F150 Short wide, v6, 5 speed. Any suggestions on how I could hop this up and make it a much better performer. Whether to take the v6 out and drop something else or whatever. Lemme know...

Well i understand that im going to have to spend a little bit of money no matter what, im just trying to find the best way to play things without spending tons of cash...I want something that is going to really work but not something that measures in gallons to miles. if u know what i mean. What do you guys think about hopping up that f150? what kind of things could i do to the existing v6 or would it be better off to drop a v8? This is my problem! I need to know ways to make a v6 stand up and scream like a v8... Or better ways to make a v8... My whole deal is that i haven't been at this very long and i'm trying to learn what kind of stuff works and what doesn't. I am just getting my feet wet in the motor building business because thats what i want to do in my career, i want to be an engine builder. Let me know.. Thanks!

go for it. eather way your going to build both sometime or another, right? Hot Rod did a story on a straight 6 running 11's. it's a good motor with lots of torque. if your worried about gas consumption you should look into a hybrid. lol!

Ok this is how i feel about it, If i build the inline 6 then ill have a very unique style truck that not many people have seen before. Its going to blow people away to see an inline 6 running faster than their 350's and 400's haahaha. Even a hopped up inline 6 wont consume as much gas I wouldnt think because I'd be missing 2 cyl. It would be the same as driving my 305 now, but faster with more torque/power. I think im gonna go for the inline 6.