Hi guys, its time for me to replace the motor in my 86 K3500, it has a 350 in it but i can get a 305 for free from a guy we race with.
My question is will the 305 have good power for plowing and if any of you have one that you use for plowing?
Thanks for any info.
it would probably be fine for plowing only. Dont plan on accelerating very hard while loaded or towing,you should be fine.
I agree with John, he knows his stuff, but if I were you, I'd try to stay with the 350 if at all possible. As long as your changing the motor, how about going with a nice 454? :eek: I just cant see downsizing from a 350 to a 305. Mike
I have a 65 C30 with a hi torque 292 inline 6.That truck will pull anything,not fast,but its a torque making fool. The 305 will be adequete.If plowing is all its doing,its plenty,and its free. In all honesty,if it were mine id skip the 454 and go with a strong 400 SB. Properly built 400 SB's can really haul the mail,they are gettting hard to find now,but I had 2 of them,and they willl give a 454 a run for its money every time.I never found a 454 that could pull with my 400,but i did have some engine work done,mild porting,intake,headers/duals,and a nice RV grind for comp cams.
No way would I give up ci even if it is free. This looks to be your main truck , you will miss the ci. If you need to swap them out so you can rebuild the 350 ok. Bore the 350 20 over a good mid range rv cam new bearing and rings maybe a set of rods and piston. Now you have a great plow and tow truck. Don't give up the cubes.
If you decide to go with a replacement 350, you might want to give Jasper a look. I've heard very good things about their engines, unlike the engines from auto zone and such. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Well i would like to stay with the 350 but i dont have alot of money to spend and the this isnt the orginal motor we replaced it because my dad fried the org and the one thats in there now is a POS it has no power and i had to take the head off to fix a valve then it blew a head gasket on that same head with less the 1000 miles on that head gasket and it burned the deck down between 3 and 5 cyl. I dont have alot of time to dickaround in findinga motor the grass season is comming up and my vans tranny went out so i need something now with basicly no money. So that throws out the posibility of rebuilding the motor and buying a rebuilt one of the same size.
OK go ahead and drop the 305 in for grass season. I understand where you are coming from. With the problems you are talking about the 305 may have more hp than the tired 350. I have run 305s and 350 for years. If you can afford it before the snow flies try to get a good 350 for plow season.
And yes the 305 will pull the trailer may lose a little on take off and up long hills, but you will be fine.
Yea i just need something now tileman my plan is to get a another truck by the end of grass season so even with the 305 it would just be a good backup truck. The 350 i guess had problems we just rubilt it with rings and gaskets no machine work or nothing major, and the 305 came out of a race car we run during the summer it has pleanty of power and is a good motor only has like 60k on it but that 350 never had any power and was slow on accelaration without a trailer or plow. What i want to know is why the head gasket went with less then 1000 on it.
OK Wesley: blowen gasket between 3 and 5, and you said you repaired or replaced a valve? Did you have the head check for crackes or burn out from valve seat. Or there could be a problem with the intake manifold, carbon build up under the pan on the under side of the intake. To much heat. What type of head gaskets did you use. Name brand. One last thing the head could have been warped.
All of this is with out seeing what you have .
I checdk the head for cracks when i rebuiltit at school, I dont think it was cracked it coulld have been warped, we use name brand i belive it was a fel pro but i dont remeber my dad bought it from a good engine rebuilder around here. i just started pullin the motor today and about 3/4 done.
Look into Jasper engine, stick with a 350. They are turn key engine built the way you want them especially for plowing. The engine comes with warranty years and miles.:waving:
Try looking at their website...
Why buy somebody's re-built re-sleeved, re-tapped whatever when you can go to your local Chevy dealer and get a brand new GEN YOO WINE GM crate motor, 350 version for about $1300.00 long block? These motors are made in Mexico by GM, 4 bolt mains, with boss for mechanical fuel pump and all tin.
3 year 50K mile from the General himself.
Just getting two for my boat right now, can't beat the price and the warranty is good for motor vehicle, but not for marine use.
That is the best deal in the whole world, all you need is an intake manifold, distributor, carb, and your old exhaust manifolds and hang on stuff.
Noy yo rag on you guys but if you would have read the whole post, i dont have any money to put into buying a new motor right now i cant afford a new or rem engine. This winter killed me and i have alot of stuff i ahd to pay for so i have pretty much no money, cant wait till i start cutting agian.
The 305 will do just fine for plowing.If you really need the power,stick it in 4LO.
I've had several 305 plow trucks,never any worse than a 350,except for a few camshafts wearing out.
If you are getting the engine for free or getting a deal on it. Take it and install it, then run it until it die...If you get a season or two out of it well worth the time it took to install 305.:waving:
I had a 2wd Suburban w a 305 n used it for plowing. 226,000 miles on the original motor n trans n the trans gave out about 3/4 of the way thru the second season we ran it. originally owned by a co worker n he donated it to the school for plowing w the plow on it. Rusted like the dickens but still runs to this day. Starts first time every time. Only been sitting two months. We are going to take it in for a new trans in about a week.
Wesley You said the 305 came out of a race car. So I assume it is turned up a bit. And you said it had plenty of power. Since plowing is more limited by traction than power I don't think it will be a problem. O well if you get it for free you can't go wrong IMO.
Tommy why are you putting a stock motor in your boat? I would throw some stiffer valve springs, better valves, etc on there first. Boats are different than cars cause they have to run wide open all the time. JMO
Those long stroke inline 6 motors are max. My sister has a Ford 300 I6. It only has 140 horse but it runs up hills like a scared cat cause of the torque. Also gotta love the over head cam as in the new 4.2 from GM. High revving HP and low end toque :nod: Has anyone used a stroker kit for a 350? I think it has a different crankshaft which gives a longer stroke so you end up with 383 CI and lots of torque.
Originally posted by Tommy10plows
Why buy somebody's re-built re-sleeved, re-tapped whatever when you can go to your local Chevy dealer and get a brand new GEN YOO WINE GM crate motor, 350 version for about $1300.00 long block? These motors are made in Mexico by GM, 4 bolt mains, with boss for mechanical fuel pump and all tin.
3 year 50K mile from the General himself.
Just getting two for my boat right now, can't beat the price and the warranty is good for motor vehicle, but not for marine use.
That is the best deal in the whole world, all you need is an intake manifold, distributor, carb, and your old exhaust manifolds and hang on stuff. *******Warning! The GM crate motor you mention is from ATK!
Yes, it does have the GM name on it but it is still an ATK product built at their Monterey, Mexico plant.
If you don't belive this post then call ATK yourself and ask them about it (1-800-421-3746).
Sorry you bought TWO, but I'd rather be towed than install another ATK product!
Check all the groups for ATK feedback.
IF you do install these engines in your boat then you will need to remove the silver freeze plugs and replace with some quality brass ones. You will be removing the tattletale heat fuse in the process but you don't have any warranty ability so nothing is lost.
Good Luck!

I had my 700r4 rebuilt about 1.5 years ago, rebuilt everything including a new torque converter. Sometimes when I'm at about 3/4 throttle while accelerating into traffic, it feels as though the transmission monemtarily hangs up then shifts normally again. This usually happens between (I think) 2nd and 3rd gear. I had the servo replaced too with one allegedly from a corvette, for a firmer shift.
Do you suppose that a vacuum leak could be at fault. To my understanding, the 700r-4's were still vacuum controlled, until 93 when they were electronically controlled. What might be the problem? I know it is somewhat limited info, but so far it has only happened a few times. The fluid is red, non-burnt so I'm baffled, it dosen't seem like it should be normal, but is it? I don't remember it happening before I rebuilt it or had the servo replaced, perhaps it did and i never noticed :confused:
Thanks for any help that anyone can offer!:drinkup:
-John
John, there is no vacuum control on the 700r4.It is totally controlled by a kick down cable,and and a mechanical governor. Because of this the kick down linkage adjustment is critical to long life of the transmission. To be sure which gear shift is giving you the problem,manually shift the trans with the shift lever. If its the 2-3 shift flare it is murder on the 3-4 clutch pack,this is not good. That is the most common failure on the 700r4. I would be easy on it while it makes that shift,then power into it after the shift.You want to get this looked at ASAP,to minimize any more damage to the transmission. When you say it hangs,you mean the motor RPM stays the same and it wont shift for a second, or there is a or it starts to shift,the RPM rises the falls into the next gr(flare shift). There is also a bind shift(very bad) where the trans is in 2 grs at once for a very brief time.in this case the car truck will usually nose over for a split second as if someone tapped the brakes for a mil-second when it shifts.This is usually easier to feel at light throttles /low speeds.At higher throttle you literally drive right thru the bind and cannot feel it usually.
Make sure the TV cable it not sticking and adjusted properly.You can adjust it easily by depressing the button on the cable,at the throttle body mounting bracket,and let the cable release.Then fully open the throttle plate (at the throttle body,don't use the gas pedal),and it will self adjust.
One other thing to check would be the linkage adjustment.Quite often on plow trucks,it gets worn,and the trans will act up.Make sure it's going properly into each gear.

I ran some cheapo revolving amber beacon with a cigarette lighter plug to get by this year. I would like to get a mini lightbar for next year -- prefereably permanently mounted. However, I don't know if I will be able to tackle that myself. I don't want to mess anything up, as i'm sure i'll have to drill holes in the roof, take off the head board...
So, where would I go to get this done and how much can I expect to pay? I would just like it to be mounted to the roof controlled by a switch on the dash board. This will be on a reg cab 2500 chevy.
Also, any recommendations on what brand/model? I just want a halogen flasher.
Thanks
Ryan
I would not want to drill any holes in my roof that's why I got the backrack to mount my light bar.If iwas to get a revolving light I would get a federal mini jet with the three rotators model JM-Fast.A guy that had one on is truck could be seen for quite a distance but he had the three rotators not the two.
Thanks for the reply.
I wouldn't mind having a backrack, but it isn't an option. My ez-dumper is in the way.
I think I saw a pic somewhere on here where the wire ran through the third brake light (I think Maverick?). How is that done?
Anyone have pics of their setup?
Sorry, I was gonna attatch this pic.
Check your email :waving:
-John
Nice pipes!
I don't know what type of plowing you do, or what set up you have, but this season I found out that my truck is running at about the limit as far as power consumption goes. I had forgotten to charge my phone before plowing so I plugged it into the truck while out doing the route. After 12 hours of being plugged in, it still didn't have a full charge. It normally takes about 90 minutes to charge when there's no extra load on the electrical system.
I plow driveways that are mostly a minute or less apart, so the pump is running almost non-stop. I had been running a Whelen Responder II, similar to the Highlighter, but I've switched to strobes for less power draw. They're a bit higher in price, but peace of mind is worth it to me.
Thanks Pelican. I'll have to take a look at the strobes. The charging system seemed to do fine this winter. I run a western straight blade unimount 7.5' and had a little rotator running. I do mostly residentials and the pump is running a lot. The battery/charging system seemed to do fine, but I didn't have any cell phone chargers, radios, or anything else electrical running.
Get a small strobe bar and mount it on the cab protector bar of the ez-dumper.
Hey Ryan Nice Pipes :)
Check with whelen and Nova Industries
they are both out of my state here and are very quality products.
If you need a price or anything I could get in touch with them for you I am actually in the process of trying to get an engineering internship with Whelen so let me know if you need any help.
Jay
Ryan ,that's one of the problems i had for not getting the dump insert because of my light bar and backrack you could do a light on the cab protector,the only problem with that is when it's rasied but you can do hideaway strobes i have the same truck as you i have them plus the light bar.
Different cab protector, but you get the idea. The wires end up being longer but it's not a big deal.
I would personnaly go with the magnetic/suction mount and run the wires thru the third brake light,there are only 2 screws holding that cover on,pop that off,run the wires over thru the headboard and to a switch,just use a little silicone when you put the cover back on.This is exactly how i mounted my light(only it was permanent mount on a back rack)and i have had no leaks.
nben - did you run the wires outside the insert (wire exposed), or fish the wire through the insert?
Arc Burn - I think I like your idea. I might try that.
Thanks for the help everyone
Ryan
I ran the wires down the bottom of the insert (underneath, not in the cargo area) and down the hinge, to behind the bumper and up the truck frame.
IMO, the biggest problem with the magnetic and suction cup mounts is they are very easy for someone to steal. At least with a light that is bolted on, someone would have to remove the bolts or damage the light mount to get it. Lets face it, if they really want the bar, they are going to get it either way, but the latter of the two is going to take more time and draw more attention. Just my 2 cents. :D
0ryan0
The same as ARC is talking about, but i run a bead of silicone across the top of the light just to be safe. The connecter works great (gm alternator connector) have them on both trucks:
Earthscapes-
Where did you find the connector. Most places that I have looked only had the harness end available, and didn't know where I could find the other end, short of dismantling an alternator....
Thanks!
-John
If you need a connector,use a weatherpack connector.Sealed and weathertight.Available almost anywhere,or grab one off an old GM product.
Earth,how do you like that light?I'm gonna try that one next.Any problems at high speed?i know cheap ones like to fly off!
I use a Whelen mini-strobe magnetic mount for all my trucks. At the end of the season it nice to take them off wash them and put them away.
Cost about $125.00 each I think I purchased them from AWDirect catalog.
Don't buy a Turbo Beam strobe mini-bar light bar, I fried 2 of them this season. Then purchase a Whelen and loved it.

Ironic..
I had the truck at Aamco, they said they were getting a computer code and couldn't find the problem, they suggested I take the truck to a dealer.
Dealer scans it and finds no codes, they suggest a new tranny with a pricetag of $2800. I tell them not to touch the truck, that I will be by later to pay they for the scan and pick it up.
I call Aamco up and tell them what the dealer tells me, he says "bring it by and I'll see what I can do". At this point the truck still shifts, but is slow to shift into 2nd from first and won't downshift from 3rd to 2nd; regardless it's still drivable. That was last wednesday.
Thursday morning I go to get into my Toyota to go to work and smell a foul odor, I realize the cooler I had the back full of tuna from a fishing trip earlier in the week must have leaked so I'll take the truck into the office, it's all highway after all.
On the way home after going through the toll for the tunnell on I95 I notice the engine is revving high. I pull over to find the truck won't shift into second at all; I manage to make it home on back roads..
Talk to Aamco toady and they say they need to pull the tranny and will call me back with a price.
Depending on what they quote me I'm going to do 1 of 2 things, either have them fix it (I'd like some feedback on this considering this tranmission is an Aamco rebuild from 15 mos. ago) or go with the $1200 quote I got from another guy to totally rebuild the tranny from top to bottom with all upgraded parts and a heavy duty torque converter.
If I go with the total rebuild, do you guys have any suggestions as to what parts I should opt for, i.e, brand, etc..
Sorry for the long post, i guess I just needed to vent..
I'd go with the other guy. I havent heard much praise about anything Aamco has had their hands on. I think all they do is replace the parts that need to be replaced. I had mine completely rebuilt top to bottom, inside out. Only cost me $1700 with a 15k warranty.
id go with the the other guy
whats his warranty
where did you catch the tuna
i run out off hatteras once a yr for tuna
john
Originally posted by CARDOCTOR
id go with the the other guy
whats his warranty
where did you catch the tuna
i run out off hatteras once a yr for tuna
john Other guys warrenty is 1 year, which could be 20k miles for me.
I the last 3 weeks I've been out to the Poorman's Canyon out of Ocean City MD twice. First trip went 14 for 17 hookups on yellow fins up to 70 lbs and the second we went 7 for 12 with 5 longfin up to 50 lbs and 2 yellowfin up to 40lbs. All fish were caught chunking just short of the 100 fa line. They should be there for a couple more weeks (crossing my fingers)..
Hows the bite down south?
-e
Pull it out yourself, and it'll save you about 500 bucks. At least its that way around here. I'd try a multistate trans shop or another chain trans shop. I have a friend that works at an Aamco and he says they arent so good.
Tony

Yeeha. '02 dmax, 12k miles, and after I've driven a bit, I get a pile of blue smoke out the pipe. It goes away when I rev it up to approx 1000 rpms (returns when it returns to idle), and it seems to be running properly. But obviously, something isn't right. I called the dealership and they said to call back Monday am to talk to the diesel guys. Has this happened to any of you?
The only problems Ive heard of on the dmax are usually at higher mileage. The injection pumps can give you trouble at higher mileages,the injectors seem to start failing one by one after 100K. With only 12K miles you shouldnt have any trouble at all. The only thing i would do is check the air filter,and replace the fuel filter before it goes in.Then see if it still does it.
I'll check those... Thanks.
Well, I can verify that the air filter is good...
I figured as much,but ive seen huge nests plug them up solid on new trucks in 3000 miles if it sat long enough.those rodents will build them anywhere.With a diesel,the standard proceedure is to replace the fuel filter first whenever there is a fuel related problem,no matter when it was last changed,in case you picked up some algae or bad fuel. There is also one other way it will smoke,some fuel stations dump there drain oil in the diesel fuel tanks at night,especially truck stops,if your station does this then this is why its smoking. They do it for 2 reasons they get rid if it,and 2 they get paid for it at going rates. It actually lubes the pumps,so usually no harm done,it just smokes. When we used to drive dump trucks,they shop dumped our drain oil in our tanks when we got the oil changed,it smoked a tad until you ran it thru that tank ot fuel. I dont buy from stations that do this,I dont want drain oil in my fuel tank,so I avoid the truck stops whenever possible since they change oil there.
Interesting... Although it would probably smoke all the time if that were the case... I'm wondering if there's some sort of internal oil line or something that has sprung a small leak, and when the revs are up, there's enough flow to dilute it invisible, but at idle, it just puffs out, ie a constant burn vs. a proportional burn. Of course, I know jack **** about diesels, so who knows... Maybe I'm being pessimistic, but I'm scared it's gonna be something big and I'll be riding a bicycle for a week, so I'm praying for something simple.
I dont know a thing about diesels either, but maybe its a possibility you got a bad tank of diesel fuel? This is the exact reason I'd never buy a diesel, cause I know nothing about them, then when something happens, you have to depend on someone else to fix it and hope they know what their doing. I'm ok with a gas engine vehicle. :D Hope you get it fixed, and when you do, post what the problem was. Good luck. Mike
Nope, not a bad tank, cuz I've had 3 tanks from a variety of stations through since it started (long road trip)... I'll definitely report back what it is when I find out...
do like john saided change the fuel filter and than add some power service to the fuel thats the name of the fuel conditioner. sounds like bad fuel or got water in fuel.if that aint the problem than sounds like got problems in the pump.
Just talked to a guy who had the same problem with his '02 @ 14k miles... Ended up replacing the injectors (4 were bad) and the pump. I'll find out tomorrow, I suppose. I'm gonna hold off on any additives or anything until they go over it... Don't want to mask a bigger problem, or give them any wiggle room on warranty.