So my berlinetta has a 305 that is just shot. It leaks oil and sucks gas and I simply need a new engine. I am looking at LS1 and LT1 engines. I am wondering what all goes into getting these engines hooked up electronically and if it will simply bolt up. I have never swapped an engine but have done other mechanical things to the car. Also would I need a new tranny? The car is pretty much stock. Thanks all

A whole hell of a lot on LS1.
The LT1 bolts in.

Better choice cost wise is a crate 350 or 383 SBC from GM, or Jegs or Summit or a dozen others outlets.

^+1

If you are buying an engine... A 250 HP/350 TQ crate 350 with a 3-year/100,000 mile warranty is hard to beat for the price.
http://sdparts.com/details/gm-goodwrench-replacement-engines/10067353

Direct bolt-in swap... Great choice for a newb's first swap..
(I did it two years ago... The engine has been PERFECT.)

+1 on the goodwrench 350, plus in a few years or sooner you can add some alum heads with 64cc chambers and boost that 350 up 75 hp....maybe a cam to :).........

Here are two GMPP crate motors that are pretty reasonable priced 290 HP (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-12499529/) 330 HP (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-19210007/)

The "260 hp" crate motor is built to no better spec than a 70s smog 350, I'm not sure where they get 260 hp from, probably a gross horsepower rating. 8:1 compression, 76cc 882-copy heads, under .400 lift cam. It is a total dog, I bought a car with a brand new 260 hp crate in it and drove it around the neighborhood before taking it apart. It was soooooo sloooow.

So my berlinetta has a 305 that is just shot. It leaks oil and sucks gas and I simply need a new engine. I am looking at LS1 and LT1 engines. I am wondering what all goes into getting these engines hooked up electronically and if it will simply bolt up. I have never swapped an engine but have done other mechanical things to the car. Also would I need a new tranny? The car is pretty much stock. Thanks all


If you don't have a engine hoist with a good extension your going to have to take the front clip off to pull motor out. Unless you don't mind scratching it up.

If motor is about done then the tranny has probably seen better days as well.

If you looking to go cheap, go the route of finding a used motor and trans combo on Craiglist/ your local classifieds. Find one you can hear run before you buy. The deals are out there, ya just got to be patient. Motor swaps are all about patience and making sure you do it right the 1st time. Otherwise you'll be pulling everything back out and starting all over.

For example think of all the other things the car probably needs if it needs a new motor. Fuel lines, clean out gas tank, brake lines, exhaust, if roller cam--switch to electric fuel pump, brackets, pulleys, dizzy,hoses, lines etc....I was in your same boat, thought I could just throw a new motor in there. Once I dug in, I realized oh cappppppp lots more needs to be done just to make this thing run good.

Heres my choice, 300 hp for under 2k seems like a cant lose deal.



http://paceperformance.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=264227

The "260 hp" crate motor is built to no better spec than a 70s smog 350, I'm not sure where they get 260 hp from, probably a gross horsepower rating. 8:1 compression, 76cc 882-copy heads, under .400 lift cam. It is a total dog, I bought a car with a brand new 260 hp crate in it and drove it around the neighborhood before taking it apart. It was soooooo sloooow.


I feel the same way about that engine combo GM put together. It just leaves me flat. Blah, But....for most guys that are coming from even a more anemic 305, that engine hauls azz by comparison.

The "260 hp" crate motor is built to no better spec than a 70s smog 350, I'm not sure where they get 260 hp from, probably a gross horsepower rating. 8:1 compression, 76cc 882-copy heads, under .400 lift cam. It is a total dog, I bought a car with a brand new 260 hp crate in it and drove it around the neighborhood before taking it apart. It was soooooo sloooow.
Get what you can afford, and the GM crate is probably the best bang for buck there is with a warranty. I wouldn't build one like it either, but I'd buy one before buying any used engine. And I'd recommend that especially to someone with minimal experience. Replace a clapped out 305 and it'll feel like you have a jet pack, lol.

Thank you all for the input. The 350s that you guys are showing me look like a good deal. The reason I was looking at the LS1 and LT1 was for fuel economy as well as power. How many mpgs am i looking at with the goodwrench 350? My car gets 12 on good days and long flat highways.

I got 20 mpg on a 2500 mile trip last year... 60-70 mph with the A/C running and a loaded down car. (3.42 rear, 200-4R OD trans.)

You can get 25 mpg (or more) with a modern engine but you will have to drive it a lot to make up for the cost difference of an LS1.

Sorry, but I'm going against the grain here. Its almost always cheaper to rebuild what you have than to go out and buy a new crate something'er'other. Yes I know they are new and come with warranties, blah blah blah, but any good machine shop will provide you with a like new engine and will warranty his/her work. You have all the say in what work is done, from a basic hone job, to full bore, alignhoning, etc. Keep in mind though this is what they do for a living, and are likely very good at it. They can take a worn out smog 305, and turn it into a 350hp playtoy that still gets good mileage, is reliable, and warrantied.......just like a crate engine! Lets not start the 305-350-big block thing. If you've already got it, use it. Yank it out, rebuild it. If you have lots of cash you can do it all at once, or if your budget limited, you can do a bit at a time. Heads one month, maybe bore with new pistons the next month, new cam and valvetrain the next month, etc. I promise you'll learn more and get more satisfaction from this process rather than just flipping through a catalog and ordering part numbers.

And for your post, either the LT1 or the LS series will be a whole lot of work and endless hours of research. Not that it can't be done, but your best off keeping what you have. A properly tuned carb'd V8 can achieve near Fuel injected mileage and performance if it is tended to.

Sorry, but I'm going against the grain here. Its almost always cheaper to rebuild what you have than to go out and buy a new crate something'er'other. Yes I know they are new and come with warranties, blah blah blah, but any good machine shop will provide you with a like new engine and will warranty his/her work. You have all the say in what work is done, from a basic hone job, to full bore, alignhoning, etc. Keep in mind though this is what they do for a living, and are likely very good at it. They can take a worn out smog 305, and turn it into a 350hp playtoy that still gets good mileage, is reliable, and warrantied.......just like a crate engine! Lets not start the 305-350-big block thing. If you've already got it, use it. Yank it out, rebuild it. If you have lots of cash you can do it all at once, or if your budget limited, you can do a bit at a time. Heads one month, maybe bore with new pistons the next month, new cam and valvetrain the next month, etc. I promise you'll learn more and get more satisfaction from this process rather than just flipping through a catalog and ordering part numbers.
I would like to do the work myself and I do not really want to rebuild it. I understand that the 305 could be built up and all, but a 350 is a tad more and can be built up even more. i would like a 350 of some kind that i can just replace the 305 with. i dont have enough money to make a 305 really good right now. thank you for the input.