Will this engine fit in my son's Camaro?

[sixpack_sid]

My son has an 81 Camaro 305 4bbl AT. He needs a new motor. I've been looking on Craig's List and found a 305 out of an 1983 Chevy G20 Van. Will the motor fit? Do I need to modify or change anything?
Also, the Van bogs out and stalls when going up a hill. The owner says it's because of a problem with the carb. Has anyone heard of this happening because of a carb problem? I have a new carb I can put on the motor, but I don't want my son to buy it if there's going to be a problem with the engine.
I need your 
Thanks!
Sid

[440]

Could be something as simple as the float level in the carb is set too high... Will the owner let you check it and take it for a test run (with them of course)... Maybe then they wont sell it or want more money however if you fix it  

[greenpigs]

Any reason your not looking for a 350?

[moparguy01]

I'll go out on a limb and admit something here. I've owned 3 chevys in my life. All 3 were total piles of crap. and all 3 had one thing in common. That boat anchor chevy pretended to call a engine. The 305 imo is one of the worst engines ever put into anything, trumped of course by the 350 diesel......

I'd honestly hold out for a 350. and if I recall, at least up until about 3 years ago you could go order a rebuilt crate engine 350 from the dealership for around 1300 bucks with a warranty. Otherwise find a core and order a kit from Northern Auto Parts. (they have reaaaaly cheap 350 rebuild kits) and have it put together.

as far as the problem? I think its because somebody brought it out of the water, took it off its chain and installed it in a vehicle. But maybe thats just me.

[440]

A buddy of mine had a 76 Camaro with a 305 and the thing went backwards. lol. Wasn't a bad car as it just kept running and running....

a 350 Chev is a wiser choice. They are a dime a dozen... Another buddy of mine bought a new long block 350 horse 350 for $1500.. Just ad carb and go.... You should be able to get a good used one for a couple of hundred bucks if you don't want to spend the money.

[JT01]

Dont waist your time on a 305 I had 2 Camaros with 305s 350s are much better

[Tilar]

To answer your initial question, As long as the oil pan is the same yes it will fit in there. And yes the carb could cause the problem of not going up hill, so could a plugged catalytic converter, plugged fuel filter, spark plugs, air filter, low fuel pump pressure, a slipped timing chain, and the list goes on...  The 305 isnt a bad engine if you just want something to get you from point A to B but it's not a power house by any means.

[Budnicks]

My son has an 81 Camaro 305 4bbl AT. He needs a new motor. I've been looking on Craig's List and found a 305 out of an 1983 Chevy G20 Van. Will the motor fit? Do I need to modify or change anything?
Also, the Van bogs out and stalls when going up a hill. The owner says it's because of a problem with the carb. Has anyone heard of this happening because of a carb problem? I have a new carb I can put on the motor, but I don't want my son to buy it if there's going to be a problem with the engine.
I need your 
Thanks!
Sid

It could be a clogged catalitic converter also, or some thing as simple as, a clogged fuel filter or a fuel distribution problem, or even the screen on the fuel pick up in the fuel tank. With out more info it would be tough to diagnose. And yes the engine out of the 83 would fit, but vans are a bear for removeal a SBC 283ci, 302ci, 307ci 327, 350ci/5.7ltr or even a 400ci will also fit the same trans & & mounts depending on the years, you need to keep the flex plate & converter from the other vehicle to have the proper engine balance. Good luck.       Budnicks

[Cooter]

A 305 is nothing but an under bored 350 . Even has the same stroke. just like a 327 is nothing but a "Destroked" 350 Chevy. Small blocks like to eat camshafts in the early 305/307 engines, while the BBC 396/427/454 like to eat Pushrods....Agreed, you need to find a COMPLETE running 350...
Leave the 305 in the problem area where you found it...

[Budnicks]

A 305 is nothing but an under bored 350 . Even has the same stroke. just like a 327 is nothing but a "Destroked" 350 Chevy. Small blocks like to eat camshafts in the early 305/307 engines, while the BBC 396/427/454 like to eat Pushrods....Agreed, you need to find a COMPLETE running 350...
Leave the 305 in the problem area where you found it...

I agree hole heartedly, I was just trying to give him some opptions,  Both the 305 & 307 are junk in my oppinion, it didn't look like he know anything about Chebys. I raced using BBC's for years (when you couldn't get any decent parts for Mopars & they were worth there wieght in Gold too boot), I never had a pushrod issue, as to what are you refering to, THEY LIKE TO EAT PUSHRODS, just currious. If they are set up properly & the correct lengths there are no issues at all & especialy with 7/16" pushrods you can't hardly kill a set of them.      Budnicks

[sixpack_sid]

Long story short we changed 305 motor with a 305 motor from an 82 Blazer both had 4 bbl carbs. Finally got it together and it doesn't start. I sprayed ether in the carb, it cranks but doesn't fire. I pulled a spark plug wire and put a screwdriver in it. Cranked it over and there is no spark. I have new plugs, new wires, new cap on it. I had the ign. module checked and it passed. I called the junkyard where I bought the engine from and he said it ran when he pulled it. He said the firing order must be wrong. I followed the book and hooked it up the way it showed. My son did not mark the wires on the old cap before he pulled them so I am not positive on the order. It shows #1 position is different depending on HEI or contact breaker point ignition. The ign on the old motor is HEI because the pic in the book matches the distributor. Does contact breaker point ign. mean points and condensor? The distributor on the Blazer doesn't look the same-meaning the setup under the cap. Anyway the firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. But I'm not sure where #1 plug should go-I followed position for HEI. Would the wrong wiring position cause no spark at all? I would figure even if the plug wires are wrong, you would still see spark when you start it.
Am I missing something? Where do I go from here? I REALLY WANT this done and OUT of my garage so I can get back to my 68 Charger resto!!
Please help!!

[Cooter]

If you didn't get the engine on #1 cylinder, compression stroke BEFORE you wired it in the firing order, then all it will do is simply backfire and hit and miss....So, if you simply dropped the distributor in the engine at any random point, then wired it in the correct firing order, it WILL NOT START as you have about a 1 in 100 shot of hitting it just right. That #1 position is only for reference as it usually points to #1 Cyilinder on the engine.

Once you have the HEI distributor in the engine, you CANNOT just hook up the old points wire to it and fire it up..That is a resistor wire for the points only. You will need an ignition 12 volt source and wire that to the HEI distributor. So, time the engine up on #1 Cylinder compression, then wire in a 12 volt source to the distributor, then wire the firing order...

[sixpack_sid]

If you didn't get the engine on #1 cylinder, compression stroke BEFORE you wired it in the firing order, then all it will do is simply backfire and hit and miss....So, if you simply dropped the distributor in the engine at any random point, then wired it in the correct firing order, it WILL NOT START as you have about a 1 in 100 shot of hitting it just right. That #1 position is only for reference as it usually points to #1 Cyilinder on the engine.

Once you have the HEI distributor in the engine, you CANNOT just hook up the old points wire to it and fire it up..That is a resistor wire for the points only. You will need an ignition 12 volt source and wire that to the HEI distributor. So, time the engine up on #1 Cylinder compression, then wire in a 12 volt source to the distributor, then wire the firing order...

Distributor came with the motor. I didn't drop in the distributor from the Camaro. As a matter of fact, the Camaro dist. didn't have the 4 prong plug that goes to the body of the car, but the motor from the Blazer had the 4 prong plug, so I was able to hook that up with the new motor.
It's been about 20 years since I did this, but
I remember when I was a kid, my dad showed me how to find #1 plug on the cap  by taking a wrench and turning the crank shaft until the #1 piston is all the way up. The cap was off the distributor and you could see the rotor and that was where #1 plug should be. Does that make any sense? Can anyone refresh my memory??

[Cooter]

You mentioned you mighta swapped the Cap out for a new one? Did you be sure and swap the coil inthe HEI distributor old cap?

I assume the engine that WAS in the Camaro was an older POINTS style engine and you needed the engine from the Blazer which is now an HEI which was what should have been in the Camaro in the first place, so there's no chance the distributor could have been out of the Blazer engine? At some point?

[no318]

81 and up had an EST (Elec. Spark Timing) distributor (BAD) and it will have an additional 4 wire plug that was there for the advance to work.  You want an older vacuum/mechanical advance HEI.

[sixpack_sid]

81 and up had an EST (Elec. Spark Timing) distributor (BAD) and it will have an additional 4 wire plug that was there for the advance to work.  You want an older vacuum/mechanical advance HEI.

1st to answer Cooters post, the 81 Camaro does not have the old points and condensor. It is cap & Rotor.
But, the camaro was setup for the 4 wire plug that no318 mentioned because the plug is on the firewall. The old distributor in the Camaro HOWEVER, did NOT have a place to plug in the 4 prong plug. So I'm assuming that the distributor on the Camaro was changed to the vacuum/mechanical HEI.  When I put in the motor from the 82 Blazer, the distributor has the 4 prong plug on it, so I hooked it up. Would this cause the engine to not fire?
So where do I go from here? Can I just unplug the prong? Or do I need to swap distributors?

[elacruze]

A 305 is nothing but an under bored 350 . Even has the same stroke. just like a 327 is nothing but a "Destroked" 350 Chevy. Small blocks like to eat camshafts in the early 305/307 engines, while the BBC 396/427/454 like to eat Pushrods....Agreed, you need to find a COMPLETE running 350...
Leave the 305 in the problem area where you found it...

The 305 has very little in common with the 350 except for the shape.
I think you could get a straight 6 to outrun one with an intake and glasspack.

[greenpigs]

And get better MPG to boot.

[Cooter]

A 305 is nothing but an under bored 350 . Even has the same stroke. just like a 327 is nothing but a "Destroked" 350 Chevy. Small blocks like to eat camshafts in the early 305/307 engines, while the BBC 396/427/454 like to eat Pushrods....Agreed, you need to find a COMPLETE running 350...
Leave the 305 in the problem area where you found it...

The 305 has very little in common with the 350 except for the shape.
I think you could get a straight 6 to outrun one with an intake and glasspack.

Had a 305 here at one of the local tracks that had a stock bottom end runnin g deep in 7's 8th mile(Low 11's 1/4 mile roughly)..The 305 and 350 Chevy share the same crank...327 And 350 share the same bore. as do the 427 BB and the 454 BB..Just different cranks. 305 and 350 chevy are almost IDENTICAL save for the pistons. Even some of the smogger 350's ran the same identical heads, with the "Dime sized" intake valves.


back to the original poster, I think you've had some "Rewiring" of some sort in the car and between running a distributor and wiring that doesn't jive, without  being there, this ones gonna be a tough one to diag.

[sixpack_sid]

Thats it I had it with this pile of crap they call a chevy. I just got back from towing that pile to the shop. In the pooring rain. I'm soaked but happy to see it out of my garage. Hopefully it won't cost to much. Now I can start on my 68 charger.

Thanks for all the replies


Sid

[greenpigs]

I understand it is your sons car but sometimes you need to get things done before it turns into hate. Then the car will never get done.

[no318]

81 and up had an EST (Elec. Spark Timing) distributor (BAD) and it will have an additional 4 wire plug that was there for the advance to work.  You want an older vacuum/mechanical advance HEI.

1st to answer Cooters post, the 81 Camaro does not have the old points and condensor. It is cap & Rotor.
But, the camaro was setup for the 4 wire plug that no318 mentioned because the plug is on the firewall. The old distributor in the Camaro HOWEVER, did NOT have a place to plug in the 4 prong plug. So I'm assuming that the distributor on the Camaro was changed to the vacuum/mechanical HEI.  When I put in the motor from the 82 Blazer, the distributor has the 4 prong plug on it, so I hooked it up. Would this cause the engine to not fire?
So where do I go from here? Can I just unplug the prong? Or do I need to swap distributors?

It will NOT cause a no spark, but will not have mechanical advance (if I recall, some didn't have vac. advance either).  Not causing a no start, but will not perform to potential with that dist.