84 Monte Carlo Engine Swap...or Camshaft Replacement ?

[Ribbedroof]

IMO, Best bang for your buck in your current situation is look on Facebook marketplace Arcadia Oklahoma guy has a 19,000 mile 305 roller long block 400 bucks. Thought about buying it for my wagon but I think I’m selling out of G body stuff so ……. I know it’s not a 350 but it’s a lioe mile drop in using your existing accessories And a roller cam to boot

 

[olds307 and 403]

As said, if you can't afford a reman, good luck on affording a complete rebuild. Machine work is not cheap plus the parts to do it right. Even a used Vortec 350 requires a different intake and an electric fuel pump. What about the rest of the car, what trans and rear end gears? As said, if the rest of the bearings aren't already scored, they soon will be. I have been down that road before with a failing flat tappet cam. Oil pressure went from very good 45 to 50 psi hot with 5W30 to 25 psi hot with 20W50 at 2000 rpm, thanks to the floating metal from the cam.

 

[DRIVEN]

 

[64nailhead]

smh

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

smh

Pretty much where I'm at, did a quick search of the stuff this guy posts and it's pretty much a lot of unanswered questions from the community here that he seems to pass over, yet posts up looking for advice/info etc.

Doesn't seem to listen to any of it so yup one of them types content in their own world with the info their shady tree mechanic gives them.

 

[CopperNick]

Ouch. First of all if the lifters are wiped then at least one lobe on the cam has probably also taken a hit. As an FYI, flat tappet lifters are designed and manufactured to have a slight dome in the face that rides the cam lobe. This is so the lifter will turn ever so slightly as it is moved up and down by the cam lobe. Once that dome wears away or gets ground off, then the lifter quits moving and the that face starts getting damaged. along with the matching lobe on the cam.

If your lifters are as seriously done as the pictures allege, putting in fresh lifters is a bandaid exercise. Any debris or shrapnel from the damaged lifters has had plenty of opportunity to get into the oil passges and galleries. Trying to make the 305 last is a waste. By now this should be apparent.

Here and now you seriously need to sit down and re-evaluate your priorities. Babies and car projects are about on par in terms of black hole event money consumption. Unless you are making some serious coin, what is going to happen is that your car project is either going to go under a cover and sit, probably for several years, or it is going to go down the road while you cry a little. The cash needed to cover even the cheapest summit racing long block is going to be the equivalent of several months of baby food, clothing, diapers, assorted other accessories and any time you have more than a dollar or two in hand your wife is going to be right there and absolutely determined to have you spend that money on your child. Project be damned. You may even find yourself being seriously pressured to sell it even though it is just sitting there, because it is just sitting there, and women tend to see projects in terms of how much they can be sold for so that other female priorities can be satisfied.


Nick

 

[bruisedbanana79]

$150 for an ok set of lifters, $25 intake gaskets, $45 for high zinc oil and filter, $50 for misc supplies(coolant, paper towels and carb cleaner)= $270 crapshoot for a motor that may run for a while longer if you baby it. Remember that flat tapper cams need to be broken in and that also means the lifters. I can say that one of our 350s ate a cam lobe and lifter on break in. We drained the oil and dropped a new cam in. We since have 2000 miles on the motor 30% of those miles are pretty hard aggressive driving. To this day we still have great oil pressure and no issues. Granted that motor was a fresh build so that may have helped.

Again we all understand that budgets can restrict our build process. Let us know what your budget is and maybe we can provide the best path forward.

 

[mikester]

Pretty much where I'm at, did a quick search of the stuff this guy posts and it's pretty much a lot of unanswered questions from the community here that he seems to pass over, yet posts up looking for advice/info etc.

Doesn't seem to listen to any of it so yup one of them types content in their own world with the info their shady tree mechanic gives them.

Hes on a few FB Monte groups too although I havent noticed any questions lately.

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

Hes on a few FB Monte groups too although I havent noticed any questions lately.

Oh yea? I'm in like 3 car groups on Facebook, I can only deal with so much there.🤣

 

[JerRol79ElCam]

Well for starters, I pulled my lifters and have verified elsewhere that they are shot/worn. I'm told if the lifters look that way, the camshaft is more than likely worn too.

Here is a video I shot of the inspection process...

I'm told that it isn't worth saving the 305 H.O. and to just swap it out with a 350.

Due to the constant failing of flat tappet lifters and camshafts, I'm advised to find a roller 350 Vortec from a 1996-2000 truck, Suburban, or Tahoe and put that into my 84 Monte Carlo.

What do you guys think, is that an easy swap ?

If it's an SS with the 305 H.O, I'd rebuild it. Have it bored .030 over, balanced with flat top pistons and a .390/.410 lift cam, Rhodes lifters and 2.25 inch exhaust. You'll be surprised at the difference! From the factory, those are good engines with really good heads! I put a set of those heads on a low mile 1979 305 and that engine woke up big time! I was running stock exhaust manifolds and people couldn't believe it was a 305.