Mild 305 cam

[online170]

I don't know what a good range is for a mild cam. All I know from various threads is that the stock LG4 cam is garbage lmao. What's the best hydraulic roller cam (preferably a kit that includes both cam and the lifters) for a daily driver 305? I understand it differs for every vehicle setup.

305 is a dog , heads don't breathe, so replacing the cam isn't going to help much.
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You can get heads from a scrapyard cheap, know desire for them.
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Wooops. Sorry Luke, i missed that little tidbit on my first go around. Im ASSuming you have a non-roller Gen1 SBC. If thats the case, you are looking at a cam and lifter kit for $530. You cannot use your valvesprings with it, so a new set of those are probably another $100. Dont forget pushrods, fluids and gaskets too.

Im with bob on this one. A pair of vortec heads will net you more than any mild cam, and at this point might actually be cheaper.

 

[LukeZ]

Online170, thanks for the great response. I just put the intake manifold on last weekend, so I'm not ready to dig back in there and pull it off for some heads. I wouldn't even be able to keep the brand new manifold! I was ASSuming that a cam would be a cheap way (by cheap I mean only a few hundred bucks in the end) to have some fun in the garage and make a little extra horsepower too. If it's a $500-$600 job, maybe I'll pass for now. I'll do some more research. If I can do it for a couple hundred, maybe I'll do it then! Thanks!

 

[L67ss]

For the money I'd just hunt down a good used 350 shortblock

 

[bob64]

If you want to add cheap power an your lifters are ok, think about 1.6 roller rockers, even the stamped steel roller rocker, it will give you about .30 lift on the valves, it will breathe a little better.
Headers or duals, clutch fan or electric.
All that l just mentioned can be used on future build of either 305 or 350.

 

[online170]

Luke;

Gotta remove the intake for cam swap too...

 

[LukeZ]

Luke;

Gotta remove the intake for cam swap too...

sh*t, really? Is it to get to the pushrods?

 

[LukeZ]

For the money I'd just hunt down a good used 350 shortblock

I'm in college rn, and don't have the equipment. I can't afford to have my car off the road for that long

 

[LukeZ]

If you want to add cheap power an your lifters are ok, think about 1.6 roller rockers, even the stamped steel roller rocker, it will give you about .30 lift on the valves, it will breathe a little better.
Headers or duals, clutch fan or electric.
All that l just mentioned can be used on future build of either 305 or 350.

Thanks I'll look into it. What's the stock lift, and whats a good replacement? Anyone know?

 

[pontiacgp]

You're going to spend money to get the 305 close to the level of a 350 stock engine. Why not put your money towards a 5.7 vortec engine

 

[LukeZ]

You're going to spend money to get the 305 close to the level of a 350 stock engine. Why not put your money towards a 5.7 vortec engine

That would require me to spend a large chunk of cash all at once. I can't afford that right now. I don't haven the tools to deal with and engine swap, so id have to make that purchase as well. At least with the 305 I can do it in small steps, one thing here and one thing there. I don't think it's a waste of money. For one thing, I'm learning. Second, I'm having fun. Maybe some of the things can even be reused. I would love to swap in a vortec later down the road tho