bad camshafts on 305's,,?

[roundhouse]

A 350 will have noticeably more power

Flat lobes are a common problem in small block Chevys

Every old one I’ve ever seen had a flat lobe

 

[73c20jim]

In your truck 305<327<350

<400

 

[Rusty Nail]

Bought my 86 with a flat cam in its "350". Motor was a rebuilt 305. I replaced the cam and lifters (cheap 204 / 214 flat tappet cam). Didn't replace valve springs, and only ran shell diesel oil in it. Results, 25K miles later, it ate a cam again. This time #4 intake (at least). Found a 94 TBI 350 pickup motor, will replace its flat tappet cam with a factory 94 Z28 LT1 cam, hydraulit roller lifters, etc, just to ensure it doesn't eat another cam.

Good cam for TBI. Got any #113s to go with?

 

[Jrgunn5150]

If you just do a cam what do you do about all the metal from the cam that's left in it? Lots of nooks and crannies .

What I did with it was left it right wherever it was and drove on home.

I bought a 78 K5 about 15 years ago in Arizona, lost 3 lobes on the way home to Ohio in Van Zandt Texas. Parked it in the back corner of a truck stop there and spent 2 days walking down the little main drag to Car Quest to get parts and tools. Slept in the back.

A 69.00 "RV" cam and some 34.00 lifters, fresh no name dino oil and a parts store filter and I was on my way. Drove it daily 80 miles round trip for most of that spring before I sold it.

 

[Old77]

What I did with it was left it right wherever it was and drove on home.

I bought a 78 K5 about 15 years ago in Arizona, lost 3 lobes on the way home to Ohio in Van Zandt Texas. Parked it in the back corner of a truck stop there and spent 2 days walking down the little main drag to Car Quest to get parts and tools. Slept in the back.

A 69.00 "RV" cam and some 34.00 lifters, fresh no name dino oil and a parts store filter and I was on my way. Drove it daily 80 miles round trip for most of that spring before I sold it.

That’s pretty impressive. Roadkill style before Roadkill was a thing

 

[Jrgunn5150]

That’s pretty impressive. Roadkill style before Roadkill was a thing

Being flat broke is the mother of hackery lol.

 

[C10MixMaster]

If you just do a cam what do you do about all the metal from the cam that's left in it? Lots of nooks and crannies .

changing a cam because of a flat lobe has been done countless times with varying degrees of success. yes particles left in the engine are not ideal and could come back to bit you later on, for the most part the small stuff ends up in the filter the bigger ends up in the pan , pan can be removed and cleaned. many people have gotten by with just a cam / lifter change with out problems. $200 for a cam and lifters vs $2000 for a full rebuild. its worth the gamble more often than not assuming the rest of the engine is OK.

 

[idahovette]

changing a cam because of a flat lobe has been done countless times with varying degrees of success. yes particles left in the engine are not ideal and could come back to bit you later on, for the most part the small stuff ends up in the filter the bigger ends up in the pan , pan can be removed and cleaned. many people have gotten by with just a cam / lifter change with out problems. $200 for a cam and lifters vs $2000 for a full rebuild. its worth the gamble more often than not assuming the rest of the engine is OK.

I guess it all depends on your kind of luck and what the old oil looks like. My "luck" ran out years ago.

 

[73c20jim]

<400

But really s/b <396 <427 <454, <502

BBC's rule.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Being flat broke is the mother of hackery lol.

Yeah! what's that saying about "the necessity of invention"?

*edit*
Necessity is the mother of invention?

 

[halljam70]

Good cam for TBI. Got any #113s to go with?

I do not. Using this setup to just get the truck back up and running quickly. 5.3 swap is down the road.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Good luck with it. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[roundhouse]

Couple years ago we drove our 04 expedition from Pennsylvania to Georgia with 7 spark plugs after it spit one out