29 replies to this topic

[toryman76]

G'day guys,

I have just acquired a 304 5L for my LX Torana project and it is in need of a bit of a freshen up.

Things I know about it is that it has done around 250,000km's and has never been pulled down, so as far as I know its stock bores.

I am thinking of getting it rebuilt to pretty much stock specs with maybe a nicer cam, but I'm after your guys thoughts. I am only planning on putting a aussie 4 speed behind it and not looking for some radical streeter, just something nice and strong.

So I guess this is a post for your suggestions as well as recommended engine builders to get the job done.

Anything in the north-west region of Melbournes suburbs would be good. (I live in Riddells Creek just near Sunbury)

Cheers in advance

Leigh

[toryman76]

Surely 1 of the 50odd viewers can heed some advice?

[Potta]

I'm only looking because I might be doing the same thing and know very little about these motors.

[rexy]

Is it a good running engine?
If so from your description of what you want I would fit it as is, do all the sorting required and see what you do and dont like. Then when you decide to rebuild/upgrade you will have a clearer idea of what to do.
If you want a standard cruiser with an aussie 4 speed do the minimum now. I will suggest it is probably easier to fit a T5 or other box at the start rather than after you inevitably break the 4 speed, plus its a bit of rooting around to fit up to the turbo pattern block.
Like most of us you will probably want more power out of the 304 after a while....

[toryman76]

rexy - I have never had the engine running but when purchased I was told it was a good runner. I deliberately bought this engine because it is a trimatic pattern so I could bolt up the 4 speed gearbox I already have.

ass308 - I was hoping to spend around $1500.00

[76lxhatch]

Sounds like a good plan to me, exhaust and a mild cam but otherwise stock will be a nice engine and will go plenty well enough in an LX.

I agree about the 4 speed being more much hassle than its worth though, mainly because of the block pattern.

[xu1kid]

my mate did his vs 5 litre engine up just put flat top pistons new bearings and bit bigger cam still hydraulic stock heads it made around 200 hp at the wheels it wasnt bad to drive, that little bit more compression made it much better to drive, in the end its you choice

[TerrA LX]

Hot tank, rings, bearings and a decent head job won't go astray.

[TerrA LX]

If you like overdrive then just about any 5 speed you can get behind a bellhousing under budget will do you unless you drive it stupid.

Edited by TerrA LX, 12 March 2010 - 06:43 PM.

[rexy]

I think your budget is very small for any sort of reasonable gain to be had by stripping the motor, even assuming you did all the assembly yourself.
Get it together and running, spend some of your money or reusable good bolt ons for the next step up if you really want to and keep saving your pennies until you have a reasonable budget for a performance oriented rebuild.
Good luck with it.
R

[yel327]

If it's an original trimatic pattern 304 it must be from a VK or VL, so it'll have early heads. What do do depends upon the condition of the bores and the mains. As a minimum with 250,000kM and if original I'd say from experience you'll need:

Pistons, rings, bearings;
Hot tank, bore, hone, crank grind;
New welch plugs and cam bearings;
Heads serviced, silly not to fit hardened seats, may need guides;
New cam, lifters, adjustable timing set;
New oil pump;
New gasket set.
I'd also get the rods resized and new rod bolts fitted.

If you are really lucky it may just need a hone and new rings, and a crank linish and new bearings. The rest of it will pretty much still have to be done. It may also need a new water pump.

Stick an Edelbrock Performer and rebuilt Quadrajet on it all all will be sweet. If it's a carbied 304 it should already have a HEI dizzy on it.

[toryman76]

I was told it was from a VL (engine no. prefix VJ) and believe it was carbied. No accessories came with the engine however I do have a electronic dissy lying around just not sure how to identify it.

yel327 - do you have a rough estimate of what all that might cost?

If anyone has any good reliable contacts for rebuilding engines I would love for you to share them with me :-)

Cheers

Leigh

[toryman76]

i think all it wants is a whole mess of nitrous. it wont go any slower

your comments are useless.... No where have I mentioned anything about wanting nitrous

[toryman76]

Pistons, rings, bearings;
Hot tank, bore, hone, crank grind;
New welch plugs and cam bearings;
Heads serviced, silly not to fit hardened seats, may need guides;
New cam, lifters, adjustable timing set;
New oil pump;
New gasket set.I'd also get the rods resized and new rod bolts fitted.

I have begun to speak to some workshops and to get something like this done (which they all seem to say is a basic rebuild) and for this and a compression increase I'm looking at around 3-4000. So there goes the budget! haha. I do want to do the job properly as I hate cutting corners.

Brad1979UC - What is the difference with the carbied heads and the EFI ones?

Cheers