I have a friend who swears he is buying a 1998 Chevy half-ton with the 'Vortec 305'. I told him I thought they stopped making 305s in the early '90s, but he insists that it is a 305. It would seem counterproductive for GM to keep that lump of an engine when the same year-range 4.3 V-6 would probably outperform it and get better gas mileage. Anyone have any input on this?

1995 was the last year to my knowledge

Wiki claims it became the Vortec 5000 and was used till 2003?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Small-Block_engine#305

The Vortec 5000 L30 is a V8 truck engine. Displacement is 5.0 L. It is a based on the Generation I small-block from Chevrolet. It was replaced by the 4.8 L 4800 LR4 for the 2003 full-size vans. In Van configuration it produces 230 Net Flywheel Horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 290 Net Flywheel Torque at 2,800 rpm. The engine uses a hydraulic roller cam and high flowing, fast burn style vortec heads. Differences include bore and stroke, intake valve size, and smaller combustion chambers.

not soon enough ;)

not soon enough ;)

my thoughts exactly!

my old 1999 ex cab chevy had a 5.0 vortec motor in it. I feel the same way about the older 305`s but I got to tell you that the 5.0 motor in my old truck along with the 3.73 gears had really decent power for what it was. It was rated at 235hp and pulled harder than the 75gmc with a fairly new 350 that I traded in. I would have gotten the 5.7 but this was the last CK body style truck they had on the lot and I didn`t care for the newer body style.

not soon enough ;)


You beat me too it. :D

LK

Might be the engine did not get the job done for the Speed Racer types but I had one and liked it. It served me very well for 175,000 miles and never had the heads removed. Same cam and lifters also.

My Uncle has a 96 1/2 ton Silverado 4x4 I believe with a 305 he says, and Iam guessing it was because
We use to tease him on trips because the thing would hardly pull his 19 foot runabout boat up the hills in Iowa and keep up with the pack.
Probably not as strong as he is going to want, once he hooks something up to it!

My 1998 Silverado had the 305 in it. I believe 235hp from the factory. Decent motor in that truck. Not that I was pulling anything, but for everyday driving with the 3.73's it was pretty decent

the 96 and newer Vortec 305 makes as much power and torque as the older TBI 350's did.
but they had to kill it of as soon as they finally got it right.
i keep wondering how good those 305 vortec heads are compared to the older 305HO castings- if they are as good on a smaller motor as the 5.7 vortec heads are on the larger motors, they might be a performance bargain for 283's and what not.

Always thinking and scrapping aren't you Derrick!

i had the 305 in my 94 sierra. it pulled my car and trailer up the hill no problem. never had any complaints with it.

Always thinking and scrapping aren't you Derrick!
only most of the time..

Derrick,

Vortec 283!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ol' Buddy, I like the way you are thinking!!

What about the worthless 305 swirl port heads w/ the swirl bumps removed??

Please come backand tell ALL if you ever scrounge onto a couple a pair to play w/ OF BOTH HEADS!!

pdq67