80 malibu 305

jamie2370 · 09-12-2022, 02:53 PM

So you want to race Stock huh..... Long Story. I sold this car back to Sarge(he built this car) 6+ years ago. It left as a 79 and needed a new block assy done.

Somehow I manage to get it back from a friend that bought it out of Texas. He had a new engine done by a builder that has done this before. I get it from him, fresh engine, zero passes.
1st test day, engine has no power over about 5800. Runs right at the index for L....frustrating already.

2nd test day, tried to move shifts out with no luck, still no power. Came home and performed leak down. Found all 8 exhaust valves bent. Pulled heads, replaced valves, did not second guess springs as they were new beehive PAC, installed by engine builder.

1st race at SGMP, 60ft decent but started fluttering around 800ft. Loaded up and went home. Leakdown showed 8 MORE bent exhaust valves.
My local engine guy once again installed some new valves and I finally called Bullet and they had me check clearances. PTV was within specs but we noticed a slight tightness of rotating assy. We pulled heads again to check springs.....80lbs to light on seat. Replaced with correct PAC 1409x springs per Bullet.
Figured I might need to investigate to rotating assy. Only to find out that I had to pry to camshaft ALL the way out. Sent the cam to Bullet, they fixed it and sent new lifters back with it. Also had to install new cam bearings as it destroyed them
Reinstalled it all with ZERO issues. All is good, engine sounds great, installed 5.38 gear instead of 5.13....................still no power, actually worse but I did run under enough I did not have to dial the index lol....So after the Reynolds Divisional I pulled engine AGAIN!! 3rd time in as many months

Leakdown showed 5 of 8 cylinders with 20% plus ring leakage. FINALLY, it wasn't the valves lol
Pulled it completely apart to find 2 front cam bearings "smeared" and several cylinders not even close to round and one with a crack in it.
Since this was an oem, filled 305 block, I decided to go another route.

I called Dart to find out the Little M 305 has been discontinued with no expected date for a replacement block of a different part number that will need to be approved by NHRA

SOOO.....I have a 307 block at the machine shop getting 8 sleeves and hopefully we will try this again at some point in the next 20 years lol
Meanwhile people are going .97 under at a divisional that didn't go mineshaft or come even close to the #1 spot. So I am sure I will need some MORE lead for next year.

But yeah....get a stocker, it will be fun.... Did I mention this is #4 stocker I have bought that was supposed to run under the index .3-.4.....none of which did. Remind me again

09-12-2022, 02:53 PM	#1
jamie2370 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Perry, GA Posts: 330 Likes: 11 Liked 239 Times in 90 Posts	80 malibu 305 So you want to race Stock huh..... Long Story. I sold this car back to Sarge(he built this car) 6+ years ago. It left as a 79 and needed a new block assy done. Somehow I manage to get it back from a friend that bought it out of Texas. He had a new engine done by a builder that has done this before. I get it from him, fresh engine, zero passes. 1st test day, engine has no power over about 5800. Runs right at the index for L....frustrating already. 2nd test day, tried to move shifts out with no luck, still no power. Came home and performed leak down. Found all 8 exhaust valves bent. Pulled heads, replaced valves, did not second guess springs as they were new beehive PAC, installed by engine builder. 1st race at SGMP, 60ft decent but started fluttering around 800ft. Loaded up and went home. Leakdown showed 8 MORE bent exhaust valves. My local engine guy once again installed some new valves and I finally called Bullet and they had me check clearances. PTV was within specs but we noticed a slight tightness of rotating assy. We pulled heads again to check springs.....80lbs to light on seat. Replaced with correct PAC 1409x springs per Bullet. Figured I might need to investigate to rotating assy. Only to find out that I had to pry to camshaft ALL the way out. Sent the cam to Bullet, they fixed it and sent new lifters back with it. Also had to install new cam bearings as it destroyed them Reinstalled it all with ZERO issues. All is good, engine sounds great, installed 5.38 gear instead of 5.13....................still no power, actually worse but I did run under enough I did not have to dial the index lol....So after the Reynolds Divisional I pulled engine AGAIN!! 3rd time in as many months Leakdown showed 5 of 8 cylinders with 20% plus ring leakage. FINALLY, it wasn't the valves lol Pulled it completely apart to find 2 front cam bearings "smeared" and several cylinders not even close to round and one with a crack in it. Since this was an oem, filled 305 block, I decided to go another route. I called Dart to find out the Little M 305 has been discontinued with no expected date for a replacement block of a different part number that will need to be approved by NHRA SOOO.....I have a 307 block at the machine shop getting 8 sleeves and hopefully we will try this again at some point in the next 20 years lol Meanwhile people are going .97 under at a divisional that didn't go mineshaft or come even close to the #1 spot. So I am sure I will need some MORE lead for next year. But yeah....get a stocker, it will be fun.... Did I mention this is #4 stocker I have bought that was supposed to run under the index .3-.4.....none of which did. Remind me again Attached Thumbnails