need some input on this one. i was going through my parts stash earlier today, trying to decide which motor i was going to put in the s10 first. i decided on my .30 over 305 short block, b/c it's the closest to being ready, and noticed that the block is from canada. i know that there a lot of ford motors that the foreign version is stronger than our version, so i was wondering if anyone knows if there is a performance advantage to having this canadian block? other than the flat top oversized pistons, everything else is stock. ive got a performer rpm intake and stock heads i want to put on it. how big can i go on the cam w/o having the heads reworked? i also have a 750 edelbrock carb, but i think it will be overkill. how big can i go on the carb? once again, thanks!  

it's been 6 long months, but the motor is finally in! i stabbed it in the other day, and it is a beautiful thing. i have run into a bit of a problem, though. i was originally going to use an ac condenser for a tranny cooler, but i had to get a smaller one to make room for my radiator. would it hurt me to mount it on a frame rail if it will fit, or would it be better to put it behind the grille anyway? also, im using a carter carb i got from a buddy of mine, and need help hooking up vacuum lines. thanks to all who have shared their wisdom thus far  

mercman:
need some input on this one. i was going through my parts stash earlier today, trying to decide which motor i was going to put in the s10 first. i decided on my .30 over 305 short block, b/c it's the closest to being ready, and noticed that the block is from canada. i know that there a lot of ford motors that the foreign version is stronger than our version, so i was wondering if anyone knows if there is a performance advantage to having this canadian block? other than the flat top oversized pistons, everything else is stock. ive got a performer rpm intake and stock heads i want to put on it. how big can i go on the cam w/o having the heads reworked? i also have a 750 edelbrock carb, but i think it will be overkill. how big can i go on the carb? once again, thanks!

I'm glad to hear you got the engine in. Not to sure on your trans cooler. As far as carb, you may have a slightly large carb for a 305, even .030 over, it's a 310. Save that carb though, it'll work on your 450 HP 350 beautifully. If a Canadian block is stronger than an American block, that is probably because it wasn't "Union" made. The GM Lordstown, OH assembly plant is less than 15 minutes from my house. A Delphi employee once told me to NEVER buy a GM vehicle that was produced on a Sunday night 3rd shift, or a Friday afternoon(2nd) shift for that very reason. I have met many ppl that built Cavaliers and now Colbalts, and seeing how they live their lives, I know why those cars were rattle traps, and imports will outlast them.  

i knew that carb would be too big, so i pestered a buddy of mine til he gave me his 600 carter. he bought a new holley, thinking that it would help the motor, but he found out that his problem was the motor itself. i may be getting the motor too. temporarily, im running stock 305 heads, with the hopes of either modifying the rpm intake (or spending 265 on one that will work) to work with a set of freshly machined centerbolt 350 heads. i made a mount to go behind my grill for the trans cooler. ive studied all the 305 threads on this forum, saved the link for the popular hot rodding 305 build, and put all my eggs in the 305 basket, hoping for 300 horses. i put in a summit cam with 224/234 duration and 460/488 lift. i should be able to fire it up by mid july. will post results when she lives  

EBC sport rotors and yellowstuff pads.....love em  

Hey, got a couple of things to point out.
First, a couple great sites for v8 swaps into s-dimes:
http://www.s10v8.com/
http://s-series.org/

These guys have been there, done that. They've helped me out several times.

Second, PHR ran an article in the June 2008 issue about three budget builds, among them a 393hp 305 bult for $2500. Looking at it, You could possibly even tip 400hp for that amount, and all this coming from a 305 that had more than 200k miles on it. It's got GM Fast Burn heads, stock rods and crank, some hypereutectic pistons, a COMP solid flat cam 229/238 @ .050
It was built by a jeweler for the Engine Masters challenge, and yet there was no expensive machining or anything done. I'm not sure if you're willing to spend $2500 on motor parts, but 400 horse for that price seems like a good trade to me  

So I'm guessing that with the 350 heads you SHOULD push over 300hp easy?  

G'day,  we are currently building an s-10.  To beef up the rear of the truck we cut the back half of a Corvette frame with the independent rear and grafted it into the s-10 frame.  Went from 7.5 inch rear with drum brakes to an 8.5 disc brake rear.  It looks pretty cool unter the truck too.  Power is from an aluminum head 406 with a 4L60 behind it.  We hope to have in running by this fall.  

a buddy of mine just finished a v8 conversion.

355cid/441 heads/ 234/244 .488/.510 blazer(crane) hyd cam
airgap with 650 dp 31 shooters and red cam, 38 timing
shorty headers 2.5 exhaust
th350 with  2600rpm stall
3.73s
shifting at 5800 nets a 8.08 on 1/8...thats 13 flat....
on t/a radials...  

nitrousnerd67:
a buddy of mine just finished a v8 conversion.

355cid/441 heads/ 234/244 .488/.510 blazer(crane) hyd cam
airgap with 650 dp 31 shooters and red cam, 38 timing
shorty headers 2.5 exhaust
th350 with  2600rpm stall
3.73s
shifting at 5800 nets a 8.08 on 1/8...thats 13 flat....
on t/a radials...

That's a helluva sleeper. Just wait til Johnny Punk pulls up next to you in his Chevy Crapilier with it 19" rims, Boeing 737 Wing on the back, aerodynamical 10000 dollar body kit, neon lights, clear taillamps, and a 4.0 liter displacement coffee can muffler with the 5 inch tip. The look on his face would be PRICELESS!!!!! By the time he hit 50 MPH your doing 95MPH. As he passes the 1/8, you'll be going down the return lane for the next round.  

went best of 8.05 and 8.24(worst) tonite......