i have a 1998 silverado with a 305 i am trying to find a good motor for what all years will work? it is vortec just wondering if anything what short blocks will work for this truck. i went and looked at a 2000 305 out of a boat with a slightly scored bearing but other wise good would something like that work?

 

Go to a salvage yard and get a 350 vortec out of a 1996-1999. They usually cost about $1000. engine life on one is usually a little over 200k mile.

 

my dad has a 97 chevy 3500 with the 5.7 and it is still running strong. 258k on it. nothing has ever been rebuilt. nothing extremely major gone wrong with it. just belts, oil changes, replaced a couple power steering hoses, master cylinder, and brake booster.

 

way cheaper than having a motor rebuilt. the vortec motors have a different intake bolt angle than older motors. easiest to scour craigslist, pick-a-parts for 350 motor. the boat motor? scrap it. it'll cost almost $1000 just to have block cleaned up and prepped. '96-'99 motors will bolt right in. if you find a 350 motor to swap in, try to get the computer as well. the 305 MIGHT work, but might not. computer swaps easy, just unplug old, plug in new