hi im a new member to this website and have questions. i just bought my first monte carlo im 18 years old and its a 84' LS this is big guys its my favorite car lol that generation is my fav car anyway. its got a 305 in it but im not very mechanically inclined and i think i was tricked into buyin a car with a knock in it when i first start it im hearin it not sure maybe im hearin things but im pretty sure. anyways i wanted a 350 in it somethin with some ***** anyway so not all bad just hoped i could wait to save good money you know ride around to work and stuff on the 305 till im better funded im not sure its gonna happen. whats the best thing to do how should i do it craigslist has engines that they claim are ready to be put in just need stuff like alternator but i herd 305 to 350 can be interchangable. could i possibly do it myself? should i buy a engine and take it to a shop? just pay labor? or take to a shop tell them what i want? im workin with about a thousand bucks and a dream here so yea lol. my brother in law could do it easily hes sorta a mechanic but hes always busy and i dont want to ask him cause i know it will be a when i have time thing and will take months of car sittin in a garage. any help is appreciated such as can i do it myself and some explainin like whats a 4 bolt main and a 2 bolt main cause im clueless lol. just tell me what you would do in my shoes

 

You will need to weigh your options. First thing is that the 305 is a dog and a 350 would be a great replacement for that engine. If you find a 350 from a late 80's Camaro for example, that will be a good engine. Junkyards are usually a good place to go to find engines. Next, do you have a bunch of tools and a good garage? If you don't, then find a friend who does and is willing to help you with the project. A shop is going to charge you a ton of money to swap an engine, and it's not worth taking the Monte to one. It's also a good learning experience for you too.

When you hear someone say that their engine has a 4 bolt main, they mean that their main bearing caps (that hold the crankshaft in) have 4 bolts holding them in, which makes them theoretically stronger than the 2 bolt mains.

 

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new (to you) Monte. I love those era montes. Anyway, I'm not sure about the swap from 305 to 350 compatibilites but I bet its not too hard as far as engine swaps are concerned. If you are not mechanically inclined then someone will need to do the work for you and that is tough when you only have $1000 at your disposal. With that kind of budget, you are looking at getting a junkyard 350 and rebuilding it. Having it installed is going to be more cash. I would talk to you're brother in law about you and him rebuilding a 350 together. Once it has been rebuilt then bring your monte over and help him install it in the car. If you make a commitment to be there and learn and help, the process could go quicker. Of course, I don't know your brother in law and a stranger using his tools might set him into an ape like rage, I don't know.
You might also want to take the car to shop as is and get an inspection done on the engine. A lot of places I know if you pull up and ask if they can take a listen, will and most of these guys can pick up on engine knock real easy and won't ask for any cash. At the worst you might pay for a mechanic to look over the engine but that shouldn't cost more than $50-75 bucks depending on where you go.
If the engine has life left in it- drive her and save some cash for an awesome 350. A lot of this is my opinion but I hope it helps.
Good luck!

 

engine swap is not hard you could rent a picker of buy one for a hundred bucks. 4 bolt main is not necessary for a car thats not making absurd power but if you felt inclined to get one you could find them in trucks and wagons more often. your best bet would be to get a junkyard motor and go to paw or another company and get a rebuild kit and have it rebuilt at a machine shop which will probably eat up your g. from there most of your accessories should bolt up ie distributor,intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, water pump,starter,and carb until you can afford to upgrade. drop it in yourself its like 8 to 10 bolts and your not doing any of the tough stuff just pulling the motor out and inserting one thats externally almost identical. heres a couple of links with ways to identify engines and rebuild kits. above all keep motivated and try and learn as much as you can. you could get a full cast rebuild kit for under 400 bucks. granted cast isnt the best stuff out there but for your first motor that your not spraying or doing anything crazy with its more than enough. you could probably have it rebuilt and have enough for headers and an intake for it with whats left over.
http://www.pawengineparts.com/
http://mortec.com/