Problem with upgrading hard drive in 2009 Macbook Pro with Snow Leopard

Question

Current drive is 320gb with fresh install of OS SL updated with some other programs installed.  New drive is Seagate Momentus 750, same brand and model as the old, just bigger.
I install the new drive, boot off the OS SL CD and go into disk utility.  Partition and format with GUID and Journaled. Install starts and ultimately fails every time.
Tried to clone the 320 by putting it in the macbook, use the 750 via usb/sata.  Drive restores, but it is unreliable in loading and stability.  When it gets to the grey screen, it alternately flickers the Apple, Folder and NO sign.  Sometimes it loads, sometimes it just keeps spinning.  When it does load, it's slow and programs that take more power crash.
Brought it to Apple.  They said it was a problem in the SMART section, so I got a new drive under warranty.  This is the THIRD drive i've gotten from Seagate.  Still doesn't work.
I've countlessly repaired and verified the drive.  Helps to load sometimes, but not all the time. 
If I put the 320 back in, everything works great.
Thanks.
-Ben

Answer 1

Is there a quality external enclosure to put the large drive in, one that has its own power supply and not rely on the port power in the MacBook/Pro? If it is a viable drive and can actually run a bootable OS X version, I'd begin to wonder after all that.
{I'd also looked up your computer in MacTracker to see what if any limits on hardware upgrade may exist. Nothing said of direct interest to the HDD. Also in everymac.com, so there should be no surprises. Yet to have those problems is troublesome and a surprise. New drives can fail. Maybe in batches?}
And a clone of a working system for backup could be made with a utility such as CarbonCopy cloner or superduper, etc then tested as a bootable clone, with the hard disk drive tested thoroughly before use. It also is odd that a drive of that size would act up, I see drives of even larger size offered online by reputible resellers and Mac specialist companies who have been around awhile, such as OWC. I just looked to see if there was a ceiling on support of larger size HDD capacities, and 750GB is not the largest. Maybe the series you chose could be among a troublesome batch or brand.
http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgrades.cfm?model=302 has a variety of stuff, including RAM, HDD, SSD, etc. And their staff has people who know what they sell. Well, some of them do. I had called them on a topic several years ago and they didn't really have an answer (I was given an OWC dual HDD external drive & it had issues, but had never been used. It still is sitting as-new, w/o support; now obsolete.)
I'd try a different brand and put it into an enclosure that has its own power supply, ports for USB2.0/3.0 and FW400/800, and so on. Perhaps even an OWC line item, not that I've had any valid experience with them here in AK. And ask their people about their products, get names, finger prints, mug shots...! LOL
Good luck & happy computing!