A 350 vortec motor question

[Tigershark Corvette]

After finding out my 383 stroker motor won't work. I started looking for a 96-2000 vortec 350. I found a totally rebuilt 350 96 vortec. Motor was built for a 63 impala with 700r4. He changed his mind, now going LS1. So I can get motor and trans for $1000. He just pays for stuff, he has no idea what's in it. Motor has been changed to carb, full chrome dress, all new internals. Is a show looking motor, but #1 how can I make sure it is a 96 block for sure, and #2. Will I have issues besides new heads and intake for it to work in my 97 Tahoe. Want to take off new intake, heads, headers, and mount my 97 Tahoe factory vortec heads(redone at shop), OE intake, starter and then swap the motor. Please help, gotta pay on Friday, pretty sure no returns. Worried bout crank sensors and the pcm, both which I know nothing about. Can't afford motor to be wrong. #3 would I b better off just rebuilding mine.

 

[lesterl]

Wouldnt worry about heads, he probably kept the Vortec ones with a vortec carb intake or your heads will bolt up. Check the timing cover IIRC the Vortec one is plastic as it has a hole for the Sensor. Only way I know to check would be to take intake off and check for roller lifter hold down bracket and or bosses that it screws down to. Also the if the crank was swapped out durring the rebuild for a non vortec it might not have the reluctor wheel on it to fire the sensor.

#3 whats wrong with your engine?

 

[Tigershark Corvette]

U are becoming my hero, wish I had a mentor. Hard on your own. You saved me on first motor, saved me now two major time absorbing problems. Your a good person.

 

[Tigershark Corvette]

250k miles, sloppy. Restoring car, want a new motor with more power. Looking like a rebuild now. Any ideas on rebuild. Keeping my pcm for now so any ideas how many hp and cam I can put in to make good hp, great torque but not make check engine lights. I'm going to have local shop do it, but b nice to have your opinion. They told me that carb vortec would fit because they assumed they installed a vortec crank. Which more than likely they did not. So I trust u more at this point.

 

[lesterl]

I have 288k on original engine in my Sierra...cracked block behind exhaust manifold...

As far as what is in that block I couldnt tell you, even if they installed a non reluctor crank, you can install a reluctor wheel IIRC but it wont be stock.... So more work. If it is a Vortec crank and they left the timing chain cover on with the sensor in it and the heads were vortec, you would need to swap your intake and go. If the plastic TC cover is gone and they have a non Vortec cover (metal) then probably has a different crank, but depends upon what they did on the rebuild.

My z71 is sporting 265 75 r16's (stock) a 3.42 rear gear and still has tons of power, I love these Vortec 350's. If I was in your position and had the cash (and your block was good) I would rebuild, then you know what you have and you can break it in, then you have a local guy who did the build that you can have warranty it....

You are quite welcome for my thoughts and opinions I love to help any way I can. Wish you were close, we could meet up and see your rig in person.

What is sloppy?

 

[Tigershark Corvette]

Sloppy= at start up can hear lots of slop in the moving parts until oil gets up in valves and motor. I called my motor guy, up to $1150 for total rebuild. Like $700 in parts. He also said cam and lifters were most of cost. Any idea of best upgraded cam I should look for that my 96 pcm will deal with? Or maybe a motor rebuild kit I should be looking for?
Motor runs very well after first start noise. Pulls nice. My plan is to test the compression, find out how valves and rings are. If rings are good, I'll probably just get heads redone for $155. And hope she runs another 10 years. But considering also just rebuilding motor. Torn on it. Was in a lil sticker shock on rebuild.

 

[2000tahoez71]

If you plan on keeping the truck, I would just buy a new motor that comes with a warranty. You really can't build one for what they cost.

 

[lesterl]

Yeah, motors are pretty cheap, got one on my compressor that only set me back $100, the engine for my truck is going to cost more tho....

What all does he want to do in the rebuild? I would have cam and lifters inspected, could possibly skip that, probably like $400 there... Buying a new crate engine will cost a whole lot more than $1200.....

You can get a lot of time out of that engine if you just take care of it... How often do you change the oil? What weight of oil do you run? Brand? Type? Filter?

 

[Tigershark Corvette]

5w ams oil
that $1000-$1150 plus deal on any parts he has in stock includes, master rebuild kit, remanufactured block and heads job. But were gonna $500 extra in performance mods. Upgraded cam for sure. Plus maybe stroker or bore it. Found stroker kits for $700-1000. Any ideas where u would spend the extra money. I can swap exhaust, intake ect. After I get motor back and recoup some money. Also, how hard is it and how much is it to get my pcm remapped or whatever..

 

[lesterl]

There are several PCM programming places, or you could get it tuned locally... a personal tune would be better, if you can find a mail order place to ship it to, it would be better if they sent you a tool to do some calibrations.....

 

[07burb]

I had my suburban tune by blackbear performance and love it! It took about a week from start to finish but was well worth it!!

 

[lwcools]

Im getting close to doing the same project on my 96. My plan is straight rebuild, adding an RV cam (slightly larger than the factory with a little more duration), Headers and bolt ons (TB spacer, cold air, underdrive pulleys etc). Planning to do a little head work too, if tolerances allow and then some basic flat top pistons. With a good tune, I expect to see 290-300 hp on the ground. I had my local engine builder blue print the engine and his computer projects 325-340 hp off the crank. Perhaps this a route you could look into? I'm doing this as a budget build, and I'll be doing the tear down and install. I expect to be in it for under $2k, Machine shop labor and all.