vortec VS non-vortec

[ayoung101]

hey all. got some newby stupid questions to ask. in looking for a truck to buy, i test drove a 94 yukon and turned it down for multiple reasons. but one of the reasons is that it felt really underpowered for a V8. my buddy's 4.3 definitely has more nut, and i'd be willing to bet that my 4-banger toyota truck would give it a run for its money, even with oversize tires. does this sound normal? or was there probably something more seriously wrong with this specific truck?

also, what year did the vortec come out? in that year when it came out, was EVERY engine in these vehicles from that point on a vortec, or was it 1/2 & 1/2? and what was the hp differences? i guess the real question is this. is the vortec worth it? also, when did they go from carbuerated to fuel injection?

 

[sasquatch094]

my tahoe has the 350 tbi (non vortec) (1995 tahoe) and i tell ya what, it deffently can do a damn good brake torque, so maybe there was something wrong with that 94 u looked at. i have a vortec in my silverado and the only horsepower (not 100 percent sure) but i believe its a 20 more horsepower gain over vortec then non vortec. i love the silverados engine bcuz its alot smoother powering ands quieter. the vortec came out in 96. not sure about the 1/2 year crap.. but yeah i like both motors actaully. the vortecs have that little head gasket problem and are expensive to find laying around. the non vortec 350 tbi is an easy find and yeah cheaper. thats what i think..

 

[ayoung101]

my tahoe has the 350 tbi (non vortec) (1995 tahoe) and i tell ya what, it deffently can do a damn good brake torque, so maybe there was something wrong with that 94 u looked at. i have a vortec in my silverado and the only horsepower (not 100 percent sure) but i believe its a 20 more horsepower gain over vortec then non vortec. i love the silverados engine bcuz its alot smoother powering ands quieter. the vortec came out in 96. not sure about the 1/2 year crap.. but yeah i like both motors actaully. the vortecs have that little head gasket problem and are expensive to find laying around. the non vortec 350 tbi is an easy find and yeah cheaper. thats what i think..

oh i didn't mean 1/2 year. what i meant was that in 1996, when you say the vortec came out, were 100% of these 1996+ vehicles built with the vortec engines? or were there still some that were not? basically was it an optional upgrade that new owners could choose, or did they just do away with the original alltogether.

what do you mean by "350 tbi"? i don't know what "tbi" is.

 

[JKmotorsports]

TBI is throttle body injection. It's looks like a carb but with two fuel injectors. The Vortec motors have a different combustion chamber design in the heads, making it more efficient. If I'm not mistaken, they switched to fuel injection via TBI in the GM trucks in '88 I think(?).

 

[east302]

Yes, all 1996 and up C/K/Tahoe/Suburban models had the vortec fuel injection as standard equipment. The 350 TBI (1988-95) was rated at 210-hp, the 96+ at 255 hp. All 1992(?) to 94 K-Blazers and the 95 Tahoe had the TBI.

I've driven both TBI and vortec in the pickups and honestly didn't notice a huge difference.

 

[sasquatch094]

yeah i wasnt too far away. about 15 to 20 horses... i can tell a slight change in the yrs.. but the vortec is quieter and easier going. but its your choice man. id chose the 96 and above, but then the head gasket problem is a known cause. The silverado i have with the vortec has over 100,000 miles and stills a beast tho.. well good luck to ya..

 

[Mike97]

I have a 94 Silverado with tbi, and a 97 Tahoe with vortec. I notice slightly better acceleration from the Tahoe, But the Silverado is no slouch. Both have high flow exhaust systems, and the Silverado has headers. Other than that they are stock.

Maybe the Yukon you test drove had problems that made it lose power.

 

[JKmotorsports]

I'm sure there was probably something wrong with the truck you test drove if it felt so underpowered. Could have been anything like clogged cats, excessive compression loss/blowby, etc.

 

[95TwinTT]

Another reason to get into a 96 or newer Tahoe would be the switch to OBD2.

The OBD1 was more difficult to make changes to for tuning.

I have made some changes to my 95 Tahoe and it now has enough power to keep up with the newer models. :eek2:

 

[qlc1964]

wow wow wow!!!!

 

[Mike97]

Another reason to get into a 96 or newer Tahoe would be the switch to OBD2.

The OBD1 was more difficult to make changes to for tuning.

I have made some changes to my 95 Tahoe and it now has enough power to keep up with the newer models. :eek2:

You made "some changes" to keep up with newer models? You mean like adding twin turbo? Your statement makes it sound like you made a small adjustment or something, lol. BTW, nice freaking truck! And welcome to the forum.