1995 K1500 L31 Vortec long block install

[Roadknee]

I put some thought into this over the holidays and have decided to go with a Vortec short block and port my 193 swirlport heads. Fast355 - good to see you on here. I first read about your garage ported 193's years ago. Could you comment on the intake bowl in post #26 here?

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/tb...187-swirl.html

These are 187's, but I assume the concept is the same. Did he take these too far, or is this bowl a good model for my 193's? Thanks!

[dave w]

For my 93 K1500 budget rebuilt 5.7 liter engine I did the following mods:
I left the heads stock.
I'm using stock compression ratio.
I installed 1.6 roller tip rocker arms and "Z28" valve springs.
I'm using a TPI roller camshaft.
I'm using shorty headers into a 3" single exhaust with 3" catalytic converter.
I'm using the stock TBI intake manifold.

I installed a 454 Throttle Body, with "Police Injectors".
I bored the throttle bores to 52mm.
I did some radius blending on the throttle bores to help "Wet Flow". see attached pics.

My 93 K1500 weighs 5200 lbs, goes from 0 - 60 in just under 7 seconds. I did my own chip tuning.

dave w

[andyk1500]

My 93 K1500 weighs 5200 lbs, goes from 0 - 60 in just under 7 seconds. I did my own chip tuning.

dave w

Dave, what RPM are you shifting at when you're making your 0-60 runs?

[dave w]

Dave, what RPM are you shifting at when you're making your 0-60 runs?

I haven't really noticed the shift points. The picture below are the shift parameters I have programmed into my $E6.

dave w

[Roadknee]

Time sure flies. The father-in-law gave me a vortec long block out of a '99 1-ton delivery van with unknown mileage. I got it last night and removed the plugs which showed oil contamination. I tore it down to find the bottom of the intake gaskets had been leaking. The heads may have been off before because they were a lot cleaner than the lifter valley, and the backs of the intake valves have no deposits whatsoever. There's also very little ridge in the bores. Question: are these motors good candidates for ring & bearing or should I just move ahead with a full rebuild?

This motor has the 906 heads. I also have a set of 193s that I plan to port and rebuild for this motor.

[dave w]

Time sure flies. The father-in-law gave me a vortec long block out of a '99 1-ton delivery van with unknown mileage. I got it last night and removed the plugs which showed oil contamination. I tore it down to find the bottom of the intake gaskets had been leaking. The heads may have been off before because they were a lot cleaner than the lifter valley, and the backs of the intake valves have no deposits whatsoever. There's also very little ridge in the bores. Question: are these motors good candidates for ring & bearing or should I just move ahead with a full rebuild?

This motor has the 906 heads. I also have a set of 193s that I plan to port and rebuild for this motor.

Usually a good engine that has been re-ringed will provide good service for about 30,000 miles, sometimes more. I would need to the actual cylinder wear / piston wear / crank wear measurements to know if the engine is a good engine to re-ring.

dave w

[Fast355]

Usually a good engine that has been re-ringed will provide good service for about 30,000 miles, sometimes more. I would need to the actual cylinder wear / piston wear / crank wear measurements to know if the engine is a good engine to re-ring.

dave w

Dave,

I have a 350 Vortec that has over 500 hours as a marine engine on the stock crank and pistons and was re-ringed and bearinged after being pulled at 250k.. The vortec blocks typically have very little wear if reasonably cared for. I have a F-car LT1 with over 250k torn apart in my garage. Same story there as well. The cranks are even still round.

[Hog]

I see that the Vortec 350 engines are still $2000 jewels. I keep seeing $3000 prices on the 19210007 Chev Performance Parts 350HO-330hp crate. Same engine minus the roller cam equipement.

People get sucjed in my the 330hp gross hp compared to the L31's 255sae net hp, when in reality they are within 10-20hp of each other when a standard comparison is used.

peace
Hog

[brian617]

Question: are these motors good candidates for ring & bearing or should I just move ahead with a full rebuild?

When I built my L31 short block my machinist let me in on a little secret he had discovered. Most of those core blocks you find have spun main and rod bearings due to what he told me was incorrect bearing crush. He told me he personally wont build one of those engines with out line boring it. Might be something to consider since you'll have it that far apart anyway. I tore down three different engines and finally found one the block wasn't ruined on the fourth. All of them had wiped out 5/6 rods and main caps on either side.

[Roadknee]

I pulled a couple valves out of the 906 heads. The guides were tight and the stems had zero wear, measured with a dial caliper. The timing chain only had about 1/2" slop which made me think maybe this thing doesn't have many miles. So I looked at the casting number on the block and it's not the original motor. It's a GM vortec crate motor. Evidently the van got a new long block at some point. I cleaned up the bores; getting rid of the carbon ring above the ring travel and found zero bore wear. I plasti-gauged one rod bearing and it came in at 0.025". Does anyone know how to visually inspect piston rings? Then again, the ring, bearing and gasket set through Northern Auto is only $170...

[Fast355]

I pulled a couple valves out of the 906 heads. The guides were tight and the stems had zero wear, measured with a dial caliper. The timing chain only had about 1/2" slop which made me think maybe this thing doesn't have many miles. So I looked at the casting number on the block and it's not the original motor. It's a GM vortec crate motor. Evidently the van got a new long block at some point. I cleaned up the bores; getting rid of the carbon ring above the ring travel and found zero bore wear. I plasti-gauged one rod bearing and it came in at 0.025". Does anyone know how to visually inspect piston rings? Then again, the ring, bearing and gasket set through Northern Auto is only $170...

Casting number wouldn't tell you the application, but the suffix codes under the alternator, behind the water pump will. I have a 226K L31 out of a 99 suburban that looks like it was assembled yesterday othe than a little carbon build up on the pistons and a very light sludge buildup (touch it with your finger and its gone) in the valley between the lifters.

[Roadknee]

Isn't that suffix code on the passenger side deck just above the water pump inlet to the block? It's just a flat machined surface with no suffix code. I read somewhere they didn't put suffix codes on crate engines, but I could be wrong. Doesn't matter anyway. I pulled a couple pistons and the oil rings are pretty tight with carbon buildup. I'll go ahead and freshen it up.

[dave w]

I pulled a couple pistons and the oil rings are pretty tight with carbon buildup. I'll go ahead and freshen it up.

I like that plan.

dave w

[Fast355]

Both of my Goodwrench crate engines have serial numbers stamped in the deck where the suffix code and partial vin should be. Sounds like you may have gotten your hands on some kind of aftermarket remanufactured engine. Make sure you measure the distance the piston sits below the deck surface. Some rebuilder pistons sit too far in the hole (.020" deeper) and cost you a ton of compression.

Other than that it definately does not sound like a bad idea to open her up and clean her up. Those 1 gallon cans of B12 Chemtool will litterally make the carbon melt off the pistons. You can soak the whole piston, rings, connecting rod in the can and use a broke ring to clean the ring lands. They will come out looking like new pistons.

[Roadknee]

I just checked. Pistons are GM PN 10172839, standard bore.

What are your guys thoughts on cam selection for this motor with TBI heads going in a 5200 lb truck? I've been thinking about getting the zz4 intake lobe ground on the factory roller cam. This would be a single pattern hydraulic roller with 264 @ 0.006", 208 @ 0.050" 0.474" lift on a 111 separation.