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Thread: Considering an engine swap upgrade

  1. #1
    Carb and Points!
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Posts
    6

    Considering an engine swap upgrade

    I have an 93 Suburban, 350, electronic shift transmission (sorry but I forget the designation). I am hearing a bearing knock till the oil pressure picks up so I I am looking at options to replace it. Seriously considering a Chevrolet Performance long block or the 12530283 4 bolt. Both are Vortec truck engines.
    I have gone through a lot of ideas to build an engine but I need something I jump in, hook up the trailer and drive a 500+ miles. So I am leaning toward stock crate engine and this should provide more HP and torque than the stock engine, which the Suburban could really use. I know a lot of people use a the Vortec head so that is not really something new, just new to me.
    Done a lot of reading and know pretty much what it will take to get it work with TBI. Probably use a carb intake with adapter plate for the TBI and skip the EGR. Replace fuel pump and regulator. MIGHT go with short tube headers but now sure there is any real gain over manifolds for a highway cruiser. It has been a lowered so I am NOT interested in long tube headers! Do not want to deal with them get hung up and having to do a replacement in a parking lot.
    With all said, my concern is the tuning. I could learn tuning, buy the hardware, that doesn't scare me but frankly I would rather not. It would probably be a one time deal. Once I get the swap done and tuned I wouldn't use that skill for a long time and would probably forget most of it.
    So, any chance there is a chip available that would work with this combination I have in mind? I am assuming not and would prefer to just have someone else do the tuning for me.
    [left] I live near Huntsville, AL and I have not found anyone that tunes the older systems. So am I going to have to do this myself of is there someone out there than can 'mail order' tune it? Frankly that kind of concerns me given some of the horror stories I have read. Seems like if you not in the car, it would be hard to tune one. Thanks!
    Last edited by Kudzu; 12-26-2016 at 08:04 AM.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator dave w's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    6,268
    The best way to tune an engine like you want to use is with a Wide Band Oxygen Sensor. See attached screen shots. That what I would do. ... dave w

  3. #3
    Fuel Injected!
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Mt. Airy, MD
    Posts
    51
    I have a vortec truck bottom end that i put an lt1 rotating assembly in. I used the ht 383 cam in that engine and it liked it well enough on the stock tune. Picked up 50 lb ft of torque. I used the crane cams drop in lt1 spring lock and retainer kit for the iron heads on some vortec stockers with elgin long slot 1.6 stamped rockers. I move that motor to a cast eagle 377 kit and it There are or were a few years ago some short headers that were drop in for the manifolds on those trucks i think from jegs. I bought a set for our 89 3/4 ton 10 years ago so its been a while since ive looked. Totally worth it for the torque increase and the heat management from load. It all does make you look at the trans too. The 4l60 doesn't handle much more than stock torque so plan accordingly. If your making more torque the trans has to absorb it.Chris

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