Vortech 5.7 383

[2wd_Sled_Puller]

I no this isnt a gasser site but i no alot of people in here know gas motors as well. Im trying to build a torque monster out of a gas motor and was wondering what route to take. i was going to run a 400 crank and see about a cam. dont really care if i gotta bump up to 93 octane to drive it if head work will help out alot. Can anyone shed light on this subject.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Theres a good bit you can do with them, but to get alot out of them you need to look into the marine intake conversion for it. The stock central poppet injection set-up won't supply enough fuel to make alot of HP. A good cam and headewrs will wake one of the 5.7 VORTECS up a good bit, but you should look into the 1411 ECM swap for it(01 express PCM swap). The stock 256 MB PCM is OK, but very limited as far as tuning goes. The 383 swap is doable as well, but remember you can only run a single roller timing chain set-up in it due to the crank sensor and pick-up wheel. And the gear drive set-up will trigger teh knock sensors. The heads will need work to go above .450 lift, but you can do the conical valve springs and offset retainers and get up over .500 lift that way. If your just after a torque monster, then I would do the 383 swap, the COMP tri power mid level torque cam(degree'd in 3-4 degrees advanced), CLoyes single roller timing set, CRANE cam spring and retainer set, a mild port match on the heads and intake, modify the throttle body to remove the air foil, and a set of mid length or long tube headers. If you go much more the injectors simply won't keep up and you wil lhave to do the marine intake swap and custom tuning.

 

[2wd_Sled_Puller]

If your just after a torque monster, then I would do the 383 swap, the COMP tri power mid level torque cam(degree'd in 3-4 degrees advanced), CLoyes single roller timing set, CRANE cam spring and retainer set, a mild port match on the heads and intake, modify the throttle body to remove the air foil, and a set of mid length or long tube headers. If you go much more the injectors simply won't keep up and you wil lhave to do the marine intake swap and custom tuning.

Thank you very much with the reply. With this set up that u have listed above do u have to do compture tuning for it to run right? I have efi live and all but will more then likely let someone eles do the tuning on my motor. also i just got hooker headers to the house for my motor ill try to snap a pic of them tommorw and post them but they are 1 7/8 pipe out of the head into 3 inch. I was thinking with all the head work and all should i keep running the 3 inch pipe all the way out the rear or since im trying to build it for torque should i cut down to 2.5 inch?? Also do u think a good throttle body spacer will benefit me any With the set up?

 

[2wd_Sled_Puller]

Do u have a link to the cam mention above. i looked threw there selection and dont no enough about cam and cranks i was going to go ahead and order it but aint really sure of the right cam shaft

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

The cam I like is the COMP CAM TRI POWER EXTREME part number 08-530-8, but keep in mind hydraulic roller cams are PRICEY to say the least as far as small block cams go. The stock tuning will work, but it may be a bit lean at times due to the increased displacement. As far as the headers go, I would run a set of 1 5/8" but no bigger than 1 3/4" for a truck. The 1 7/8" will kill your bottem end torque, espescially out of a vortec engine(the vortec engines run great up high, but are not good off idle). And I would go with 2 1/2" with an H pipe for the rest of the system. It sounds like you will need tuning to start with unless you plan on running cats on it. And don't waste your money on a throttle body spacer. Just delete the air foil from teh stock blade, or install one of the blade kits off of EBAY in it.

 

[Colt]

Get a copy of Chevy High Performance magazine printed by Diesel Power people anyway they can website you to death on info for this and most gas Chevy info. They test most of the aftermarket stuff and stock too. Put on dyno and drive them. Tells you more then any diesel site.

 

[68skylark455]

In my opinion use the '94-'95 TBI block (has a normal timing chain cover not plastic) Vortec heads from '97-'99, either carb it or use an aftermarket FI system likme Holley, Accell or Edelbrock. We did one in an '88 with the edelbrock multiport system using an old school '89 chipped computer and had the chip burned by a guy in colorado. The vortec block uses a plastic timing cover and there are no extra holes to use the old metal one. The rods in a vortec are powder rods-very light but suceptible to bending fairly easy if you lose a headgasket. The 94-95 tbi block is factory roller as well, one piece rear main and proven dependable. The vortec heads were proven to make 10 more hp and 20 more ftlbs of torque then chevy's bowtie racing heads:thumb: Problem being as was stated is the lift issues. You can get them ready made to go higher lifts from Scoggin Dickey GM Performance in Lubbock, Tx. You can even get a completely assembled 383 from them for a fair price. The 385 fast burn is also a great motor with lots of torque. If you want something tuneable persay I would use an ls based block and build the 408 or just buy a 6.0 and add a cam and some head work to get tons of torque, more then the 383 even with the ease of tuning it with efilive.

 

[Ryan T]

just build a 2 bolt main 400 small block... the two bolt is much stronger than the 4 bolt... 383 wont make as much torq as a 406 sbc (406= 400 bored out .30 over)..

 

[68skylark455]

just build a 2 bolt main 400 small block... the two bolt is much stronger than the 4 bolt... 383 wont make as much torq as a 406 sbc (406= 400 bored out .30 over)..

Just make sure he addresses the overheat issues by drilling out the holes in the heads and block. 400's are great motors, lots of stock torque but prone to overheating and cracking heads. Must do the coolant passages fix to avoid that issue.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Some late model 5.7 blocks do have the 2 extra timing cover bolt holes in them. Or you can install a plastic cover without the timing sensor hole in it. I believe you can also drill and tap the 2 bolt holes if needs be. The 6.0L swap would be really nice one to do IMHO, but still not gonna get alot of off idle torque out of it. The top end though would destroy what a 5.7 VORTEC can do though. I've done a couple of em, and really wasn't impressed with the HP that the 5.7 VORTEC's made afterwards compared to the amount of money you have to put into em. The older TBI trucks wake up for alot less money.

 

[Ryan T]

Just make sure he addresses the overheat issues by drilling out the holes in the heads and block. 400's are great motors, lots of stock torque but prone to overheating and cracking heads. Must do the coolant passages fix to avoid that issue.

i have built a few of these engines, they do not over heat and u do NOT need to drill steam holes in the head!! thats an old wives tale... who runs stock heads now a days?, nice set of AFR or edelebrock victor JRs and away you go:happy2:

 

[Ryan T]

x2 on the LS engine swap if u can its the way to go..

 

[2wd_Sled_Puller]

Thanks for the info guys ill start checking into it all

 

[68skylark455]

Some late model 5.7 blocks do have the 2 extra timing cover bolt holes in them. Or you can install a plastic cover without the timing sensor hole in it. I believe you can also drill and tap the 2 bolt holes if needs be. The 6.0L swap would be really nice one to do IMHO, but still not gonna get alot of off idle torque out of it. The top end though would destroy what a 5.7 VORTEC can do though. I've done a couple of em, and really wasn't impressed with the HP that the 5.7 VORTEC's made afterwards compared to the amount of money you have to put into em. The older TBI trucks wake up for alot less money.

Right now I am doing a 6.0 swap in a 99' burban for myself as a daily beater. My 91' burban I had used a complete 97 vortec but used the edelbrock performer intake and a holley projection adapter to bolt on my TBI unit. They told me it wouldn't work without using the $300+ gm intake, they were wrong, I had to set the timing @18* because of the vortec stock roller cam-0* wouldn't even make it drivable and I put over 200,000 miles on it with no trouble, it would pull just about anything the burban was capable of pulling by weight.
Can't wait to get this new project done, its the LQ9, 4l60e and transfer case going in it-should be fun. Have some caddy 6.0 tunes to play with also

 

[68skylark455]

i have built a few of these engines, they do not over heat and u do NOT need to drill steam holes in the head!! thats an old wives tale... who runs stock heads now a days?, nice set of AFR or edelebrock victor JRs and away you go:happy2:

Depends on what part of the country you live in as far as "old wives tale" I have done a few myself. In AZ we had to drill the heads because of trapped air between the siamese cylinders it would overheat pretty easy with some performance mods but if your changing heads then no drilling is not an issues. If you just drilled the four holes in the heads it would cure it.

 

[PAT]

Is this the LM7? I recently built one if that's what it is. Also, GM high tech did a budget build on the motor. They cranked out a lot of power out of the motor for a good price. Also, you can use LS heads on the block and get a lot of gains. LS heads are pretty bad ass.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Is this the LM7? I recently built one if that's what it is. Also, GM high tech did a budget build on the motor. They cranked out a lot of power out of the motor for a good price. Also, you can use LS heads on the block and get a lot of gains. LS heads are pretty bad ass.

Nope, the VORTEC 5.7L is nothing like the newer LS engines. They are the 3rd gen old style small block design. As far as putting a VORTEC engine in a TBI truck, you can also use teh marine adapter as it adapts a standard 2 barrel intake to a GM TBI unit. I threw one away last year when I cleaned my shop out. GM is out of there minds for what they want for there intake. I believe you can also use an EDELBROCK intake for the VORTEC heads to TBI set-up as they used to sell one as well as HOLLEY for tehre TBI set-up. For a grunter i still like the old style swirl port heads myself. they choke out pretty low in teh RPM range, but the off idle torque they make is insane.

 

[PAT]

Nope, the VORTEC 5.7L is nothing like the newer LS engines. They are the 3rd gen old style small block design. As far as putting a VORTEC engine in a TBI truck, you can also use teh marine adapter as it adapts a standard 2 barrel intake to a GM TBI unit. I threw one away last year when I cleaned my shop out. GM is out of there minds for what they want for there intake. I believe you can also use an EDELBROCK intake for the VORTEC heads to TBI set-up as they used to sell one as well as HOLLEY for tehre TBI set-up. For a grunter i still like the old style swirl port heads myself. they choke out pretty low in teh RPM range, but the off idle torque they make is insane.

Yea I just realized that. The LM7 is a 5.3. Idk what I was thinking lol

 

[68skylark455]

Nope, the VORTEC 5.7L is nothing like the newer LS engines. They are the 3rd gen old style small block design. As far as putting a VORTEC engine in a TBI truck, you can also use teh marine adapter as it adapts a standard 2 barrel intake to a GM TBI unit. I threw one away last year when I cleaned my shop out. GM is out of there minds for what they want for there intake. I believe you can also use an EDELBROCK intake for the VORTEC heads to TBI set-up as they used to sell one as well as HOLLEY for tehre TBI set-up. For a grunter i still like the old style swirl port heads myself. they choke out pretty low in teh RPM range, but the off idle torque they make is insane.

You can but when I did mine they only had tbi w/stock heads or vortec with carb-thats why I used the holley adapter. Most modern machine shops now have the plates to drill vortec heads to fit early and late intakes but charge $80-$100 to do it so I just use the $28 adapter I'm a cheap ass. The GM intake works great for most applications but cost is $300+ and the throttle bracket needed is another $75.
I think everyone always under estimates the TBI system, a guy I know in colorado built a 383, put a blower and two 4bbl TBI units on it using the '89 computer and his custom built chip. Its a cool truck, '88 step side 1/2 ton.

 

[S Phinney]

Depends on what part of the country you live in as far as "old wives tale" I have done a few myself. In AZ we had to drill the heads because of trapped air between the siamese cylinders it would overheat pretty easy with some performance mods but if your changing heads then no drilling is not an issues. If you just drilled the four holes in the heads it would cure it.

X2! This is the proper way to address this type failure.