How far should I go?
- Thread starter 08Malibu
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Go for it ! One of the best engines I ever had got put together this way. My 406 cracked the block and I had a 350 I bought at a swap meet for $100.00. To finish the points chase I got a re-ring kit - didn't measure bores or tapper, looked good and I had no intentions boring. Bought a Comps 306s cam and springs, threw it together with a good set of iron 2.02 heads I had w/o missing a race. Got the shock of my life when it ran 11.50 right out of the box. It was in the car 7 seasons, almost 1000 passes.
If you don’t have much ring ridge on that block, I’d run it as is but replace all your seals and run synthetic oils, those’ll help it stay as is for longer.
You could also get that valve guide cutting tool that comp makes(?) and trim your valve guides for a hotter car if it isn’t already done.
Added insurance would be replacing those torque to yield rod bolts. Those things give me the heebi jeebies.
You could also get that valve guide cutting tool that comp makes(?) and trim your valve guides for a hotter car if it isn’t already done.
Added insurance would be replacing those torque to yield rod bolts. Those things give me the heebi jeebies.
Wished you lived closer. I have a 383 stroker in my garage never started since I went LS
So you have a motor with over 100k miles on it. It is out of the car and most or all of the top end is off the motor. Why on earth would you replace some things and not others? You have a gear driven oil pump, a gear driven timing set, bearings riding on a thin film of oil at variable pressure, a fuel pump riding on a cam lobe, a distributor turned by a cam gear, rings that have 100k of tension fatigue, clamp bolts already fully torqued and with 100k miles of clamp fatigue and gaskets with 100k of compression fatigue. No matter how the parts look, they have 100k miles of wear/fatigue on them. The hardest part of any motor swap/work is getting the motor in and out of the car. Do you really want to chance having to do that twice in a short period of time in order to save a couple of hundred dollars? Put new parts in now and the stroker upgrade gets cheap because you have already replaced everything else and you now have a starting point to decide what to replace when you upgrade. If you won't do that, roll the dice all the way. Clean the parts you have and stick em back in the motor. Unless you replace all the wear parts, it's a crap shoot either way.
8600+ GVW got 4 bolt mains. My 1500 with 350 Vortec has over 270k miles. I'd roll in some bearings, slap a cam in, and send it.
I just picked up a 96 vortec 350 with probably 100k but who knows. So far I disassembled it to a long block, but haven’t pulled the balancer. The valves look clean on the backside, plugs are clean, and no sludge in the pan. I can still see the crosshatching on the cylinders. I want to build a 383 but the funds aren’t there right now. I was thinking of pulling the heads and pistons and reringing the engine, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it if all signs point to it not burning oil. Eventually I want to build the 383 but for now I was hoping to throw a cam, valve springs, and intake on and throw it in the car. Thoughts?
The 305 I have in there now runs ok but smokes a bit on startup and burns a little oil. It does need a carb rebuild but that would be the same on either engine.
Here's what comes through to me in assessing your 96 Vortec 350 motor.
1. 100k miles but can still see crosshatching on cylinder walls--all cylinders or 1 or 2? How can you see cross hatchings if you haven't pulled heads? Regardless, cross hatching says to me not much wear on cylinder wall as well as rings.
2. can you get any compression readings?
3. oil pan and heads clean--no sludge says previous owner took regular/good care of the motor.
4. because motor is out and probably (easier to do) on engine stand--get some plasti-gage and check rod and bearing caps for abnormal wear. Keep each matched up to go back on same journal! If clearances within tolerances and no evidence of scuff marks, put back together and do your cam upgrades?
5. what heads are you going to use now and with 383?
Also, can do stuff like new timing chain and fresh gaskets. Here's biggey: once the motor is back together and installed...before you fire it up, be sure to prime your oil system...VERY IMPORTANT!!!
Here's a few other things to consider:
1. are you planning on using the 96 Vortec 350 to build your dream 383 or another 350?
2. do you have funds now or how much later until you can build the 383?
3. depending on your timeline, I would resist throwing new cam, timing chain, etc. into interim motor. Save it all for the final build!
What I'm recommending is if the leaky, tired 305, runs now but needs a carb rebuild, do carb rebuild and continue running the 305 while you save funds/do machine work/get parts etc. The smoke at start up means valve seal leaks.
Basically, car and motor building all hinges on money money money and time! Good luck!
The 305 I have in there now runs ok but smokes a bit on startup and burns a little oil. It does need a carb rebuild but that would be the same on either engine.
Here's what comes through to me in assessing your 96 Vortec 350 motor.
1. 100k miles but can still see crosshatching on cylinder walls--all cylinders or 1 or 2? How can you see cross hatchings if you haven't pulled heads? Regardless, cross hatching says to me not much wear on cylinder wall as well as rings.
2. can you get any compression readings?
3. oil pan and heads clean--no sludge says previous owner took regular/good care of the motor.
4. because motor is out and probably (easier to do) on engine stand--get some plasti-gage and check rod and bearing caps for abnormal wear. Keep each matched up to go back on same journal! If clearances within tolerances and no evidence of scuff marks, put back together and do your cam upgrades?
5. what heads are you going to use now and with 383?
Also, can do stuff like new timing chain and fresh gaskets. Here's biggey: once the motor is back together and installed...before you fire it up, be sure to prime your oil system...VERY IMPORTANT!!!
Here's a few other things to consider:
1. are you planning on using the 96 Vortec 350 to build your dream 383 or another 350?
2. do you have funds now or how much later until you can build the 383?
3. depending on your timeline, I would resist throwing new cam, timing chain, etc. into interim motor. Save it all for the final build!
What I'm recommending is if the leaky, tired 305, runs now but needs a carb rebuild, do carb rebuild and continue running the 305 while you save funds/do machine work/get parts etc. The smoke at start up means valve seal leaks.
Basically, car and motor building all hinges on money money money and time! Good luck!
Supercharged111, I laughed a bit at your truck having 270+ miles. My 96 1500 Silverado has over 273 thousand on it too. I have been driving a 2002 Sierra for the last few years but still have the 96.
If it's clean inside and you can see cross-hatching in all the cylinders, I think I'd just go with it. I'd give it all a visual inspection (for loose rockers, shitless loose rods, etc). If all looked ok, I'd go with a stock replacement (quality) timing chain, oil pump and all new gaskets. Clean it up, paint it and go with it. Low budget rattle can resto. Save money for the 383 or just live with the 305 and save for the 383.
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