How safe are used vortec engines?

[Clone TIE Pilot]

There is a used 2000 Vortec 5.7 with 72,000 miles on it for $500 in my driving range. Is $500 a good price? The seller says the motor ran great when he pulled it (which everyone says LOL). He says he pulled it out of his truck to put a 7.5 engine in it which I guess is a big block. Also he says the vortec has been sitting in his shop for two years. What do you guys think? It has less miles than my 305. Then again with it removed from the truck I can't read the odometor to make sure. Being a late Vortec hopefully the intake gaskets were improved by then to avoid overheating and cracking.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

For $500 I would grab it. Its hard to find them that cheap with low miles. Since its been sitting try turning it over by hand and if possible do a compression test if you cant hear it run. I think he meant 7.4 which is a 454.

 

[jetsetw31]

X2, For $500? heck yeah!

 

[78 salon]

Check the engine # against the vin of the guys truck, then check odometer on truck, to get an idea of mileage.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Where is the vin stamped on a Vortec?

 

[85GPLef41]

engine code should be in the regular spots as the sbc, also btw I've done intake gaskets to almost every vortec engine model year... but you know that "truck" engine isn't emissions legal into your regal right... I was going to do that swap before and it's doable and passable here in Co but not worth the effort.. my plan was to use a vortec long block with a 88 tbi system and pass it off... or even a scoggin dickey tpi intake manifold but the egr portion was the hard part...

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

If I get this motor I would swap the 305's hardware on it to make it look like a car motor except for the intake, I would need the GM Qjet intake manifold with EGR provision. Then either run an external EGR line to the intake, or just use a ZZ4 PROM and have the EGR valve bolted on as a dummy which would be cheating. GM used to sell emission legal ZZ3/4 350 crate motors with a conversion kit to replace L69s, they came with ZZ4 PROMs to disable EGR but were still legal which shows how screwy emission laws can be. GM still makes ZZ4s but not the conversion kit to make it legal but you can still piece them together.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

It's been a couple of days and no reply back from the guy, guess the deal fell through.

 

[jetsetw31]

Sorry, it sounded like a good deal and you had a sound plan of attack. Keep hope alive, there will be another one.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Thanks, I had deals go under before, we all go through it one time or another. Probably just as well since there is more body work I need to do.