Vortec L31 engine HP+ setups
- Thread starter TayCruiser
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My l31 is carb btw, again another thing i have to learn about coming from nissan and crossing over sux all this terminology got me lost lol. 700r trans rebuilt also. I got alot to do, i interior is crazy good except the dash, i dont like the front seat i want the racing style seat, i feel like im sitting on a couch. Car hasnt been started since febuary my co worker is scared to start it, its a hard starting car, no choke, its all manual every morning i got get under the hood to start it.... Hopefully the oil is still good, i change it before i left and i put gas stablizer in it...i will be back in 2 months, who is running 400+? is it possible to run 470hp?
You would really have to work at it to get 470 HP out of those heads.
And that rotating assembly too...stock, it's not going to want to take that kind of power for too long. The L31 long block is good, but I wouldn't (personally) take it much over 6000 RPM in stock state. 470 HP you'd need like 6500 + RPM, maybe more, lots of cam, and lots of intake. The short block had a better balance than a lot of older stuff, but still, the rod bolts are stock. If you upgraded the rod bolts then I'd spin it to 6000 no probs, and drive it every day. But I like to err on the safe side. I wouldn't take a stock short block over 6000 to be honest.
Also, the voortec heads as-cast dont flow much over 450 HP. You could probably get more than 450 HP out of the stock vortec heads, but the motor would be really pissed off. It would probably be cheaper to buy new heads than try to get 470 HP out of vortec heads. That's my opinion, anyways. between 400 and 450 is a lot easier to acheive. Now, if you add a power adder, everything changes.
Regarding the electric pump - old-style small block engines had a cam-driven fuel pump. It was a mechanical fuel pump that bolted to the side of the block, and had a pushrod that contacted a lobe on the cam specifically designed for a mechanical pump. Most L31 blocks do NOT have this pushrod hole drilled in the block. It is on the passenger-side lower-front - it is a squareish flange with four bolt holes. If your engine doesn't have the pushrod hole youll probably want to use an electric fuel pump.
And that rotating assembly too...stock, it's not going to want to take that kind of power for too long. The L31 long block is good, but I wouldn't (personally) take it much over 6000 RPM in stock state. 470 HP you'd need like 6500 + RPM, maybe more, lots of cam, and lots of intake. The short block had a better balance than a lot of older stuff, but still, the rod bolts are stock. If you upgraded the rod bolts then I'd spin it to 6000 no probs, and drive it every day. But I like to err on the safe side. I wouldn't take a stock short block over 6000 to be honest.
Also, the voortec heads as-cast dont flow much over 450 HP. You could probably get more than 450 HP out of the stock vortec heads, but the motor would be really pissed off. It would probably be cheaper to buy new heads than try to get 470 HP out of vortec heads. That's my opinion, anyways. between 400 and 450 is a lot easier to acheive. Now, if you add a power adder, everything changes.
Regarding the electric pump - old-style small block engines had a cam-driven fuel pump. It was a mechanical fuel pump that bolted to the side of the block, and had a pushrod that contacted a lobe on the cam specifically designed for a mechanical pump. Most L31 blocks do NOT have this pushrod hole drilled in the block. It is on the passenger-side lower-front - it is a squareish flange with four bolt holes. If your engine doesn't have the pushrod hole youll probably want to use an electric fuel pump.
I'm doing this swap now into an '86 Regal. My swap thread is here http://gbodyforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=17430
I'm in the process of cutting the center tab/plate on the trans crossmember so that it doesn't hit the oil pan of the 4L60E.
After that I'll be plugging up all the connectors from the wiring harness from the donor vehicle
installing the electric fuel pump
looks like I'll need headers so I need to figure out which ones will give good clearance
installing radiator & connecting trans cooler lines
installing sensors for dakota digital dash
installing dakota digital dash
I'll prolly have to tow the car to a muffler shop to get new flanges fitted on the headers collectors
And possibly to another shop to get a drive shaft made.
I'm in the process of cutting the center tab/plate on the trans crossmember so that it doesn't hit the oil pan of the 4L60E.
After that I'll be plugging up all the connectors from the wiring harness from the donor vehicle
installing the electric fuel pump
looks like I'll need headers so I need to figure out which ones will give good clearance
installing radiator & connecting trans cooler lines
installing sensors for dakota digital dash
installing dakota digital dash
I'll prolly have to tow the car to a muffler shop to get new flanges fitted on the headers collectors
And possibly to another shop to get a drive shaft made.
SMH.... 2 years later and I'm still working on this car!
I gave in to a friend telling me that I should just take it to a shop and have them finish it up and guess what..... they didn't! They wasted my time and money, only installed.... aahh forget it.
So now I have it back and it's in my shop. I really want a shop to finish it because I want it a certain way and I'm busy with work too much to devote the time to it... also, I know it doesn't need much and it should be short work for a certified mechanic.
I'm frustrated!
I gave in to a friend telling me that I should just take it to a shop and have them finish it up and guess what..... they didn't! They wasted my time and money, only installed.... aahh forget it.
So now I have it back and it's in my shop. I really want a shop to finish it because I want it a certain way and I'm busy with work too much to devote the time to it... also, I know it doesn't need much and it should be short work for a certified mechanic.
I'm frustrated!
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