Bad main bearings in 350 - and a POLL

[mtn. burb]

After dialing in my drivetrain, with a Doubler, new drivelines, a CV on the rear driveline and rotating up my axles for better driveline angles, I've got low oil pressure and a knock in the motor developing.

I do not want to be 20 miles in the backcountry when she goes.

Man, and I thought I could just enjoy my rig for a while.

It is a 1987 Suburban, all 1 ton. I wheel it. I've always been dissapointed with the 210 HP TBI350. The lower gears are cool, but I need more HP/Torque.

Smog legal issues reduce my choices of motors. My buddy say's rebuild my 350, but that will take $ I could put towards a new motor, and the down time will be longer.

I've found a few smog legal performance motors.

350 TBI

383 TBI

OR, I could try to find a pre-75 body, register it, and put it on my rig. Then no more smog tests.

So, I want your opinion.

Vote.

 

[dyeager535]

I don't see how the 383 is smog legal at all.

Since the 383 was never a factory installed GM engine, and was never certified to pass emissions, unless it has a CARB EO number, it WOULD be illegal to install, no?

You could install, say, a 1988 350 in a 1982 305 equipped truck, as long as you swapped ALL the emissions components from the 350 in, but since the 383 wasn't stock, there IS no emissions to swap.

Of course, reality is, you can't tell a 383 from a 350 externally, so even if they ran the numbers on it they wouldn't know. However, to label that smog legal I'm pretty sure is misleading.

Of course, they've got a note at the bottom "Technical Notes: This engine is not intended for marine use.
This engine will pass all states emissions testing, provided ALL the original equipment is installed and functioning properly.
Please check with your state's licensing department for any other requirements."

In other words, they won't be able to tell what it is, it will pass a sniffer, but only if you don't tell them what it is.

Only 383's with EO's I see at the CARB site are for 5.7L LT1 swaps.

 

[resurrected_jimmy]

I'm all for screw California, but I wouldn't swap bodies for them, especially one as big and heavy as a burb. 383 and deal with the smog police if its an issue. GM offers a crate motor they call a HT 383 a little more torque than the one you are looking at but not as much HP. They call it an off-road engine so I don't know if its even worth it....just a thought

 

[pauly383]

Move to AZ , come get he 78 body and frame outta my yard , swap interior and drivetrain

Build sheet says it all ...... dual exhaust

 

[YZEATER]

just find an older body and swap vin # plates. no need for a body swap. i found a 74 chevy i'm doing mine with. no more emissions in Pa.

 

[R72K5]

some ppl just live in really cool places

heh

jealous :P


here in IL we can do whatever with exhaust and emissions can put whater drivetrain in whatever vehicle and such but we cant even run around with a fender or door or bumper removed or ya get busted by the local and state police, and swapping bodies is a big no-no, that gets ya into all kinds of red tape troubles



good luck

 

[pauly383]

just find an older body and swap vin # plates. no need for a body swap. i found a 74 chevy i'm doing mine with. no more emissions in Pa.

Ethically and morally wrong . I f I have to run cats etc , and PASS emissions , all while being a working stiff , so should anyone else with emissions truck . Besides even if ya don't think you'll get caught , a good accident and someone may stumble onto it while checking the truck .And original rivets are very very very hard to find .

Now getting a body AND frame thats older is cool

No offense intended to you . Just my thoughts , we are free to have opinions

 

[YZEATER]

the county i live in has emissions testing but others around it don't. if i lived in those counties it wouldn't matter so i may also register it in another county an be all legal like again. it sucks either way.

 

[diesel4me]

Heres an idea....

If our government is so worried about clean air,and pollution,--why are THEY the biggest polluters of all??--and how come they get away with no fines??...our military bases here are the biggest brownfields known to the EPA.yet little is done to clean it up,and I dont hear of any fines being issued...

Our state has an "exemption" on emission laws--if you can prove it will cost more than the vehicle is worth to fix all the emission crap,you can get a waiver, but it will cost you..400 bucks is what I have heard..most folks just go buy another "Reject" sticker every 60 days(the length of time you have to get it re-tested!)..or just dont bother getting one at all!,citing its cheaper to pay the 50 dollar fine rather than fix the vehicle..

Since all this emissions crapola is all about money,and not clean air or water--instead of making all theese stupid laws everyone will find a way to bypass anyway--they should just say "Ok--your muscle car,truck,etc, is a "gross polluter" you owe us 1000 dollars for your "gross polluter" sticker--and your free to drive it anywhere you want..no emissions test!...

Since most of our off road and muscle cars get driven sparingly rather than daily,I dont see where they cause any more pollution than any other vehicle..what about all the emissions from military vehicles and aircraft??--and all the fuel and ammo dumps ??..why are THEY exempt??...

 

[Smitty]

If our government is so worried about clean air,and pollution,--why are THEY the biggest polluters of all??--and how come they get away with no fines??...our military bases here are the biggest brownfields known to the EPA.yet little is done to clean it up,and I dont hear of any fines being issued...

Our state has an "exemption" on emission laws--if you can prove it will cost more than the vehicle is worth to fix all the emission crap,you can get a waiver, but it will cost you..400 bucks is what I have heard..most folks just go buy another "Reject" sticker every 60 days(the length of time you have to get it re-tested!)..or just dont bother getting one at all!,citing its cheaper to pay the 50 dollar fine rather than fix the vehicle..

Since all this emissions crapola is all about money,and not clean air or water--instead of making all theese stupid laws everyone will find a way to bypass anyway--they should just say "Ok--your muscle car,truck,etc, is a "gross polluter" you owe us 1000 dollars for your "gross polluter" sticker--and your free to drive it anywhere you want..no emissions test!...

Since most of our off road and muscle cars get driven sparingly rather than daily,I dont see where they cause any more pollution than any other vehicle..what about all the emissions from military vehicles and aircraft??--and all the fuel and ammo dumps ??..why are THEY exempt??...

I'm not too sure about your military bases, but I had to conduct emissions tests on all of the vehicles that were driven on the street when I was in the military. Of course, I retired a little over a year ago so things may have changed...but I doubt it. As for the fines, we were always inspected and fines would be assessed if there was a violation. The military vehicle maintenance units are usually inspected by more different types of inspectors (State, Federal and Military inspectors) than the civilian vehicle repair shops. Just figured I'd throw in my .02

 

[trailblazr81]

The smog shop wouldnt know it was a 383. Since its still a 350 block you cant tell without dropping the oil pan. Tho some say the 383's "sound different." I knew someone who dirt track raced a 383 when the limit was 350. If it has all the smog equipment and passes the sniffer test it would be fine. I dealt with smog, had a "smog legal" aluminum headed 383 in a 81 Blazer. I got tired of dealing with smog ang got a 73 K20. Now it has that 383 from the Blazer but now rebuilt with non smog legal goodies.

I would say get the TBI 383 or find a 75 or earlier rig like I did.

 

[Jagged]

I'm not too sure about your military bases, but I had to conduct emissions tests on all of the vehicles that were driven on the street when I was in the military. Of course, I retired a little over a year ago so things may have changed...but I doubt it. As for the fines, we were always inspected and fines would be assessed if there was a violation. The military vehicle maintenance units are usually inspected by more different types of inspectors (State, Federal and Military inspectors) than the civilian vehicle repair shops. Just figured I'd throw in my .02

Not to mention on the aircraft maintenance side, I'm constantly going to briefings and training on HWMD. If we get caught mishandling HW, or even just precious metals (like gold plated connector pins), we're in for a world of hurt.

It's illegal to dump fuel in U.S. airspace. We've had instances of jets having to fly the pattern for hours on end to bring their fuel level down to a landing-friendly load so they could land.

 

[3 on the tree]

IF the 383 will pass smog, go for it. My second choice would be a 454, with all the smog crap on it.

 

[BranndonC]

i want to vote "Buy a performance TBI motor, upgrade the TBI system, and hope it passes smog." just to make you

 

[anjieandjohn]

I live near Oceana...it is always buzzing with F-18's....sometimes a little air and noise pollution is worth what we have here in the US. I know that there have been EPA violations on a couple of the bases around here and there have been fines issued to the bases. One junkyard had it's road closed because it cut accross US property and Oceana was getting i think around $100,000 fine for oil and batteries laying in the boneyard...All the GSA cars are inspected to VA state standards as well by the Public Works folks.

Now for the real reason for the post....I think you should just rebuild the motor you have now...of course just doing the rebuild will reclaim a few ponies you may have lost with the wear and miles but then you could do some mild building for a relatively low cost and maintain your smog equipment.

 

[beater_k20]

And original rivets are very very very hard to find .

www.trimtags.com $10/pr REAL hard to find.

 

[79Beast]

GM crate motor all the way. Smog legal and great warranty. Relatively inexpensive and least amount of down time out of all options.

 

[beater_k20]

way to bring up a 6 month old thread.