CK5
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Burnt burb resurrection (It's mine again!)
- Thread starter shady
- Start date
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#2, you've been around a bunch and never had to work on them? That should be a selling point, not a drawback.
#3, you're going to deal with FI either way, is the OEM system so hard to work on? It has much more support behind it than any particular aftermarket system does.
#4 is something that you'll either learn to live with or you'll pick a different engine.
#5, I don't think it hasta be expensive (as said before).
My con list for LS (pathetic sorta when I look at it, but all valid concerns I think)
Gen 1 pro's
1. Familiarity, I know them and feel comfortable with them.
2. Vortec motors at least, have the same longevity as the LS (main reason I bought one when it came available)
3. Use of an aftermarket, self-contained, simpler, FI unit like fitech or FAST
4. Better low end torque.
5. If set up right with gears and FI mentioned above, similar mpg's can be attained. (Proven by a few on here)
6. It'd be NEW
#1 is true, but also boring.
#2 and #4 are happy.
#3 may or may not be easier than dealing with OEM stuff, it's at least less supported.
#5 - Are you planning on regearing for mileage?
I will only regear if I stay with the current motor most likely. Not sure. Just threw it in there.
My OEM fuel injection is the reason why it has a carb now....
If I got an ls and it decided not to run I'm back to the drawing board and have to possibly go through piece after piece to figure it out which got/gets REAL expensive. The after market ones have like 4 pieces.... TB,harness, expand a sensor or 2. Simple lol
My OEM fuel injection is the reason why it has a carb now....
If I got an ls and it decided not to run I'm back to the drawing board and have to possibly go through piece after piece to figure it out which got/gets REAL expensive. The after market ones have like 4 pieces.... TB,harness, expand a sensor or 2. Simple lol
Sensors, harness, TB, controller...sounds pretty close to what the OEM systems use...
Since your new engine is the same form factor as the old one, any gearing/injection/whatever mods made to the truck now would also work if you switch blocks, right? So you could set up the truck now, enjoy the motor until you get bored with it, and then swap in your newly rebuilt vortec in a weekend. Should be pretty straighforward.
K.I.S.S.
Wait...if you run the Vortec, would you be running the OEM MPFI system? Or are you just anti-OEM in general? 
I don't even HAVE the stuff for it... I bought a 250k mi long block for $100. The OEM stuff on the ls seems to be tried n true for sure, and the computer diagnostics on it are light-years ahead of the tbi crap I had.
Oh, the 6500 number came from the amount of personal loan I'm willing to take out.
Oh, the 6500 number came from the amount of personal loan I'm willing to take out.
Well, I think you will do well either way, but given your love of dealing with elusive problems and complicated computer stuff, I think the tried and true newer stock setup will be easier to deal with than building some custom FI system and not having those diagnostic aids. Google is full of answers for how to solve OBD2 code P208 (for example), but whatever diagnostics your aftermarket system comes with will not have that level of support.
I look at aftermarket FI systems as being great for the guy who wants to tinker and set his own parameters. AFAIK you are the opposite of that, you just want to turn the key and have it work without messing with a couple dozen settings.
Like I said, I don't think there's a wrong answer here, you'll have a nice engine either way.
Adding it up, I could
keep my engine,
Cam it,
Add a fiTech system,
Re-gear and add trutrac's,
and have money left for a possible vintage air setup.. (which won't really be needed till next year but I'd get it so it was here.).
Then just rebuild my vortech slowly on my own over time at the house.
Then I could save up some and rebuild my tranny when I get a chance.......
Sounds like a much more logical method.
The A/C thing is a near must if I'm ever going to have the wife in there. And after kaz's temp related seizure I don't want him overheating either...... My factory setup was burnt in the fire and most everything under the hood for it is gone.
keep my engine,
Cam it,
Add a fiTech system,
Re-gear and add trutrac's,
and have money left for a possible vintage air setup.. (which won't really be needed till next year but I'd get it so it was here.).
Then just rebuild my vortech slowly on my own over time at the house.
Then I could save up some and rebuild my tranny when I get a chance.......
Sounds like a much more logical method.
The A/C thing is a near must if I'm ever going to have the wife in there. And after kaz's temp related seizure I don't want him overheating either...... My factory setup was burnt in the fire and most everything under the hood for it is gone.
Im sure the support for the aftermarket systems is there enough for my needs. I really haven't read much about many problems anyway so far. I'm using fiTech as an example because of hearing it a lot on here. I do want a tweakable unit but probably will never do so my self... so self tuning is a must.
Only reason I mention camming the stock motor is for a little bit more low-end grunt and I have to take the heads off to check for a bad gasket anyway. Seems to lose coolant but I can't find a leak anywhere, and the exhaust has just a hint of a sweet smell once in a blue moon.... so I figured if I have to have the heads off anyway it's as good a time as any to change the cam for some MO'POWA lol
Only reason I mention camming the stock motor is for a little bit more low-end grunt and I have to take the heads off to check for a bad gasket anyway. Seems to lose coolant but I can't find a leak anywhere, and the exhaust has just a hint of a sweet smell once in a blue moon.... so I figured if I have to have the heads off anyway it's as good a time as any to change the cam for some MO'POWA lol
Why bother putting new gaskets & cam into the old motor? Take that time & money and put it into the vortec.
As for the Vintage Air setup, I think the only downside to that is cost. I've heard nothing but good things about them.
As for the Vintage Air setup, I think the only downside to that is cost. I've heard nothing but good things about them.
I'm just here because someone said deezul.. they haz grunt.. 6.5 liters of coke..
Vortech needs rebuilt... was knocking when removed from the other truck. $3k
Cam kit with everything including springs lifters retainers chain n gear set etc. Is only $350. Then I'd do bearings but they aren't much. I could leave the whole lower end in the truck. May possibly see what it would take to get my vortec heads checked out to make sure they're ok , or even rebuilt and put them on my current engine during the cam swap. I'd just have to get the cam and lifters then. And I'd gain a little more power too.
The expensive part of the vortec rebuild is the short block. Which I could still do at my own pace later. Or have done after the personal loan is paid off
Cam kit with everything including springs lifters retainers chain n gear set etc. Is only $350. Then I'd do bearings but they aren't much. I could leave the whole lower end in the truck. May possibly see what it would take to get my vortec heads checked out to make sure they're ok , or even rebuilt and put them on my current engine during the cam swap. I'd just have to get the cam and lifters then. And I'd gain a little more power too.
The expensive part of the vortec rebuild is the short block. Which I could still do at my own pace later. Or have done after the personal loan is paid off
Im sure my indecisive ways and back and forth yammering has run everyone else away from my build... but I like to hash out all possibilities and do it right. I have a problem off making rash decisions and then regretting it later... so I try and cover all bases. That thinking is confusing and frustrating for sure.... but the same type of thinking is why I've been at the top of my group at work the last 3 places I worked lol.
Measure 694,231 times, then cut. Lol
So...why bother with the vortec? If you're putting time into the current engine, why not simply rebuild that one and be all done with it?
K.I.S.S.
K.I.S.S.
Read my lips. Do it right without wasting time on engine(s) that you don't really want in the long run.
K.I.S.S.
Read my lips. Do it right without wasting time on engine(s) that you don't really want in the long run.
I'm still one foot in and one out on the FiTech setup but here is why. It seems really good if you have a stock engine and no way to really affordably move over to an LS swap or fuel injection like the Holley and Ebrock systems offer. It seems affordable, and with the fuel commander setup you don't even have to mess with a fuel pump (too much) but it just has the downside of seeming a little bit too much like chasing the tail of the TBI dragon. Again, I am not knocking the sytem. I just think if you are going to go LS, go all in elbow deep.
I will admit though, I thought long and hard about getting a L31 crate motor or the 5.3 LS. I think the thing that made the biggest decision for me was at the end of the day, 150,000 or so miles down the road, which motor stands the better chance of still being on the road, combined with which one is going to cost me least to drive daily with the lowest investment of install materials.
As far as VA goes, I am in it elbows deep when I finally get my K5 running because I tore everything out a couple weekends ago, lol. After the black death that came out of that setup, I am not really inclined to put the old smelly stuff back in. I was having this death smell in my garage. Thought it was the carpet or something... Nope, rotten black gunk in the AC box...
At the very least, if your AC is currently not working, take that whole assembly apart and clean it the heck out. Your sinuses will praise you for it.
I will admit though, I thought long and hard about getting a L31 crate motor or the 5.3 LS. I think the thing that made the biggest decision for me was at the end of the day, 150,000 or so miles down the road, which motor stands the better chance of still being on the road, combined with which one is going to cost me least to drive daily with the lowest investment of install materials.
As far as VA goes, I am in it elbows deep when I finally get my K5 running because I tore everything out a couple weekends ago, lol. After the black death that came out of that setup, I am not really inclined to put the old smelly stuff back in. I was having this death smell in my garage. Thought it was the carpet or something... Nope, rotten black gunk in the AC box...
At the very least, if your AC is currently not working, take that whole assembly apart and clean it the heck out. Your sinuses will praise you for it.
Roller cam, and 4 bolt main.So...why bother with the vortec? If you're putting time into the current engine, why not simply rebuild that one and be all done with it?
There are a LOT of the roller cam vortec 5.7L's with 350k plus on them. They pretty much have the same or close durability/ longevity as the LS series has. Which was one of my reasons for grabbing it when I had a chance. This one the guy said had a knock or rattle that made him think piston slap is all. It was still running strong at nearly 250k when the truck was wrecked. Was still a DD in fact. Just made a noise... was his work truck and did a lot of towing and idling. So I'd say that's still impressive really .
The A/C will come after everything else. I pretty much consider it a need if I'm going to DD this truck though.. I'm getting old (40 in april
lol) and have been spoiled by all of the year newer cars I've had. We helped a cousin move yesterday and only had the burb out for about an hr. We were ALL sweating, and our little guy looked like he was gonna pass out. So it's getting a/c, just going to have to wait till everything else is done.... I may hold off on regearing and trutrac's also... I still want 1 tons real bad so I can eventually go to 37's. But I can't afford the bigger wheels and tires to do it now. I think with the wheeling I do at the moment I'd still be ok. But I'd like to start doing the ck5 get togethers and feel I'd break my 10b's with that big of tire and more motor. I'll start actively looking at the axle thing when these tires are getting worn out.... right now theyre 5 years old and nearly brand new 
It needs driven more lol
lol) and have been spoiled by all of the year newer cars I've had. We helped a cousin move yesterday and only had the burb out for about an hr. We were ALL sweating, and our little guy looked like he was gonna pass out. So it's getting a/c, just going to have to wait till everything else is done.... I may hold off on regearing and trutrac's also... I still want 1 tons real bad so I can eventually go to 37's. But I can't afford the bigger wheels and tires to do it now. I think with the wheeling I do at the moment I'd still be ok. But I'd like to start doing the ck5 get togethers and feel I'd break my 10b's with that big of tire and more motor. I'll start actively looking at the axle thing when these tires are getting worn out.... right now theyre 5 years old and nearly brand new It needs driven more lol
