New Member with lots of questions

[billyjo]

Hello to all:

This is my first post but I have been lurking for some time. I've owned my 72 K-5 for the past 14 years and it has made some transformations over that time. It has also spent quite a bit of time just sitting in the driveway until recently. Currently it is the body shop getting it's cancer and other various dings taken care. I'm anxiously awaiting its return. Once back I plan on making a few drivetrain mods and I have a lot of questions that I'm hoping I can get some answers to. One reason I joined is because people here seem very friendly and knowlable and willing to share what they know. That is a great thing when it comes to a message board.

I planned on freshing my 383 and wanted to add EFI but now I've decided to go a different route. I want to buy a complete 96-01 vortec 5.7 liter moter, stroke it to 383 and install and Edelbrock EFI. The main reason for this change is that I want the vortec heads, roller cam and the serpentine belt system. This leads to my first question: Are the motor mounts on this year motor the same as mine or to I need to order some adapters?

Over the last few months I managed to purchase a NV4500 transmission and adapter kit for my current set up. If I do go with the newer motor will my new bellhousing work or do I need to get one to go from the newer vortec to my NV4500? I'm sure someone else has made this swap and any input on what mount to use on the crossmember would be appreciated. Was anyone able to do it without moving the cross member? ( I haven't installed mine yet)

Lastly (for now) does anyone have a reserve tank for sale for a 72 K-5? If not does anyone know where I can get one. Mine had the tank when I got it but the tank made it hard to get the top on and off so I took it out and have lost track of it over the years. If not would someone be willing to give me the dimensions of theirs so that I can have a like one made.

Any info I can get will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,

Bill

 

[Ryan B.]

Welcome to ck5 first gen brother!

Not real familiar with 96-01 vortec motors I think you might be referring to GenII smallblocks like LT1's.. but all chevy bellhousings are the same.
GenII the motor mounts are the same, GenIII (LS1 engines) have a different motor mount that require adapters or you to fab yer own.

How about finding a GenIII engine. A guy on here found a 5.3 and 4l60e out of a '99 truck for $500. You could also find a light weight 5.7 all aluminum ls1 out of an f body, camaro or corvette.. '98 up 6.0L is an awsome engine. you get cubic inches, sequential multiport injection, awsome flowing ls6 style heads. 345HP/380FTLBS bone stock.
Edelbrock EFI is $2k not even including the 383 you want to build. If you really look you could find a complete low miles GenIII smallblock for under that.
Fab some motor mounts, rework the wiring harness, The NV4500 should bolt up, minus one bolt hole. You can either leave it out as all GenIII's are, or i think i've read you can drill & tap the block if you're that worried about the 6th bolt. Just thought i'd throw that idea out there as an alternative.

 

[Greg72]

Welcome to the Board!

I can't help much on the motor mount question....but I think I recall on Xtreme4x4 (Project AJ) they were using a new style crate motor like the one you're considering.

The block had lots of mounting bosses across it (aluminum block)...so motor mounts can be built for almost any application by choosing the set of holes that make the most sense.

 

[Burt4x4]

Welcome
I don't have much for you other than hello.

When I was in need of a new heartbeat I was looking at all the different crate engines available. THere are alot of choices....
Then one day I had an opertunity to buy a complete "running when pulled" 1974 454 I had not thought of going bigblock but then I started to relise I could build a mild 454 for contiuos duty, reliable, low end stump puller for about the same cost as a badass 383. SO I went for it and this is what I ended up with:

Big Block power is AWESOME!
I don't know what you want to use your rig for but wheelin with a 454 so far has been great and FI simply rocks!

Anway something to think about
Later
Burt

 

[botboy]

I planned on freshing my 383 and wanted to add EFI but now I've decided to go a different route. I want to buy a complete 96-01 vortec 5.7 liter moter, stroke it to 383 and install and Edelbrock EFI. The main reason for this change is that I want the vortec heads, roller cam and the serpentine belt system. This leads to my first question: Are the motor mounts on this year motor the same as mine or to I need to order some adapters?

The vortec small blocks prior to the LSx variants in the trucks (96-99) have the same mounts as previous year SBC motors. 2000+ are a different ballgame.

I don't know why you would want to go with the edelbrock EFI, as stated above this will cost you 2 grand before you even factor in the cost of the rest of the motor! I think you would be better off purchasing an 88-95 shortblock, which already has the bosses cast for the roller lifters, and then you can throw in a performance roller cam grind and roller lifters. Vortec heads will bolt right up to the earlier 350 blocks, however the intake manifolds are very different. If you're dead set on EFI, you could use a TEC3 or Megasquirt computer to run the vortec CPI, or you could modify a corvette LT4 intake to fit the vortec heads and use a TPI ECM & painless harness to control it (yes its been done - search for threads by "larry" on thirdgen.org). If you aren't deadset on EFI, you could use a carb and any number of available aftermarket vortec carb manifolds.

Also the serpentine system isn't all that special on the vortecs, you could probably use one off an 88+ chevy truck/van/suburban or get a custom billet set which would look way better IMHO.

Over the last few months I managed to purchase a NV4500 transmission and adapter kit for my current set up. If I do go with the newer motor will my new bellhousing work or do I need to get one to go from the newer vortec to my NV4500? I'm sure someone else has made this swap and any input on what mount to use on the crossmember would be appreciated. Was anyone able to do it without moving the cross member? ( I haven't installed mine yet)

Here's a guy that swapped an NV4500 into his 4x4 pickup:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php3?t=148231

All GenI-GenIII SBC's, BBC's, 6.2-6.5-6.6 diesels and a whole lot of the inline 6's share the same bellhousing pattern. Your new bellhousing should work fine, but I think you'll either need to rig up a hydraulic clutch setup or get a bellhousing made by advance adapters if you want to keep your existing mechanical clutch.

Sorry can't help you on the reserve tank question

 

[billyjo]

Thanks for the welcome and all of the input thus far.

First let me say that the reason I chose this combo was for ease of installation and reliability. I spent a lot of time researching here and different sites about the different EFI's out there. I decided what I wanted was a system that was geared towards a user that didn't have EFI and wasn't particularly well versed in wire schematics or scrounging for different part #'s. From what I read it sounded like Edelbrock had good customer support (not to say others don't) and it was basically a plug and play operation. Another reason I chose the EFI over a carb is last year when I went to Montana to go elk hunting I was waaaayy down on power trying to climb the steep hills at the high elevation. I don't want to experience that ever again. And the next time I go I'll be towing trailer so I like the versitility of the EFI in that respect. I also purchased my EFI unit already for $1500 from a guy that decided he didn't need it and never installed it

Secondly when I'm don't I hope to be in the 360 hp range and around 450 ft lbs of torque. I had originally considered buying one of the crate motors, specifically the HT383 but decided I could do it for a lot cheaper myself. In some of the articles I read it sounded like the stock TB EFI was good for much hp over stock. I also figure if I buy a complete motor for less than $1000 that I can sell the parts I'm not going to use and recoop a couple of dollars that way. I did also consider getting a big block like Burt but I do like a stroker motor for some reason. Most of my time is spent driving on the road or towing. It's not to often I get off the beaten path anymore.

Anyway keep the ideas coming because they have made me think about my desicion and I appreciate the way other think.

Bill