vortec questions

[twoslo4five0]

i broke an exhaust valve in my vortec 350 so now im trying to figure out where to go.the motor has 170k on it so im kinda leary of swapping a set of heads in with the old bottom end.here are the options and lets stay realistic.im doing this in my driveway so ive got to be able to do it with what ive got

heads reworked
heads reworked larger valves,little bit larger cam
full rebuild and some head work and small cam

vortec 454 swap (dont know whats need what can swap ect)
cummins swap (dont know what all is needed and if my 4l80e will survive)

i use this truck for towing 9000 pounds about once a month.it doesnt really get driven just used for towing.whats my best viable option a diyer can do at home

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

It would help to know what truck this is in and if its a vortec 350 or a 350 with vortec heads on it


But I'll assume its a late 90's Chevy.

What happened when the exhaust valve broke and how did it break? Seems pretty likely that the valve would hit the piston and that you might be looking at new pistons too.

I have not really heard good things about bigger valves in vortec heads, seems GM really did their homework and made every component work perfectly together. From what I've seen, porting or going to bigger valves with vortec heads doesn't really help anything.


If I were you, I'd pull the heads and inspect the cylinder that broke the valve. If the piston looks ok, I'd have the heads redone and put it back together (assuming that compression was ok and that it didn't burn any oil). I've seen a bunch of vortec 5.7's go for 300K+.

If you're wary about the condition of the bearings/rings, go ahead and pull it and rebuild it.

I wouldn't make any cam changes, IMO the stock 5.7 vortec is setup pretty damn well for towing and, with the stock cam, you won't need to make any computer changes.


As for swapping anything else in, it will be tons more work and money. Of course the Cummins will tow better than the 350 but IMO you're much better off buying as Dodge tow rig if that's what you want.

 

[Stomis]

i broke an exhaust valve in my vortec 350 so now im trying to figure out where to go.the motor has 170k on it so im kinda leary of swapping a set of heads in with the old bottom end.here are the options and lets stay realistic.im doing this in my driveway so ive got to be able to do it with what ive got

heads reworked
heads reworked larger valves,little bit larger cam
full rebuild and some head work and small cam

vortec 454 swap (dont know whats need what can swap ect)
cummins swap (dont know what all is needed and if my 4l80e will survive)

i use this truck for towing 9000 pounds about once a month.it doesnt really get driven just used for towing.whats my best viable option a diyer can do at home

a 4l80e will stand up to a cummins. This is my vote. I would never start dumping more power ontop of a bottom end over 100k.

And just FYI when you think 4l80e just think electric TH400 with an OD.

 

[twoslo4five0]

It would help to know what truck this is in and if its a vortec 350 or a 350 with vortec heads on it


But I'll assume its a late 90's Chevy.

What happened when the exhaust valve broke and how did it break? Seems pretty likely that the valve would hit the piston and that you might be looking at new pistons too.

I have not really heard good things about bigger valves in vortec heads, seems GM really did their homework and made every component work perfectly together. From what I've seen, porting or going to bigger valves with vortec heads doesn't really help anything.


If I were you, I'd pull the heads and inspect the cylinder that broke the valve. If the piston looks ok, I'd have the heads redone and put it back together (assuming that compression was ok and that it didn't burn any oil). I've seen a bunch of vortec 5.7's go for 300K+.

If you're wary about the condition of the bearings/rings, go ahead and pull it and rebuild it.

I wouldn't make any cam changes, IMO the stock 5.7 vortec is setup pretty damn well for towing and, with the stock cam, you won't need to make any computer changes.


As for swapping anything else in, it will be tons more work and money. Of course the Cummins will tow better than the 350 but IMO you're much better off buying as Dodge tow rig if that's what you want.

i was told the piston should be fine cause the valve is stuck going up (didnt know that till tonight) as far as getting a new tow rig its def. in the plans but worry with lay offs at work have kinda got me worried.plus i hate the space the dodges have in the crew cab.id have to get a mega cab to have the space i do now.and thats alot more

a 4l80e will stand up to a cummins. This is my vote. I would never start dumping more power ontop of a bottom end over 100k.

And just FYI when you think 4l80e just think electric TH400 with an OD.

ive heard bad things about towing and a 4l80 behind a cummins but i dont know what to belive over the net to much anymore

 

[Stomis]

i was told the piston should be fine cause the valve is stuck going up (didnt know that till tonight) as far as getting a new tow rig its def. in the plans but worry with lay offs at work have kinda got me worried.plus i hate the space the dodges have in the crew cab.id have to get a mega cab to have the space i do now.and thats alot more





ive heard bad things about towing and a 4l80 behind a cummins but i dont know what to belive over the net to much anymore

I'm no trans expert man I'll admit that but everything I've read about 4L80e simply says: Th400 with an overdrive and electric controls.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

i was told the piston should be fine cause the valve is stuck going up (didnt know that till tonight) as far as getting a new tow rig its def. in the plans but worry with lay offs at work have kinda got me worried.plus i hate the space the dodges have in the crew cab.id have to get a mega cab to have the space i do now.and thats alot more

Well, like I said pull the heads and see whats up. Its quick and easy. If its only the valve, it will only cost you a couple hundred bucks (valve job, head gaskets, coolant, etc.).

And for sure Dodge diesels generally are behind the pack as far as the interior, space, etc. go but they do have a great motor and are reasonably priced (I like the D-max trucks a lot but they are a lot more money than the Dodges).

ive heard bad things about towing and a 4l80 behind a cummins but i dont know what to belive over the net to much anymore

Diesel/auto = even higher failure rate than gas/auto combos.

You'll hear tons of talk about certain autos being more stout than others (which is undoubtedly true) but all autos start dying the day they hit the road. How long they last is based on their design and how they are used. The Cummins/4L80E setup might work ok but GM switched to the Allison (much more stout) for a reason.

 

[Capt.D]

The 454 will be a direct swap and only motor mounts are a little different.....I did one before and loved it...I will be putting a ram jet 502 in the Jimmy in the future...

 

[84zz4ss]

I agree with 38377k5. Pull the heads and have them built. Changing the cam or adding additional power is costly. EFI live and other programming cost can add up fast.

Repowering with a replacement may be an option if the bottom end is hurt. The Vortec bottom ends are usually good for 300 thousand plus if maintained.

 

[twoslo4five0]

im gonna slap a new set of heads on it and call it a day