MrsLottaBallsCamaro

I am thinking about replacing my now broken L03 with a 350 Vortec from a junkyard. How much do you think one of those will costs with about 100,000 miles (or a little less) on it?

zippy

i'd expect that to run around 500 to 700 for a decent running one. expect about 500 or so to be able to keep running the tbi with intake etc. costs.

LottaBallsCamaro

The 350 vortecs are TBI right?

zippy

no, the vortec 350 is a sequential central port injection. to use the tbi and the vortec heads your going to need the gm tbi intake with an egr tube (if emissions in your area require it) to make it work.

LottaBallsCamaro

So what years trucks had 350 vortecs in them?

zippy

the c/k series trucks had them until 2000 and the express van still uses them. they began using them in 1996.

LottaBallsCamaro

Thank you!

Todds1987iroc

The 1500 C/K truck vortec motors were used from 1996 to 1998. The vans also got them in 1996 and still use them. The HD (2500,3500) trucks used them till 2000. In 1999 GM went to the LS1 style motor for the 1500 trucks. I bought a 1996 motor complete 3 years ago with 20,000 miles on it for $1300 for my '69 camaro. Some of these motors are 2 bolt mains and some are four. I do not know what casting numbers are for the different engines. My engine is a two bolt main from an early production '96 4x4 truck. The block was cast in Nov. Of '95. The 1996 factory engines have 9.4 to 1 compression ratio.

zippy

the K1500 and C1500 used it through 1999. you were able to buy both new and old body style 1/2 ton's in 1999 (although no regular cab 1/2 tons for old body style) and the 2500/3500 series trucks stayed the old body style with the same 5.7 until the end of the 2000 series of production. 2001 and on the only way to get it is the express van. if your going to try to correct me, have something to back it up.

LottaBallsCamaro

Zippy-do you know what vehicles came with 4bolts?

RobZ71LM7

Typically the trucks with a GCWR of over 8500lbs and 350's came with 4 bolt mains I believe. I'm pretty sure all of the vortec 350's you'll get out of 1/2 tons are 2 bolt main.

zippy

he's correct, the vehicles with 8600gvw and over came with the 4 bolt. this was due to the engine being designed with the capability to be run at w.o.t. 80% of the time. odd build spec, but that was the idea. easiest way to identify the 8600 gvw trucks/vans and higher is they use the 8 lug wheels. even the two bolt is pretty strong. i've tried to blow one up before and ran one on the rev limiter cold at 5600 rpm for about a minute at a time. i tried this about 7 or 8 times. why is not important...... either way, i couldn't get it to blow up. the internals on the vortec is alot lighter than the tbi engines which gives them more power also. vortec is roller and makes really decent power with an LT1 or LT4 cam, but with only 1.5 ratio rockers. if you decide to replace the timing chain your going to want the gm roller from gmpp since the double roller can't be used without machine work (according to gm).