Randy82WS7

ok well my next project at work we took delivery of tonight at the shop is a 96 chevy pickup with SFI 350 in it

i have to swap a 95 TBI 350 in its place

now i know the intakes went from 12 bolts 95 older to 8 bolts 96 up


but is there any way i can just ignore the 4 middle bolt holes and still be fine with sticking the SFI intake on the TBI heads?

or do i HAVE to swap the SFI heads on to the TBI block also?

the 96 SFI engine is actually great fine excellent running no problem at all but the outer starter bolt hole chunk of the block broke off

so the owner wants us to install the 95 engine

so thats what we are gonna do

whats the way to fix the chunk of block for the starter bolt hole?



thanks for any info
about either topic/issue

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

Build some weld up on the block and redrill hole.if excessive weld some new metal on

Don't know about Vortec intake on std heads but other way around they won't seal because port shape is different on each
see pic
Std SBC intake on Vortec head

ex-x-fire

The block's water pump passages on the 95 have an internal bypass, while the 96 is external.
Isn't the front timing cover different too, bolt pattern & crank sensor?

Randy82WS7

hmm crank sensor at balancer dampner.... thats a good point there... i totally forgot all about that sensor on these later engines... crap.



this TBI bottom end into the SFI vehicle swap cant be done can it?

no way to stick the crank sensor on the front of the TBI bottom end?

so definitely cant swap 96 cover and pump and all onto the 95 engine? hmmmm

uh ohh...


damn

thanks!

Randy82WS7

hmm ok i see a pic of the two different styles now the '96 up TC are different bolt pattern than 95 down yep well that sux

so much for this swap job

damn

major fail..


cant put a 95 older sbc engine into a 96 up vehicle wow...

bad...

Irockz

iTrader: (1)

I honestly am shocked that your job includes tasks such as this,but you have to ask.
The ONLY correct way to do this,is to swap the cam,heads,and intake to the 95 engine.
I am seriously dumbfounded that the shop you work for woulf takre this job on without assuming otherwise.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Agreed. Swap out the shortblock if you have to, but to keep the TBI heads - sacrilege.

ex-x-fire

Different bolt pattern on the timing cover, can't easily change out the short block.
The one one the left has the crank sensor.

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

Timing covers interchange fine.
GM just cheaped out and deleted 2 bolts on the Vortec engine so if you put a std cover on a Vortec block you have 2 spare bolts.
Seals up fine

vetteoz

iTrader: (13)

I don't see why not.
You would have to use the Vortec timing set in the earlier engine because crank gear is thinner to fit the reluctor wheel for the crank sensor

ex-x-fire

Arent the truck blocks equipped w/ flat tappet cams?Is the bolt pattern the old style on the cam.
The water pump mounting on the old engine has that bypass hole that'll be needed plugging, or run old style pump & get a different clutch (vortecs use a thread on clutch instead of 4 bolts).
This swap is doable, seems like alot of extra work, I'd try to find one tht'll swap right over.

fireburdluvr85

i am using a 95 block. drilled the timing cover to use the dowels in the older block. have the 96 donor next to it tho. also need to use the 96+ balancer. it is a flat tappet cam unless the provisions are there for the roller cam. the heads do interchange tho to keep the intake and heads together.

Randy82WS7

what about the reluctor on the front of the crank for the CPS/CAS?

so wait.,... the SFI timing cover swap to the TBI bottom end could be successful??


water pump passages in blocks same?

crankshafts?


well i co-own said shop, yet its much more complicated than this in reality, but that's the basic explaination here haha.,


my step brothers dad is other half of the shop owner and he wants to take this job on, but i have to do the labor of prepping engine and also of pulling/installing engines with him

so i kinda have no choice, unless i dont want to work and dont want to make any $

we wont turn a job down if at all possible,
unless it cant be done, or if it is not feasible financially and/or physically



hmmm so evne if the SFI cover will fit on the TBI engine what do you do about sensor ring on crank shaft that doesnt exist on the tbi crank?


these salvage yards want WAYYY too much loot for a '96 up 350 engine

they want minimum 850 for a high mileage one around here,, thats pretty insane

i dont know how salvage yards sell anything and make any money at all they are just as bad or worse than dealership parts counters with their pricing wow...

crazy...


so that option is out

so the 95 truck 350 engine should not be roller cam?

i know the early tbi truck engines werent- such as the 87 and at least some following years -these were flat tappet still yeahh..

but im sure by the early '90s they were roller i would think?

i mean heck.... the 4.3L engines are roller- such as the one in my '91 S10

so why would they not roller cam the early mid '90's 5.7L engines? even if it is not a car engine?


i think we are just gonna play it safe on this one and opt for holding off and looking for a 96 up engine


because there just is too much unknown and too much risk gamble here really, unknowns with water pumpo issues and passages and timing set and reluctor on crank and hmm


thats just too much risk gamble really..., hmm,m

i dont want to tear down two engines only to end up it not working and not do-able.

especially since the customer owns the engines, not us.


and if cams have to be swapped then im definitely NOT attempting this, at all. no way no how

thanks again lol!

Randy82WS7

wow hmm interesting!!

welp i just went to taylorville and bought and hauled home a 5.7L out of a 1997 chevy truck

nice complee engine


for 600 bucks, it supposedly is relatively lower life miles - at barely over 100k - and has new injectors and other parts ive been informed.,..

so we're gonna swap this engine into the 96 truck in the next couple few days from now


gonna have an entire good SFI 350 engine all nimce perfect running completely dressed good all except for outer starter bolt boss broken off(engine block starter bolt ear region/area)

and then also the whle complete nice running 19995 TBi 350 engine as well


dangggg

what to do with engines around here they all piling up qgain.... nice ones too many@! lol ?



thanks!

gmstrong

i would shoot myself before i put a tbi in place of a vortec.

zenish

sounds like a good donor for vortec heads.