QWKDTSN Posted July 10, 2001 Share Posted July 10, 2001 Hi guys. I'm doing my V8 swap soon and am shopping for the parts I'll need. I'll be using it for fun street cruising and autocross. "1992 Chevy 350 Vortex TBI Motor - complete fuel injection setup, crane, cam, performance intake, fresh valve job, new heads, racing chip, wiring harness, double roller timing chain, asking $2000." I guess my concerns are power - I don't want to make too much just yet. Without knowing all the specs on its parts, how much power do you guys think this motor is pushing? 315? Also, I'm concerned about weight. It says "new heads", hopefully that means "aluminum heads". I'll go check out the motor. No matter what I buy, I'll probably tear it down to check out the guts, replace piston rings, gaskets, and studs and become more familiar with the motor. So what do you think? I think it's a good deal and my dad seems to think so too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Shasteen Posted July 10, 2001 Share Posted July 10, 2001 Will you get a chance to hear the engine run or is it already pulled? W/out knowing the actual spec's-any guess is simply a mere guess. If you cant hear it run or if you dont know the individual that rebuilt the engine-it could be a money pit. If you dont know the past of the engine-then you may be setting yourself up for a hard fall. Obtain as many facts as you can & give those facts their just worth (based on how well you know the guy)...remember-there are some people out there that operate off the old saying, "There's a sucker born every minute". What if the engine is a dog-the parts are terribly mismatched & that is why the engine was pulled! I'm not dogging your potential engine-just trying to raise your awareness of possiblities. Be patient in your apporoch when buying from strangers. If you cant prove the owners claims-then I'ld be leary & wouldnt offer the owner anything other than the obvious...in other words/only offer salvage yard prices till the owner can prove otherwise or get them to sign an agreement w/witnesses that the engine is a good engine (and define "Good"). Kevin, (Yes,Still an Inliner) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Night_rider_383 Posted July 10, 2001 Share Posted July 10, 2001 kevin hit it right on the head, If you don't know the engines past and or the builder and driver then you could have a pc. together money pit. If your looking at a mild v-8 nothing real bad you could build a older style carbed 350 for like 800 give or take and thats counting the core, and this away youll do the build your self, about 275-300 hp with alot of lowend torque. not have alot in it and if you want a EFI later you could go two ways sell the one you built or pull the top end and just replace it with the efi stuff. in summit forged piston kit $330, hypereutectic kit $200, or a kit from northern with cast pistons $150, cam kit from crane or comp $150, machine work $300, core engine $75-200, re work and port the heads on the core $200 with manley valves, clean the dist. in the core, port match the stock iron intake, used q-jet $50, Any if you look around you can find an engine in a car that smokes and get the car and all for under 300-500 bucks and just re-ring the engine, new bearings, cam kit, head work etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted July 10, 2001 Share Posted July 10, 2001 Well I'd be cautious, but not write it off just yet. If the guy has receipts for the parts (Take notes here fellas...) and you can hear the motor run, or possibly drive the car it is in, and do a leak down test for compression, then I'd offer the guy $1500 for it, based on what you are getting. However, you could also have a FI motor pulled from a Pick-N-Pull complete with all the same stuff, minus chip and cam, and put that stuff in yourself as you re-ring and re-seal the motor anyway... Might just break even. I doubt the motor has aluminum heads on it... And that note above about receipts...I'd keep them all for several reasons... A: trying to sell parts to others, you can have a measure of proof that you atleast bought the parts you are claiming are in the motor, and B: if it every get involved in an accident, you now have leverage with the insurance company for settlement.. I got $8000 for a 74 260Z when I was hit by someone else in 1996... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QWKDTSN Posted July 13, 2001 Author Share Posted July 13, 2001 The guy had the engine pulled from a fullsize '92 Chevy pickup that was wrecked. It only has 55,000 miles on the engine. He took it to a shop and had all the work done, which includes new seals, the intake manifold, freshly cleaned heads & milled valve seats, etc. It doesn't have but doesn't need new rings. He pulled everything that I need, including water pump, alternator, distributor, wiring harness, ECU (with a performance chip, nonetheless), etc, etc. He intended to put it into a '79 Olds, but after building the motor up a bit, decided that a real motor would be better, so he had a 454 built (a '79 Olds is a real boat....) I'm going to call the guy who built the motor tomorrow (called 6 times today and he was never there) and find out exactly what was done, all the details and cam specs and such. He's willing to let it go for $1800 and I'm thinking of taking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest heinera Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 Chevy didn't use vortec heads until 96. The main advantage to a 92 engine is the roller camshaft, which chevy started using in 86 or 87? For the price you stated you should be able to get 96 up vortec or even a 93 up lt1 engine. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 No roller setup in the truck motors... I just rebuilt the 350 that is in my 93 GMC, and also you are right, no VORTEC heads or intake... I think you should RUN NION!!! Sounds like the guy is making false claims on what the motor is, which would lead me to believe that he has not done the work claimed. Also, I don't know anyone who tears a motor down and doesn't put new rings in it... $30 worth of parts that will insure proper comression or ruin a new rebuild... You should steer clear of this guy based on what you just typed in your last post... Mike Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 The trucks didn't get roller cams till 96 same time they got the Vortec heads.... all the TBI motors 88-95 are really the same. they are nothing special.. hyd cams 2 bolt mains and regular thin wall heads... as for 1800$ tell the guy he is smoking crack... down here 1000$ will get you a 98 or 99 vortec with the injection and computer... heck Myron just sold his LT1 on Ebay and didn't get much more than 1500 for it.... Look arround and spend your money wisely... There are alot of good people here and we have all have someone take adavantage of us or try and sell us somthing at a way inflated price... you are doing the right thing ask alot of questions.... learn as much as you can. If you look and know what you are looking at, there are some screaming deals out there but they take time....Make a plan with a budget and then double what you think it will cost for the car and you will be close..... Here is an idea where I am at with my current car and remember I am cheep and make alot of stuff myself and do all my own labor....and I am no where near finished 500$ 72 240Z 250$ glass hood, front spoiler good front bumper 200$ 96 vortec long block 40$ New Mallory dual point, and coil 50$ 750 Holley DP in need of a rebuild 850$ Gm Hot roller cam kit, vortec intake carb rebuild kit, timing chain, 100$ shorten valve guides, machine for pc seals and reasemble the cylinder heads 700$ T5 Trans. with everying and a centerforce clutch 200$ R230 with half shafts.. 250$ 300zx twin turbo wheels and tires... 100$ roll cage tubing... 170$ paint materials, 80$ 2 sets of spare rear hubs and a spare steering rack I am at 3490 and I am still looking for brake stuff, radiator, interior, some CV parts, a good serpintine belt system, another fuze box, some A/C stuff and 20 other things I cant think of right now. Now remember I have done real good on some parts 250 for the tires and wheels was a steal... 250 for the long block was great... I even got a Gm high rise vortec intake for 120$ but you have to look and take time. this took me about 6 months to piece together... BTW on used stuff a good rule of thumb even if it is still in the box is 50% of the new cost.... Good hunting BTW I would pass on the TBI motor for 1800....look for a good carb'd motor for 200$ or 300$ complete...mate it to a 200r4 or a 700r4 and you have a 200+hp combo that gets good milage. IMHO..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYRON Posted July 17, 2001 Share Posted July 17, 2001 I would do some shopping! Final bid on my LT1 was 1250.00 and 350.00 for shipping. Yes I did make some money on the shipping so I actually got 1450.00 for a complete LT1 with EVERTHING included except plugs and wires.. AC/PS/ALT/Starter, heck it even included all the power wires from the battery to the starter. It to had 55,000 miles and I drove my car for a week before it took it out... Myron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 18, 2001 Share Posted July 18, 2001 Hey Ray! Here ya go, for your serpentine conversion. Haven't used these guys yet, but some of my F-body buds recommended them. http://www.tacreationsusa.com/conversi.htm Check out what ya get for $200! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QWKDTSN Posted July 18, 2001 Author Share Posted July 18, 2001 Dammit guys.. i just told the guy i was going to buy it but now you have me really scared. I don't know, maybe i'm wrong about some stuff. I've just been having such a hard time finding what I need all in one package and now that I've found it, I just want to seal the deal I don't know what to do now. I already told him it was okay to cancel his latest ad in the parts trader and I was ready to go get it tomorrow. One thing that does have me scared is he's asking cash.. I don't know... I'm not that knowledgeable about Chevy motors yet! Summer is passing quickly and I want to get the majority of my conversion ready to go before school starts in September. That means engine ready to go with tranny. I wish you guys had informed me of all this stuff before now. It's been several days since my last post and this thread hasn't had any real activity. Now I really don't want to go through with the deal. Ray, tell me where a grand will get me a 98 or 99 vortec with all that and I'll go for it.. tell me where to get an LT1 and I'll go for it. I just don't know where to look and who to call I guess this motor caught my eye because it's complete. it has performance parts installed, it's been newly rebuilt (actually, I don't know whether new rings are in it or not, I never specifically asked and nobody told me so I assumed they weren't...) and it had all the accessories.. water pump.. alt.. everything.. I really respect you guys and if you think I'm getting screwed I believe you. I feel really helpless now. Please help me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Night_rider_383 Posted July 18, 2001 Share Posted July 18, 2001 Nion.... Man you know its hard for someone that aint seen the engine to tell you if your getting ****ed or not. You can be the best judge of that your self even if you dont know much about chevy engines yet. Don't rush into anything. Dont worry about "performance" bolt ons that you see. Yes this is great to find on an engine you wanna buy but just cause it has a 150.00 intake on it dont make it a great engine. You know what you want and you know what you see. If i was in your shoes heres what i would do/say. Ok if the man can show me all the paper work on the engine thats a good thing and ask if you can hear it run, If he tells no because of this this and this well acted like you know everything about the engine and tell him well i got a engine crank/test stand at my house and its easy to hook up just a few hoses and wires if i do all this myself i can hear it run before i buy it from you. If he tells you yeah sure then at least you know it aint a dead engine from the get go but if he tells you no too much trouble then back away and fast lol. I know its a long ways from you to me but just to show you how cheap you can get stuff if you look. In the small paper that comes here theres a 1995 camaro lt-1 in the paper for 2,000. I called just for the hell of it to find out about it and the man said it's got 59k miles on it and he's tired of the EFI b/s and wants to sell it too buy a Gm zz4 creat engine to put in his camaro, he also told me i could have the computer and the wireing and all with it and if i buy it i could have the OD auto trans for another 800.00 cause he wants to go with a 6 speed man. Heres another cheap deal that a buddy grabed up. At one of the cruzin at one of the hangouts my buddy got to talking to this guy and the guy told him he had a 1975 350 all there just wont run he could have for 75 bucks. My buddy came by here and got me we went to look at it and it was so clear as to what it was. The engine had a small damper, front tube oil filler, no pcv valve or hook ups, we looked up the numbers it was a 1965 327. So my buddy grabed it up we took it to his house looked it over and on a huntch will pulled the dist and looked it over and being it was a HEI someone put in we picked up a good hei from my house put it in and the thing fired up, Smoked like hell cause it hadnt been cranked in so long. Changed the oil, plugs, wires etc, Ran it on a stand just about all night to "breake it in" again changed the oil agin and my buddy dropped it in his 66 nova.Runs like a top but he is gonna rebuild it when he gets the money. So you see if you look around and talk to folks theres alot of good deals around but most of the time you got to hunt them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted July 18, 2001 Share Posted July 18, 2001 NION, don't be affraid to hurt this guys feelings... Your hard earned money is just that...YOURS! Based on the info you provided us in your posts and nothing more (Since Nightrider383 is right, we haven't seen it) I say run. The guy claims several things that don't make sense, and again, I know of nobody that does a tear down of a motor and doesn't replace one of the most vital parts in it that helps preserve and control compression... YOUR RINGS!!! Seriously, I can tell you only what I know about Chevy motors, and that is this: GM 5.7l Truck motors from 88-95 did not come with aluminum heads or roller valve trains. They were generic 2 bolt units, and were not VORTECs. They are nice motors that you can buy BRAND NEW WITH A WARRANTY for about $1200. I just saw on e-bay recently where a guy got a computer and wiring harness for his tbi motor for a cool $75, so if you want to go TBI truck motor, no big deal, do it. Just don't waist your money on what this guy is selling. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted July 19, 2001 Share Posted July 19, 2001 Don't make the mistake of giving him cash for that motor! Just tell him the truth and say you make a big mistake--if he gets mad, tell him to take a hike! You'll feel better after that! Ask him why he didn't put in the new rings, etc. Tell him you have come across a number of better deals than what he's offering. Based on what you have seen, tell him it's worth half of what he wants for it and that you are looking at alternatives! DON'T DO IT!!!! Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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