I think the whole idea should be "Upgraded L31" and not "Based on an L31". So in the end, this will be hopefully 350-400hp upgraded L31 that you could shove back in a late GMT400. And be able to run an 87. Sure 87 is boring, but its what most guys who daily these pigs want to fill up with..... HT383E advertises 330hp on 87 with a black box tune and stock injectors. I'm sure you can do much better without a stroker kit. The goal with mine is to have no visible change on the outside of the engine except maybe headers and the POS black box PCM would be replaced with a 411 PCM. I see tons of guys asking what they can do to upgrade their Vortec 305/350, but I think they mean...without switching to a carb and a rowdy cam, or Holley injection...and a rowdy cam. Can't wait to see what you come up with .Cheers!!
Brother gotta be the best most underrated channel!!! Keep doing you. I have so many projects that I need to finish or start and your information always helps 🙏
Agree 880 are the most underrated budget performers of all time. Hone the walls with 180 or 220. Cast rings, hyper pistons. And grind a 230 cam on a 106 with retainers for clearance, and keep compression under 10. Deshroud the valves (watch David vizards videos), 2600 stall, 373 rear, Boom u have a winner! I use alot of enginetech stuff, cheap and real good! The ht383 cam works on stock heads and valves and puts out smacking torque at 2500rpm... excelent option too.. if those pistons look ok slap em back in!!
I agree that the L31 is the best bang for the buck. I bought a new GM L31 crate motor from Jegs around 7 years ago for $1,800. I kept the long block stock for my daily driver. Slapped on an aluminum intake, 600 carb, long tube headers and HEI. Performance was actually better than I thought it would be. I grew bored with it though and last year I installed a new set of AFR heads and a .500 lift roller cam. It really woke up the top end.
I’ve learned a lot from your videos. This is the cam I chose for my son’s motor build. Factory 880 roller cam block. Summit Racing™ Pro SBC Camshafts SUM-8802 Reringing stock pistons, new rod and main bearings. (No grind) I’ve done more than I wanted to the 906 heads. To make sure we would have enough clearance. Springs retainers offset keepers. Cutting down valve guides and installing new seals. Lapped valves. Most everything I did was learned from watching your videos. Finally we’re starting the reassembly Keep up the great Vids!!! Would love to see your results with this summit cam.
@@chuckhoeft5144 summits 8802 is billet steel, as is the stock vortec roller cam. you can reuse the distributor gear. however, if the block came with a flat tappet cam instead of roller like some of the pre vortec trucks did, you need a melonized distributor gear. there are 2 sizes. stock is .491" i believe, and most aftermarket performance distributors are .500".
I would say for budget build port matching since it's already apart. Weight balancing the connecting rods and pistons since they are getting resized anyway. It's not getting bored so torque plating is out. Maybe equal the heads on minor planning and polishing the engine valley and opening the return on the heads for better oil return. All you can pretty much do on your own next to nothing.
Just bought a used 395 cam from Ebay for my Vortec 350 I've going to rebuild for either my 86 GMC or my 79 Malibu. I'm leaning towards the Malibu. You are a lot of inspiration, keep up the good work.
Glad I came across your channel. As someone with lite knowledge in engines I am leaning towards carb swapping my vortec in my 96 OBS. I’ll be following along and trying to learn.
Looking forward to the build. I’d say no on a custom grind cam. I’d like to see you use a budget off the shelf cam that anyone could order. Can’t wait to see how it goes any way you end up going!
I'm also building an L31. Had a Rod failure caused by not changing oil by the preowner. Now it is bored over and has Summit flat top pistons 17350C-30 and rods 180370P and ARP studs. I will use it for street but also want to be ready for more upgrades. I put a stock LT1 cam in it, because it should work fine with TBI, but i might want to install a cheap high lift roller cam one day. Really like your content!
GREAT VIDEO I BUILT 350S AND 400S 2 BOLT BLOCKS FOR BRACKET RACING AND ROUNDY RACING, NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES THE 4OOS WERE MAKING OVER 500HP, YA JUST NEED GOOD ROTATING ASSEMBLY GOOD BALANCE JOB AND LETTER RIP
I scored 2 complete L31 blocks for $200 sitting on a trailer. Sold 1 for $250. The other needed minor work. Cylinder and line hone, cut the deck, crank polish & ARP rod bolts. Added summit hyper flat tops for 10:1, Promaxx Max183 heads, Howards roller 231/235 .510/.530 112lsa. Performer EPS and worked over 650 double pumper. Hoping it sends my 74 nova tko600 3.73 into the 12’s. We’ll see this summer.
Nice combo. I’d like to see you with Performer RPM, a 750 carb and a 108 lsa. Dual planes like bigger carbs and the 108 lsa will add a healthy amount of torque. With the breathing of those heads/cam a Perfomer RPM would be a better match.
@@evanarthur7535 I agree the RPM would be an improvement and is planned for future. I had the EPS from and iron headed engine laying around so I used it for budgets sake. I have a standard holley 4779 that I will be comparing with the worked over 650 at the track. I got the 650 main body for a steal so why not try it. I went with the 112 to keep power breaks knowing I would sacrifice for lowered end torque
I would like to see a stout truck motor. Im thinkin ls6 springs, 787 retainers, comp 08-410-8 camshast (206@.050/ .500 lift), cheap dual plane, 500ish carb
Another great vortec build! Pat, put something like a comp cams magnum 260 but on a 108 LSA. If you’re keeping those pistons deck the block to get under .040” quench and try to get the compression a bit higher. Do your magic porting on the heads etc. Love it
This is basically what I want to do in my 1990 GMC C1500, especially the 260-270 on 108 LSA cam, so I’m all for seeing the results. Granted my pickup doesn’t have Vortec heads but it’s simple enough to get those. Add an Edelbrock Performer EPS and I’m guessing it’ll be a great torque-y daily driver.
I would like to see a turbo build using the stock heads, maybe a small cheapest hyd cam and springs, stock exhaust manifolds, carb and a turbo... Then dyno it...
Watching with interest from Australia 🇦🇺 Please put a bit bigger cam in it please and try sneak a bit of extra compression into it via a thinner head gasket or skim the heads a bit. 👍🏻
The basic thing for me is HP per dollar while retaining reliability. I’m based in Australia and the exchange rate and import tax’s hydraulic the cost of things. I have been using assault intake manifolds and eBay Chinese heads as the eBay heads usually work out cheaper than rebuilding and modifying the vortec heads due to high wage costs for things like multi angle valve jobs and guide replacements. What I am interested in is the cam you choose as that’s the “ brains” of the engine and I hope you pick one that’s easily available. I follow your work closely and have learned a lot so thanks.
Looking forward to see how this build turns out I'm building an l31 and a 5.3 but I'm honestly more excited about the l31 there's just something about them I like
thats exactly my goal. got 2 l31s. first one i bought was a volvo penta 5.7 out of a burnt boat. turns out the block was mega cracked, and i think thats why it was on fire(owner of the boat is a big insurance guy...) the other one is in a 2001 chevy truck(probably a 3/4 ton, has the full float rear axle and single headlights grill. i know the volvo penta gsi/gxi boat engines came with the gmpp 395 ramjet cam. im hoping its a gxi, because they had comp cam 1.6 roller tip rockers. if not, ill just buy some. gonna mix and match parts from both engines. i paid $500 in total for both. $300 for the truck l31, and $200 for the busted boat l31.
update: the boat vortec is a 305, and only has the 1.5 stock rockers. sucker has no carbon under the oil fill cap though, so the cam, lifters, and distributor drive should be great for reusing.
Overnight leaking well plugs in 2jet and quadraflood Rochester carbs and stuck chokes have killed more 350 Chevy's at 100,000 or less. The great bore life is attributed to better fuel management due to injection in the last 35 years, I've seen TBI truck motors with 300-400+ thousand on them. You couldn't have pulled a 77 model 350 engine not running that far without major issues, worn bores and rings burned valves cracked seats, or half the lobes flattened on the bumpstick( lol that's almost a pun at .398 lift😅) I'm about to do a stockish rebuild on a 97 Tahoe 5.7 gonna put it and the tranny in my newly acquired 69 Suburban @the Bus😊
Plus overdrive transmissions cut the milage /rpm in 1/3 over the same distance, carbs didn't work so well at 1800 at 60mph like injection, the vacuum signal x fuel mixture didn't coincide.
@@xmo552 sorry to have generalized and made it a blanketized statement. I'm sure out of millions upon millions of those leaky carbs there were some but very few ok to good ones. ALL the quadrajets I've ever dealt with needed the well plugs epoxied and the choke pulloffs chunked in file 13. Js
You are 100 correct, fuel injection helped so much for cylinder wear due to fuel wash. The vortecs got even better for bore wear with MPFI and the low tension rings
Great start up for the build! I'd love to see a set of stock L98 aluminum (113) and stage 1 (towing or stock) cam with Edelbrock performer RPM on the engine
I've never seen any of your videos before now. I am really looking forward to this series because I've just done a budget l31 build. However, mine was more focused on remaining stock. I was hoping for more of an upgraded fuel injection with a cam series. But, I am also curious about what this series has to offer. I subscribed. Bring the content, brotha. Cheers
Thanks for checking out my video. The plan is to keep the stock bottom ened but see what kind of power we can get with an upgraded cam, ported vortecs and a aluminum intake. Should be fun!
@@cuttersperformance your results with the 355 turbo were good to see. I'm looking to sort out an L31 in the near future, looking forward to future videos.
I'd like to see the L31 build with the factory Vortec intake and how far that can be taken. There's a few manufacturers of high volume injection MPFI spiders, combined with a 0411 tune and some off the shelf performance parts, I don't think 350-400hp would be unreachable.
Has anyone had success porting the stock L31 lower intake? Everyone talks about how the intake is the biggest bottleneck, but I've only found one video on YT of someone porting it, with no flow bench numbers to indicate how well it worked. I'd happily send mine out for porting if someone could work some magic.
@aidenstefanson2175 there's options for either porting or replacing the throttle body, but yes, the plastic upper intake is the bottleneck in this equation. That being said, I've still never seen someone take the factory setup to its limit.
@aidenstefanson2175 the casting on the lower does make for crappy airflow, but the fact that you can't really enlarge the inlet on the upper under the throttle body is where the primary restriction lies.
My machinist(40+ years in the business )said hes never seen chevy rods that didnt need resizing. The bigend on the rods from the 3.4 camaro v6 Im building were way off even though the engine didnt have that many miles on it. Almost makes me wonder if the rods were sized right from the factory. The rods on those v6 are more or less identical to sbc rods.
I would like to see if you can use other brand fasteners ( other than ARP brand) where possible. I see you have used DNA head studs kits etc, but bottom end kits like Speedmaster /PC do a main stud kit ( PCE287.1001 - 2 bolt mains) which are way cheaper
Noticed the rod and piston you were holding up had a flat spot on the rod cap, that confuses me cause i thought all vortecs used pm rods which had no flat spot on the caps
Are you going to put a set of pistons in it to get the compression up or run these with a thinner head gasket to try to get as much as you can for less? I’m very interested in this build I’m starting a Vortec build for my truck soon too!
I kept my stock pistons and used the FelPro 1094 shim gasket to help compression with my 062 Vortec's. they've been great but you really need to make sure the beck and head finish is perfectly clean and flat.
I just got my 92 Silverado running today it got an 880 4 bolt main from the junk yard with only 116k for 500 bucks I put the TBI back on it for now it's got way more power now. But honestly on the build for your motor I'd like to see a straight up raw power build no turbo no supercharger.high compression barley drivable on the street type build.
This one will be using the stock pistons and compression, so we can't get too crazy with the cam but...your going to love the new upcoming "Dingle ball 355" videos. Its a 11:1 ported vorted headed 355 thats getting a custom grind roller cam and going back to the dyno
I have found no certain way to say for sure but here are a few tips. -Look for engines out of 2500 pickups or vans, its rare to find a 4 bolt in a 1500. -Pull a valve cover and if it has 906 heads theres a higher chance its a 4 bolt. Some claim that if the top bell housing bolt is tapped, then it's a 4 bolt, but I have 3 two bolts in my shop with that top hole tapped 😄
dude! where is the waterpump from? i have the same motor and my waterpump still has the clutch fan and serpentine pulley, i wanna go vbelt, but i cant find a 350 waterpump without those bypass ports, please get back to me!
I watch all of your videos, great stuff. Just wrapped up a build, tech question for you. I went to head studs, do I still need those cylinder head locator "tabs" in the deck surface? Seemed redundant, figured you'd know better than me ha!
Just a couple of questions. If you are going to resize the big end of the rods why bother with ARP bolts? I have yet to see any small block Chevy rod bolts break at the parting line unless something up top collided. IMO that's money that could be spent elsewhere. Are you trying to stick with a roller cam? The reason I ask is, even a relatively mild roller cam costs more than what a new cam, lifters and pushrods for a flat tappet would. SUM-K1103 would be a great cam swap. It would still maintain good drivability, still provide plenty of vacuum for power brakes, and with the .466 lift might still fit on the stock Vortec heads without having to machine down the valve guide boss. Cam kit ~$140 Pushrods ~$110 I have yet to see a decent roller cam for less than $250.
Im a stronger believer in ARP rods bolts for longevity. While I know the stock ones dont often break, they are the most stressed fasteners in an engine. I've had really good luck with pushing stock rods with ARP bolts added. This might not be a very powerful engine, but I already have ARP sets, and if im resizing the rods, I'd feel better throwing in a set of arp bolts. Flat tappet prices are tempting, but this one, I will be keeping it roller, but....spoiler alert...I am currently also building another vortec engine with flat top pistons and a flat tappet cam. Will be interesting to compare dyno results
Im in the same postion right now, getting ready to start cleaning up the block and stuff. I kinda wanna switch to flat top pistons though. Would i have to get the entire rotating assembly rebalanced if switching to a set of hyper flat tops
I wouldn't worry about it. I got tired of dealing with the mechanical pumps and I bought that Holley Mighty Mite 7 psi pump 12-427 for $62. I'll never go back to using a mechanical pump. With a mechanical pump the fuel lines run right by the headers, right next to the engine block all the way up to the carburetor and does nothing but heat up the fuel. I have that Holley pump mounted on the passenger side inner fender well. Not radiating heat anywhere near it.
When I found my motor, it was a GM crate replacement, and came with a pump rod hole, 4 bolt main, PM rods and it only ran for 3 months before they parked and parted the truck.
hello I would like to replace the chevy van 3500 gasoline engine year 2000 with a diesel engine, can you refer me to a diesel engine model that can work on the van
Just wondering, can you flow a set of L-98 style 113 heads. Seems hardly anyone runs these. Are they any good.I have 3 sets, 2 early and one late. Have used all 3 on 3 different motors seemed ok to me. Would they have run better with other heads like vortecs?
They aren't a great flowing head, but they do work fine for a 300 to 325 hp build. I'd expect to see a 30 to 50hp gain (depending on the build) from switching to a vortec head. More flow and a better combustion chamber. If I get a set of these heads, I will do a flow test comparison
What kind of compression are you going for? I'm getting ready to build my second 5.7 and am going for 11/1+. Any chance you will be zero decking this block? I see it's got flattop positions already 😁
I and many others, would like to see an L31/ Vortec build, without going BACKWARDS, to a Two hundred buck CARB ! Use the car's Tuned Port Injection (TPI) ! This for drivability, SMOG where required, cold start quality and cold running, fuel mileage, looks, etc. PLUS, not every viewer can work on their car, any decent mechanic can diagnose and repair a TPI engine. CARB swaped engine owners may need to find a Race Car (expensive) shop, when something goes wrong. Third Generation Camaro and Firebird owners would love this! GM Truck owners would love to see this also Every yahoo is tossing a carb on their build. SHOW SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND PRACTICAL ! Thank you.
I use to be quite evolved with Tune port injection and was one of the last one around my area that would even tune TPI stuff. Ive mostly gotten out of it now because the demand it quite low and unfortunately the tpi looks cool, but it is so hard to make power with (especially compared to whats out there now). I do have a stealth ram intake that I would love to use on a future build possibly for my obs truck
@@cuttersperformance TPI was designed for the type of power, most folks, including enthusiasts prefer. Low end torque. Yes, it runs out of breath at about 4500 RPM, but how often we most folks go to the Redline? I still think a TPI engine MILD build would benefit many and be popular. In fact, with cali and so many other , (PITA) , "CARB" States, a "Stealth" build that has a good chance of passing SMOG, would also be great! NOONE on youtube/TV does them! Thank you for your videos and your reply! Michael
Why spend all the $$ on resizing the rods when you can get a new set of aftermarket rods for about the same $$. If you get the lessor expensive rods that have the 3/8"-24 cap screws you can get a used set of Carr or Pankl bolts for about $40 off of eBay! The nascar teams usually swap out the bolts after about only 2 races and even at half strength they're good for more power than the 500HP rods are rated for. Those bolts sell for $68 a bolt new! They better be good for that price. Get 6.00" or 6.125" long rods to get a better rod ratio for less side loading friction. Make sure if you get aftermarket rods to never use the Chinese bolts that may come with them, I have heard of the threads pulling off and failing. Rods with the 3/8" bolts you can get the cheap used nascar bolts to swap but not with the rods with the 7/16" bolts, you'll want to get the ARP bolts for those but that isn't as budget friendly. The cheap Speedmaster rods are decent as long as you don't use the bolts that come with them(unless they are ARP). The threads on the Chinese bolts are cut not rolled like the ARP bolts are and is probably why they're not as strong as they should be? Cool project.
If i was starting fresh, then yes, a 6 inch rod would be ideal. But going to a 6-inch rod means I have to change pistons. The plan is to use as many stock parts as possible and see what we can get out of it in the end
Ultra cheap it is BUT you did mention performance so there is a little bit of cost for that word. That being said those dish pistons need to go anyway, you can get a cast set of flat top pistons. Put this number in the eBay search $193,135,117,538 and these are standard bore flat top cast pistons for $92.25 with free shipping. Make sure to remove the commas and dollar sign when using the numbers in the eBay search, stupid yt kept deleting this post hoping it stays that way? Put this number in the eBay search $165,249,765,492 and you'll find these 5.7" rods hat are on sale for $189.99, 5% off but wait they also have a "make an offer" selection so you might be able to get them down another 5%? So it looks like the bolts for $40 are gone and other eBay stores are selling them for $99.99 for a set of 16! All is not lost, you can make an offer on the nascar take out rods that come with the bolts. Put this number in the eBay search $203,625,996,535 to get to the rods. It is listed for $85 with free shipping but has the "make an offer" for them so maybe you can get those for $60 to $75 shipped? Even the $40 bolts had IIRC $9.99 shipping. The kicker here is you can put the rods on eBay for what you paid for them + shipping without the bolts so they'll end up being free?(minus a little time on eBay)
Far as what we want to see you pretty much use everything I use as far as parts hey rebuild it's really not worth my time unless I'm going to get close to the 400 mark on this engine the some money is going to have to be spent but most of it's going to be cam carburetor intake valve springs headers I'm not sure really what you're aiming for not an expensive motor to build with decent power and longevity
@@cuttersperformanceu are the dude😎👍 actually I think you can pull off more 435 right around there with a nice even torque line guesstimation 430.to 445lbs I believe in you brothe💪
@@cuttersperformance I believe I was the first to comment on this new low buck build . It was not online very long at all . At the time there was no other comments . LOL who knows ?
I'm so freaking tired of RUclips that you're actually the only Channel I'll turn on when I see you pop up
I think the whole idea should be "Upgraded L31" and not "Based on an L31". So in the end, this will be hopefully 350-400hp upgraded L31 that you could shove back in a late GMT400. And be able to run an 87. Sure 87 is boring, but its what most guys who daily these pigs want to fill up with..... HT383E advertises 330hp on 87 with a black box tune and stock injectors. I'm sure you can do much better without a stroker kit. The goal with mine is to have no visible change on the outside of the engine except maybe headers and the POS black box PCM would be replaced with a 411 PCM. I see tons of guys asking what they can do to upgrade their Vortec 305/350, but I think they mean...without switching to a carb and a rowdy cam, or Holley injection...and a rowdy cam. Can't wait to see what you come up with .Cheers!!
stock vortec injection system is DOOKIE. go get a marine intake.
Brother gotta be the best most underrated channel!!! Keep doing you. I have so many projects that I need to finish or start and your information always helps 🙏
Thanks man, really appreciate that
Agree 880 are the most underrated budget performers of all time. Hone the walls with 180 or 220. Cast rings, hyper pistons. And grind a 230 cam on a 106 with retainers for clearance, and keep compression under 10. Deshroud the valves (watch David vizards videos), 2600 stall, 373 rear, Boom u have a winner! I use alot of enginetech stuff, cheap and real good! The ht383 cam works on stock heads and valves and puts out smacking torque at 2500rpm... excelent option too.. if those pistons look ok slap em back in!!
Keep up series like these. I believe people will love these. Thank you. Take care.
I agree that the L31 is the best bang for the buck. I bought a new GM L31 crate motor from Jegs around 7 years ago for $1,800. I kept the long block stock for my daily driver. Slapped on an aluminum intake, 600 carb, long tube headers and HEI. Performance was actually better than I thought it would be. I grew bored with it though and last year I installed a new set of AFR heads and a .500 lift roller cam. It really woke up the top end.
Which afr heads did you choose? I'm thinking of trying the enforcer heads so I can continue to use my weiand Vortec style intake manifold.
@@Carl_Jr I used the AFR Enforcer 195's.
@@erictate9891 Sweet. That may be my next purchase. Thanks for responding.
Which motor did you get specifically?
@@gabrielheath3068 He got the L31 Vortec. At that time it was the literal drop-in replacement motor.
I’ve learned a lot from your videos. This is the cam I chose for my son’s motor build. Factory 880 roller cam block. Summit Racing™ Pro SBC Camshafts SUM-8802
Reringing stock pistons, new rod and main bearings. (No grind) I’ve done more than I wanted to the 906 heads. To make sure we would have enough clearance. Springs retainers offset keepers. Cutting down valve guides and installing new seals. Lapped valves. Most everything I did was learned from watching your videos. Finally we’re starting the reassembly Keep up the great Vids!!! Would love to see your results with this summit cam.
Right on man! Your sons going to have a great combo!
Can you tell me if the stock L31 roller cam distributor gear will work with the Summit roller cam? Or do I need a different gear? Thanks much!
@@chuckhoeft5144 summits 8802 is billet steel, as is the stock vortec roller cam. you can reuse the distributor gear. however, if the block came with a flat tappet cam instead of roller like some of the pre vortec trucks did, you need a melonized distributor gear. there are 2 sizes. stock is .491" i believe, and most aftermarket performance distributors are .500".
I would say for budget build port matching since it's already apart. Weight balancing the connecting rods and pistons since they are getting resized anyway. It's not getting bored so torque plating is out. Maybe equal the heads on minor planning and polishing the engine valley and opening the return on the heads for better oil return. All you can pretty much do on your own next to nothing.
Honestly I really wanna see those 305 vortec heads ported with the 1.94 valve!!
Just bought a used 395 cam from Ebay for my Vortec 350 I've going to rebuild for either my 86 GMC or my 79 Malibu. I'm leaning towards the Malibu. You are a lot of inspiration, keep up the good work.
Thank you! Appreciate that
Glad I came across your channel. As someone with lite knowledge in engines I am leaning towards carb swapping my vortec in my 96 OBS. I’ll be following along and trying to learn.
The people’s champ returns with another a great build! I wouldn’t have the confidence to do my own engine without your channel! Thank you so much!
Really appreciate that positive feeback man! Thank you
Looking forward to the build. I’d say no on a custom grind cam. I’d like to see you use a budget off the shelf cam that anyone could order. Can’t wait to see how it goes any way you end up going!
Thank you for all the great content. I am using this series to help guide me through my first 355 build.
I'm also building an L31. Had a Rod failure caused by not changing oil by the preowner. Now it is bored over and has Summit flat top pistons 17350C-30 and rods 180370P and ARP studs. I will use it for street but also want to be ready for more upgrades. I put a stock LT1 cam in it, because it should work fine with TBI, but i might want to install a cheap high lift roller cam one day. Really like your content!
Right on man, you got a great base combo that can really be woken up with a cam upgrade if you choose to
GREAT VIDEO I BUILT 350S AND 400S 2 BOLT BLOCKS FOR BRACKET RACING AND ROUNDY RACING, NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES THE 4OOS WERE MAKING OVER 500HP, YA JUST NEED GOOD ROTATING ASSEMBLY GOOD BALANCE JOB AND LETTER RIP
I just rebuilt my l31. I was impressed by the engine. It was actually a fairly simple rebuild. I can't wait for the rest of the series on this.
Super budget valve job, hone, new roller hyd & lifter, used market place intake and carb, hei distributor with curve kit.
Thats exactly how its going to be 👌
Love me some L31 action! Thanks for the content, PCP, you rock.
Thanks brother!
I scored 2 complete L31 blocks for $200 sitting on a trailer. Sold 1 for $250. The other needed minor work. Cylinder and line hone, cut the deck, crank polish & ARP rod bolts. Added summit hyper flat tops for 10:1, Promaxx Max183 heads, Howards roller 231/235 .510/.530 112lsa. Performer EPS and worked over 650 double pumper. Hoping it sends my 74 nova tko600 3.73 into the 12’s. We’ll see this summer.
Should be a very nice combo! 👍 especially with thats trans, I bet its a blast to drive
Nice combo. I’d like to see you with Performer RPM, a 750 carb and a 108 lsa. Dual planes like bigger carbs and the 108 lsa will add a healthy amount of torque. With the breathing of those heads/cam a Perfomer RPM would be a better match.
@@evanarthur7535 I agree the RPM would be an improvement and is planned for future. I had the EPS from and iron headed engine laying around so I used it for budgets sake. I have a standard holley 4779 that I will be comparing with the worked over 650 at the track. I got the 650 main body for a steal so why not try it. I went with the 112 to keep power breaks knowing I would sacrifice for lowered end torque
I built an LS and it’s still sitting in my a garage. I just scored a L31 with all accessories and a new Assault Carb intake for 400$
I would like to see a stout truck motor.
Im thinkin ls6 springs, 787 retainers, comp 08-410-8 camshast (206@.050/ .500 lift), cheap dual plane, 500ish carb
Another great vortec build! Pat, put something like a comp cams magnum 260 but on a 108 LSA. If you’re keeping those pistons deck the block to get under .040” quench and try to get the compression a bit higher. Do your magic porting on the heads etc. Love it
This is basically what I want to do in my 1990 GMC C1500, especially the 260-270 on 108 LSA cam, so I’m all for seeing the results. Granted my pickup doesn’t have Vortec heads but it’s simple enough to get those. Add an Edelbrock Performer EPS and I’m guessing it’ll be a great torque-y daily driver.
@@NateDalton that will/should be an 880 block so it will be set up to run the roller cam, but would have been built with a flat tappet...
Can't wait for the next video. Have a 2 bolt L31 383 I need to freshen up. Would like to see at least a lt4 hot cam. Awesome content as usual
I would like to see a 383 conversion.
I would like to see a turbo build using the stock heads, maybe a small cheapest hyd cam and springs, stock exhaust manifolds, carb and a turbo... Then dyno it...
Great video, looking forward to this engine build
I would like to see you use a Mercruiser MPI intake. I would like to see how that Dynos
Watching with interest from Australia 🇦🇺
Please put a bit bigger cam in it please and try sneak a bit of extra compression into it via a thinner head gasket or skim the heads a bit. 👍🏻
Hello from Canada 🇨🇦 thanks for watching!
The basic thing for me is HP per dollar while retaining reliability. I’m based in Australia and the exchange rate and import tax’s hydraulic the cost of things. I have been using assault intake manifolds and eBay Chinese heads as the eBay heads usually work out cheaper than rebuilding and modifying the vortec heads due to high wage costs for things like multi angle valve jobs and guide replacements. What I am interested in is the cam you choose as that’s the “ brains” of the engine and I hope you pick one that’s easily available. I follow your work closely and have learned a lot so thanks.
Do a dyno run with the stock cam than a lt4 hot cam and valve springs
Maybe regrind the stock cam to cut costs? Would be nice to keep it roller.
Looking forward to see how this build turns out I'm building an l31 and a 5.3 but I'm honestly more excited about the l31 there's just something about them I like
Just something about gen1 sbcs
I pick up a cheap elgin performance hyd roller and upgrade the heads to behives
thats exactly my goal. got 2 l31s. first one i bought was a volvo penta 5.7 out of a burnt boat. turns out the block was mega cracked, and i think thats why it was on fire(owner of the boat is a big insurance guy...) the other one is in a 2001 chevy truck(probably a 3/4 ton, has the full float rear axle and single headlights grill. i know the volvo penta gsi/gxi boat engines came with the gmpp 395 ramjet cam. im hoping its a gxi, because they had comp cam 1.6 roller tip rockers. if not, ill just buy some. gonna mix and match parts from both engines. i paid $500 in total for both. $300 for the truck l31, and $200 for the busted boat l31.
They are great budget builders!
update: the boat vortec is a 305, and only has the 1.5 stock rockers. sucker has no carbon under the oil fill cap though, so the cam, lifters, and distributor drive should be great for reusing.
Honestly I would like to see a budget build for a circle track engine with stock parts and vortec heads. A budget performance build.
A screamin demon 😮
Excited to watch the rest of the series
Overnight leaking well plugs in 2jet and quadraflood Rochester carbs and stuck chokes have killed more 350 Chevy's at 100,000 or less. The great bore life is attributed to better fuel management due to injection in the last 35 years, I've seen TBI truck motors with 300-400+ thousand on them. You couldn't have pulled a 77 model 350 engine not running that far without major issues, worn bores and rings burned valves cracked seats, or half the lobes flattened on the bumpstick( lol that's almost a pun at .398 lift😅)
I'm about to do a stockish rebuild on a 97 Tahoe 5.7 gonna put it and the tranny in my newly acquired 69 Suburban @the Bus😊
Plus overdrive transmissions cut the milage /rpm in 1/3 over the same distance, carbs didn't work so well at 1800 at 60mph like injection, the vacuum signal x fuel mixture didn't coincide.
Most of my older stuff still have their stock stock stock Dualjet or Quadrajet and they run as good or better than newer small blocks.
@@xmo552 sorry to have generalized and made it a blanketized statement. I'm sure out of millions upon millions of those leaky carbs there were some but very few ok to good ones. ALL the quadrajets I've ever dealt with needed the well plugs epoxied and the choke pulloffs chunked in file 13. Js
You are 100 correct, fuel injection helped so much for cylinder wear due to fuel wash.
The vortecs got even better for bore wear with MPFI and the low tension rings
Add a steel shim gasket, do porting and add a roller cam that will run on 87 octane. Poor man's power rebuild. Love the channel.
Heck yeah! Thats where we are headed. Should be fun
Building a engine like this at home for my street stock.
How about taking the build the street stock rules?
Circle track
Asphalt.
I'm building the same exact one
id like to see what it can do with a turbo and better wastegate placement
Great start up for the build! I'd love to see a set of stock L98 aluminum (113) and stage 1 (towing or stock) cam with Edelbrock performer RPM on the engine
I had a set of those heads a few years back and shouldn't have sold them!
The comments say it...keep it up!
Thanks Jerry!
I have the same engine and would like to see a cam that makes good power from about 1200-5000
Big torque engine would be nice.
I've never seen any of your videos before now. I am really looking forward to this series because I've just done a budget l31 build. However, mine was more focused on remaining stock. I was hoping for more of an upgraded fuel injection with a cam series. But, I am also curious about what this series has to offer. I subscribed. Bring the content, brotha. Cheers
Thanks for checking out my video. The plan is to keep the stock bottom ened but see what kind of power we can get with an upgraded cam, ported vortecs and a aluminum intake. Should be fun!
High torque street application, something to throw in a GMT400. With boost in mind for a later day :P
Boost would be fun! Its always fun lol
@@cuttersperformance your results with the 355 turbo were good to see. I'm looking to sort out an L31 in the near future, looking forward to future videos.
Am I the only one thinking possibly a different cam was put in with that new timing Chain maybe a diamond in the rough for the build lol
Firsthought i had and checked it, stock l31 cam 👎
I'd like to see the L31 build with the factory Vortec intake and how far that can be taken. There's a few manufacturers of high volume injection MPFI spiders, combined with a 0411 tune and some off the shelf performance parts, I don't think 350-400hp would be unreachable.
Literally my exact thoughts...
Has anyone had success porting the stock L31 lower intake? Everyone talks about how the intake is the biggest bottleneck, but I've only found one video on YT of someone porting it, with no flow bench numbers to indicate how well it worked. I'd happily send mine out for porting if someone could work some magic.
@aidenstefanson2175 there's options for either porting or replacing the throttle body, but yes, the plastic upper intake is the bottleneck in this equation. That being said, I've still never seen someone take the factory setup to its limit.
@@paulg.5075I thought the plastic upper isn't so much the issue as the aluminum lower half. The port alignment is terrible!
@aidenstefanson2175 the casting on the lower does make for crappy airflow, but the fact that you can't really enlarge the inlet on the upper under the throttle body is where the primary restriction lies.
My machinist(40+ years in the business )said hes never seen chevy rods that didnt need resizing.
The bigend on the rods from the 3.4 camaro v6 Im building were way off even though the engine didnt have that many miles on it. Almost makes me wonder if the rods were sized right from the factory.
The rods on those v6 are more or less identical to sbc rods.
Yeah its true, I have a theory thats why L31s will randomly spin rod bearings when everything else is perfectly fine
I would like to see if you can use other brand fasteners ( other than ARP brand) where possible. I see you have used DNA head studs kits etc, but bottom end kits like Speedmaster /PC do a main stud kit ( PCE287.1001 - 2 bolt mains) which are way cheaper
Love the vortec blocks, just wish they had a mechanical fuel pump provision. Also wish the jig to drill them wasn't $1k 😅
If you're lucky, you can find the odd 880 block drilled for a fuel pump, but alot are not
Noticed the rod and piston you were holding up had a flat spot on the rod cap, that confuses me cause i thought all vortecs used pm rods which had no flat spot on the caps
Good eyes! Not all vortecs had pm rods, GM used some forged rods in earlys ones. I was hoping for pm rods but this one has regular forged rods.
Nice to see a face with your videos Thank you for your knowledge and videos USA 🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸 USA 🇺🇸 🙏 🙏 🙏
how much work was done to the heads and what do they flow?
Are you going to put a set of pistons in it to get the compression up or run these with a thinner head gasket to try to get as much as you can for less? I’m very interested in this build I’m starting a Vortec build for my truck soon too!
Stock pistons, rods, and crank are being used to see what we can get out of it with spending minimal money
I kept my stock pistons and used the FelPro 1094 shim gasket to help compression with my 062 Vortec's. they've been great but you really need to make sure the beck and head finish is perfectly clean and flat.
I just got my 92 Silverado running today it got an 880 4 bolt main from the junk yard with only 116k for 500 bucks I put the TBI back on it for now it's got way more power now.
But honestly on the build for your motor I'd like to see a straight up raw power build no turbo no supercharger.high compression barley drivable on the street type build.
This one will be using the stock pistons and compression, so we can't get too crazy with the cam but...your going to love the new upcoming "Dingle ball 355" videos. Its a 11:1 ported vorted headed 355 thats getting a custom grind roller cam and going back to the dyno
Hey that works honestly 500hp would be a good bench mark maybe 475
How can I be sure to get an L31 that has 4-bolt main? Is there anything on the outside of the engine that will indicate 4-bolt main?
I have found no certain way to say for sure but here are a few tips.
-Look for engines out of 2500 pickups or vans, its rare to find a 4 bolt in a 1500.
-Pull a valve cover and if it has 906 heads theres a higher chance its a 4 bolt.
Some claim that if the top bell housing bolt is tapped, then it's a 4 bolt, but I have 3 two bolts in my shop with that top hole tapped 😄
8600lb gvw trucks had them, I know my truck does by the rpo codes. I’ll have to look at the bell housing bolts and comment back later
$300 for a used Vortec 350 is a steal. I'm looking for one myself but, in my area they run $500-$800 bucks.
Yeah it was a good deal, turned out to be a pretty clean engine on the inside with no cracks in either head
Weird question. How good can you do with TBI heads? They are everywhere and how good of power can we get with them and whats a good cam for them?
They shine at low engine speeds. A mild 260 cam is about whats best with them
I have been looking for a decent TBI core to do a build just like this one
@@cuttersperformance probably hard to find, anything still running is probably at 400 000 km.
Love to drop a vortec engine in a ,92 silverado.Could I use my same black box computer or have to update to a later version ?
dude! where is the waterpump from? i have the same motor and my waterpump still has the clutch fan and serpentine pulley, i wanna go vbelt, but i cant find a 350 waterpump without those bypass ports, please get back to me!
You can use a regular SBC water pump with a bypass. The bypass just doesn't flow into the block
I watch all of your videos, great stuff. Just wrapped up a build, tech question for you. I went to head studs, do I still need those cylinder head locator "tabs" in the deck surface? Seemed redundant, figured you'd know better than me ha!
Thanks for checking out my videos, I appreciate it. The cylinder head locator dowel pins should always be used even with head studs
Just a couple of questions.
If you are going to resize the big end of the rods why bother with ARP bolts? I have yet to see any small block Chevy rod bolts break at the parting line unless something up top collided. IMO that's money that could be spent elsewhere.
Are you trying to stick with a roller cam? The reason I ask is, even a relatively mild roller cam costs more than what a new cam, lifters and pushrods for a flat tappet would. SUM-K1103 would be a great cam swap. It would still maintain good drivability, still provide plenty of vacuum for power brakes, and with the .466 lift might still fit on the stock Vortec heads without having to machine down the valve guide boss.
Cam kit ~$140
Pushrods ~$110
I have yet to see a decent roller cam for less than $250.
Im a stronger believer in ARP rods bolts for longevity. While I know the stock ones dont often break, they are the most stressed fasteners in an engine. I've had really good luck with pushing stock rods with ARP bolts added. This might not be a very powerful engine, but I already have ARP sets, and if im resizing the rods, I'd feel better throwing in a set of arp bolts.
Flat tappet prices are tempting, but this one, I will be keeping it roller, but....spoiler alert...I am currently also building another vortec engine with flat top pistons and a flat tappet cam. Will be interesting to compare dyno results
@@cuttersperformance Spoiler alert acknowledged!
😎👍 Looking forward to it!
Going to start tearing down my L31. I have blue beehive springs. What retainers, keepers and cam do you recommend. It’ll be carb’d swapped as well.
I will be doing a video soon on what valve spring setup we are using on this engine
Hey man I was wondering where your located? I got a bunch of work and projects to do and honestly all your videos have helped me a ton!
Im in Ontario Canada 🇨🇦
@@cuttersperformance I’m in the middle of Michigan! I might need to pick your brain now n than.
@INK SCARS yeah just on the other side of the boarder feel free to shoot me a email with questions pcperformance1@outlook.com
@@cuttersperformance thanks brother I appreciate that I will for sure!
Im in the same postion right now, getting ready to start cleaning up the block and stuff. I kinda wanna switch to flat top pistons though. Would i have to get the entire rotating assembly rebalanced if switching to a set of hyper flat tops
JJ, I haven’t forgot about you, I’ll follow you till the end of my days.
@Shade_tree_garage01 for some reason I believe you, #weirdovibes
I've thought about building one but the no mechanical fuel pump provision makes me change my mind
I wouldn't worry about it. I got tired of dealing with the mechanical pumps and I bought that Holley Mighty Mite 7 psi pump 12-427 for $62. I'll never go back to using a mechanical pump.
With a mechanical pump the fuel lines run right by the headers, right next to the engine block all the way up to the carburetor and does nothing but heat up the fuel. I have that Holley pump mounted on the passenger side inner fender well. Not radiating heat anywhere near it.
The small Electric carb pumps are pretty good and quiet
When I found my motor, it was a GM crate replacement, and came with a pump rod hole, 4 bolt main, PM rods and it only ran for 3 months before they parked and parted the truck.
I have a ZZ4 Block sitting in the shop, would you build it the same way as the L31 you show here?
I'm searching for the part 2 and beyond on this build .
Coming soon! I will be showing what cam I got for it
@@cuttersperformance
hello I would like to replace the chevy van 3500 gasoline engine year 2000 with a diesel engine, can you refer me to a diesel engine model that can work on the van
Just wondering, can you flow a set of L-98 style 113 heads. Seems hardly anyone runs these. Are they any good.I have 3 sets, 2 early and one late. Have used all 3 on 3 different motors seemed ok to me. Would they have run better with other heads like vortecs?
They aren't a great flowing head, but they do work fine for a 300 to 325 hp build. I'd expect to see a 30 to 50hp gain (depending on the build) from switching to a vortec head. More flow and a better combustion chamber.
If I get a set of these heads, I will do a flow test comparison
Do these late model ones have press or floating pins ?
Press in
Hey buddy wanted to know if you can do that mod on a 305 Vortec?
You could build a 305 vortec like this
Can I use the same Springs retainers and keepers and the cam
What kind of compression are you going for? I'm getting ready to build my second 5.7 and am going for 11/1+. Any chance you will be zero decking this block? I see it's got flattop positions already 😁
Stock L31 compression with the Factory dished pistons.
Check out my dingle ball 355 build 11:1 compression and coming back soon with a roller cam
10.5 to 1 compression
👍👍👍👍👍
I and many others, would like to see an L31/ Vortec build, without going BACKWARDS, to a Two hundred buck CARB ! Use the car's Tuned Port Injection (TPI) ! This for drivability, SMOG where required, cold start quality and cold running, fuel mileage, looks, etc. PLUS, not every viewer can work on their car, any decent mechanic can diagnose and repair a TPI engine. CARB swaped engine owners may need to find a Race Car (expensive) shop, when something goes wrong. Third Generation Camaro and Firebird owners would love this! GM Truck owners would love to see this also Every yahoo is tossing a carb on their build. SHOW SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND PRACTICAL ! Thank you.
I use to be quite evolved with Tune port injection and was one of the last one around my area that would even tune TPI stuff. Ive mostly gotten out of it now because the demand it quite low and unfortunately the tpi looks cool, but it is so hard to make power with (especially compared to whats out there now). I do have a stealth ram intake that I would love to use on a future build possibly for my obs truck
@@cuttersperformance TPI was designed for the type of power, most folks, including enthusiasts prefer. Low end torque. Yes, it runs out of breath at about 4500 RPM, but how often we most folks go to the Redline? I still think a TPI engine MILD build would benefit many and be popular. In fact, with cali and so many other , (PITA) , "CARB" States, a "Stealth" build that has a good chance of passing SMOG, would also be great! NOONE on youtube/TV does them! Thank you for your videos and your reply! Michael
Anybody have a standard bore l31 piston they want to sell me? I cracked one pressing the pin out cuz I'm a dummy.
I might have one an extra, i will look. You can have it for free, just pay the shipping.
Email me at pcperformance1@outlook.com
Why spend all the $$ on resizing the rods when you can get a new set of aftermarket rods for about the same $$. If you get the lessor expensive rods that have the 3/8"-24 cap screws you can get a used set of Carr or Pankl bolts for about $40 off of eBay! The nascar teams usually swap out the bolts after about only 2 races and even at half strength they're good for more power than the 500HP rods are rated for. Those bolts sell for $68 a bolt new! They better be good for that price.
Get 6.00" or 6.125" long rods to get a better rod ratio for less side loading friction. Make sure if you get aftermarket rods to never use the Chinese bolts that may come with them, I have heard of the threads pulling off and failing. Rods with the 3/8" bolts you can get the cheap used nascar bolts to swap but not with the rods with the 7/16" bolts, you'll want to get the ARP bolts for those but that isn't as budget friendly.
The cheap Speedmaster rods are decent as long as you don't use the bolts that come with them(unless they are ARP). The threads on the Chinese bolts are cut not rolled like the ARP bolts are and is probably why they're not as strong as they should be? Cool project.
If i was starting fresh, then yes, a 6 inch rod would be ideal. But going to a 6-inch rod means I have to change pistons. The plan is to use as many stock parts as possible and see what we can get out of it in the end
Ultra cheap it is BUT you did mention performance so there is a little bit of cost for that word. That being said those dish pistons need to go anyway, you can get a cast set of flat top pistons. Put this number in the eBay search $193,135,117,538 and these are standard bore flat top cast pistons for $92.25 with free shipping. Make sure to remove the commas and dollar sign when using the numbers in the eBay search, stupid yt kept deleting this post hoping it stays that way?
Put this number in the eBay search $165,249,765,492 and you'll find these 5.7" rods hat are on sale for $189.99, 5% off but wait they also have a "make an offer" selection so you might be able to get them down another 5%?
So it looks like the bolts for $40 are gone and other eBay stores are selling them for $99.99 for a set of 16! All is not lost, you can make an offer on the nascar take out rods that come with the bolts. Put this number in the eBay search $203,625,996,535 to get to the rods. It is listed for $85 with free shipping but has the "make an offer" for them so maybe you can get those for $60 to $75 shipped? Even the $40 bolts had IIRC $9.99 shipping. The kicker here is you can put the rods on eBay for what you paid for them + shipping without the bolts so they'll end up being free?(minus a little time on eBay)
This is to try not to have yt remove my comment! Had to reply to my comment as well because yt kept removing it when I replied to Pat in the shop!
I wish $300. Try $2200 for a clapped out one
Algorithm
Far as what we want to see you pretty much use everything I use as far as parts hey rebuild it's really not worth my time unless I'm going to get close to the 400 mark on this engine the some money is going to have to be spent but most of it's going to be cam carburetor intake valve springs headers I'm not sure really what you're aiming for not an expensive motor to build with decent power and longevity
Going to hopefully get more than 400 out of this budget build, possibly even on 87 octane
@@cuttersperformanceu are the dude😎👍 actually I think you can pull off more 435 right around there with a nice even torque line guesstimation 430.to 445lbs I believe in you brothe💪
What happened to my comment ?
Not sure bob? Ive responded to all comments and even checked the "held for review section" and nothing in there
@@cuttersperformance I believe I was the first to comment on this new low buck build . It was not online very long at all . At the time there was no other comments . LOL who knows ?
Just cast flap tops, a better cam, but not custom, just better springs, and hand lap valve job, cheap intake ...., also old style timing cover
So.... same shit we've already seen and wont be an L31 anymore...