Local guy selling a 5.7l out of a 97 Suburban so I was curious what motor it would be?

Looking for a FI for daily driver Nova...

Thanks,
BC.

It'd be a Vortec ... port FI, but it sucks! Horrible poppet valve design. Other than that, the shortblock is good.

Take the long block. It is a vortec-headed engine. From there, you can add several choices of EFI from the big E or Holley. There's even the stealthram setup which is what I am planning on this winter. Here's an example:
http://www.72splitbumper.com/

It'd be a Vortec ... port FI, but it sucks! Horrible poppet valve design. Other than that, the shortblock is good.
are you saying that it is an overall bad engine?
i have the same one sitting in my garage waiting to go into my 71 chevelle.
97 suburban 454ci... but i want to run carb and not EFI. any thoughts?

So if it's a vortec, couldn't I just swap out the poor heads for better ones and still get all the benefits of FI?

Is port FI not desirable? I figured that would be better than the throttle body injection... but maybe not as good as the multi-port injection?

I don't mind changing things like heads and such as long as the short block is worth and I can make the ECU work and all...

Keep the suggestions coming!

Thanks,
BC

Hey, I had a 95' (the last year of Chevy TB and it was tame in comparison to the 96' and up Vortecs-JMHO

Alright ... you all are completely misunderstanding.

The longblock is great. Good compression. Everyone raves about Vortec heads, etc. About the only thing is change out to an adjustable rocker, and a better roller cam. It would make a great small block anyplace.

Port Fuel Injection is not a bad thing. The factory installed one's on Vortec motors, ARE! And just so all you youngin' know ... FI doesn't make more HP, or anything like that. Plenty of manifolds are available to use carb's on Vortec heads.

350 Vortec FI units are the worst! Some crazy pintle valve setup, easiest way to describe is kinda like a diesel. Basically, the unit sucks, and GM has tons of service bulletins in regard to these. Marine 350Vortec's use a standard fuel rail, injector setup if you find one.

454 Vortec FI unit is not all that bad. I have one I'm working on right now. Only problem I'm having is that both banks of injectors are run from a single (down the center) fuel rail. I'm thinking this will limit my hp potential to ~500hp? Definitely will not flow as much fuel as the usual 2 fuel rail setup.

There ya go. 350Vortec is a good motor. Pitch the factory FI unit. If you want EFI, find a TPI or something. If you want a carb, Eddy makes plenty of manifolds for Vortec heads.

Neal

Alright ... you all are completely misunderstanding.

The longblock is great. Good compression. Everyone raves about Vortec heads, etc. About the only thing is change out to an adjustable rocker, and a better roller cam. It would make a great small block anyplace.

Port Fuel Injection is not a bad thing. The factory installed one's on Vortec motors, ARE! And just so all you youngin' know ... FI doesn't make more HP, or anything like that. Plenty of manifolds are available to use carb's on Vortec heads.

350 Vortec FI units are the worst! Some crazy pintle valve setup, easiest way to describe is kinda like a diesel. Basically, the unit sucks, and GM has tons of service bulletins in regard to these. Marine 350Vortec's use a standard fuel rail, injector setup if you find one.

454 Vortec FI unit is not all that bad. I have one I'm working on right now. Only problem I'm having is that both banks of injectors are run from a single (down the center) fuel rail. I'm thinking this will limit my hp potential to ~500hp? Definitely will not flow as much fuel as the usual 2 fuel rail setup.

There ya go. 350Vortec is a good motor. Pitch the factory FI unit. If you want EFI, find a TPI or something. If you want a carb, Eddy makes plenty of manifolds for Vortec heads.

Neal

thanks for the info Neal. since you are working on a vortec 454 at the moment, what do you recommend to someone like me who hasn't done anything to the motor yet. it was recently pulled from a 98 suburban and it has 52,000 miles on it. the car will be a driver and visits to the local cruise ins. i am probably a little nieve in this subject, but i am thinking that i can simply do away with the FI and put on an edelbrock intake manifold and carb... and drive. i would like to dress it up a little for asthetics. this is the next area i will be directing my attention and i would like to know what to look for when i start. thank you and everyone else in advance.

thanks for the info Neal. since you are working on a vortec 454 at the moment, what do you recommend to someone like me who hasn't done anything to the motor yet. it was recently pulled from a 98 suburban and it has 52,000 miles on it. the car will be a driver and visits to the local cruise ins. i am probably a little nieve in this subject, but i am thinking that i can simply do away with the FI and put on an edelbrock intake manifold and carb... and drive. i would like to dress it up a little for asthetics. this is the next area i will be directing my attention and i would like to know what to look for when i start. thank you and everyone else in advance.
Do a search for "L-29" and/or "Big Block Vortec"; you should find some good threads.

Short story: Exhaust port is excellent, Intake port needs help. Nice combustion chamber. Needs two sets of valve spring rotator eliminator shims--about $65 last time I looked, but they may have gone up since then. Be careful installing the shims on the intake side as the valve-guide-to-spring pocket radius can interfere with the shim, but only on the intakes, not the exhausts.

Adjustable rockers would be nice; you can machine the rocker pedestals for old-style 7/16 bottom thread studs; or buy conversion studs using a 7/16 top thread with a 3/8 (or is it 10MM--I forget) bottom thread that will screw right into the heads as-is.

The Gen 6 engines are roller-cammed (nice) but don't have a fuel pump boss on the block.

Overall, the heads are better than peanut-ports by a considerable margin--about 20--30 hp and similar torque increase but depending on your needs 'n' expectations, an older-style set of oval ports may work better for you.

Well, it's not complicated ... but not quite that simple.

Yes, any BBC oval port intake/carb will fit.

You'll need a GM Chevelle 1pc oil pan, since the truck oil pan won't fit.

I'm also running into trouble with the front pulleys, as the balancer has a different bolt pattern ... and won't fit older style pulleys.

You'll need an electric fuel setup ... as the factory blocks don't have a provision for a mechanical fuel pump.

That's a majority of it. Not bad.
Neal

thanks again for the info. it looks like ive got some searchin to do.