[89SideStepMan]

I'm looking 4 a little knowledge upon what i will have to buy or fabricate to make this engine swap work... currently my 1989 step-side has a 350 small block 2 bolt main 1 piece rear seal with vortec heads and the OBD1 EFI that has completely blown itself apart underneath its hood.

I've been looking at prices for a new replacement block but all Ive managed to find are gm replacements for 2k or rebuilds for 1,700. that are all 2 bolts. This truck is being built for a serious off-roading application so i would love a 4 bolt main.
I'm currently looking at a 1998 Chevy 350 short block 4 bolt 1 piece rear seal that has been bored 30 over. the engine needs a cam, lifters, heads and a set of push rods along with timing gears... im curious if this 1998 vortec block will work with my 1989 chevy c1500's computer and obd1 Efi fuel system that is currently a vortec head setup. and if so what do i have to purchase 2 make this engine swap work.

any help is appreciated guys. I am young and new to the engine world so thus share upon me your knowledge.

[richard stewart 3rd]

Hi,
The blocks are the same except for the # of bolts for the mains
2bolt 4bolt
so whatever you had previously will work, cam, heads, push rods, induction, computer.
Good luck,
Rich
PS why is the person selling that block, where are the missing pieces, how do the cylinder walls look?

[ChevyTruckGuy]

It will work. Check out here too! www.fullsizechevy.com

Craig

[89SideStepMan]

so your saying that the 1998 block that is a hydraulic roller block i can simply take the cam out of my 1989 engine that is not a hydraulic roller and swap it into the 1998 with the old lifters and rods and heads? after being cleaned of course?

[89SideStepMan]

Originally Posted by richard stewart 3rd

Hi,
The blocks are the same except for the # of bolts for the mains
2bolt 4bolt
so whatever you had previously will work, cam, heads, push rods, induction, computer.
Good luck,
Rich
PS why is the person selling that block, where are the missing pieces, how do the cylinder walls look?

hes a buddy of my fathers. really good guy. he built it for his own truck cause his 2500 had a engine knock. but he read online that his particular truck always knocks a little when it first starts. so he decided 2 not fully build the block. b4 i buy it this week trust me im gonna fine comb his knowledge. gonna ask everything he did 2 it. not 2 just be nosy. but i wanna know what my engine is gonna have in it. hahaha
things like
was it line bored and honed
was it steam tanked and then magna fluxed 2 check 4 cracks.
was it re decked.
what were used hard or soft berrings.
were the wrist pins floated. you know the whole 9 yards..
im not gonna waste any more $. i already had my old boss i used 2 work for buy me a engine from a buddy of his at a junk yard 2 just do a simple re-gasket and paint rebuild, and i knew absolutely nothing at the time and he ripped me for 500 bucks. and then when i called him up after i had found pitts in the cylinder walls that were .80 the block he told me 2 go jump in a lake pretty much... so basically the 350 2blot i have sitting on my garage floor is crap. unless i wanted 2 waste my time resleeving a 2 bolt main. and put about another 700-800 bucks into it..
so i got boned. lesson learned. ugh. nobody is honest anymore and if they are their is very few.. its really sad. especially ripping a young man off on his first engine build for the truck hes been working his bum off 2 start building for the last 2 years.

but thx 4 all the info. im just curious if im gonna need 2 buy a hydrolic roller cam and all the valves and stems and rocker arms. or if i can use my old parts off my 89 block. cause nothing was damaged on the top end when it exploded pretty much haha... #2 cylinder has the piston sticking out the side of it. i knew when i bought it it was a matter of time till it went.. it sounded like a sledge hammer on the motor when it was turned over. and when i went 2 look at it b4 iu bought it i pulled out the oil stick and their was so much metal shavings i was like *** dude really. but i really loved the truck. and thus my boyish young nature had 2 have it. at-least i get 2 learn 2 build engines. and i have a forum of a bunch of nice guys and girls 2 bounce info off of. thx again.

[crussell85]

you can use all your valvetrain on the new engine, but why?!? If you have the option to run a roller cam in the engine then run it, especially if you are going to do "serious" off roading. You could probably go to a salvage yard and pick up the lifters for the engine for next to nothing. What does the guy want for this engine?

[89SideStepMan]

short block bored .30 over for 600 bucks. thats all it is.
well if its possible i might just run the old parts until I can get enuff money 2 finish the project. and also. so im not out in the snow finishing the build. haha nobody I know had a garage 2 fit this beast hahaha.

[crussell85]

is the rotating assembly in the engine stock? Except for the pistons

[oldbogie]

Originally Posted by 89SideStepMan

so your saying that the 1998 block that is a hydraulic roller block i can simply take the cam out of my 1989 engine that is not a hydraulic roller and swap it into the 1998 with the old lifters and rods and heads? after being cleaned of course?

If you use your old flat tappet cam, it has to have the matching timing set. Same goes for a factory roller, it has to have a matching timing set. While the catalogs will list these by year, they actually tie to the type cam in the block.

The 98 engine will have used the plastic timing cover for the Vortec L31, if you retain this it will use 2 or 3 different front seals depending upon the exact damper used. You can back date this to the 95 and older damper with a tin cover if you wish. This will also work if you go to the factory roller cam, but may need a couple gaskets to space the cover so the roller timing chain doesn't hit the cover (they used all the space there was with that thing) Since your OBD1 doesn't need to know where number one is off the crank, you really don't need to retain the plastic cover.

Bogie