I just received a 5700 vortec engine. It is almost a long block but I am missing the oil pan and the flexplate. I am wondering if i can just order an externally balanced, one piece rear main seal flexplate to use with this engine or does the plate actually need to be balanced with the rotating assembly? My other question is, can I run the old style oil pan or to I need a late model specific pan. Thanks for any help.
I have one more question. This block has the mounting surface and the hole for the fuel pump pushrod. Does the stock cam have the lobe for the pump? Thank You.
you can use any pan off a 87 and later 1 piece rear main seal block, and any 1 piece rear main flexplate, and no the cam does not have a fuel pump lobe.
Getting a roller cam to use with a fuel pump lobe is easy. Most of the cams that came in TPI engines have the fuel pump lobe. Or you can usually score a GM cam on Ebay on the cheap that have them as well.
Why I specified the use of a Vortec oil pan is because Vortec engines have longer bolts that are used to support the windage tray and I am unsure if the 87 and up pans have enough clearance to clear the longer bolts.
Getting a roller cam to use with a fuel pump lobe is easy. Most of the cams that came in TPI engines have the fuel pump lobe. Or you can usually score a GM cam on Ebay on the cheap that have them as well.
Why I specified the use of a Vortec oil pan is because Vortec engines have longer bolts that are used to support the windage tray and I am unsure if the 87 and up pans have enough clearance to clear the longer bolts.
The main cap bolts that the windage tray bolts to are not long enough to affect the oil pan for any 87 and up engine... its fine, I used a vortec pan on My lt1 the main cap bolts for the windage trays are only slightly taller, plenty of room.
GM used 2 types of timing marks. One was at the 2 o'clock position.
The later they went to a 12 o'clock position. Since the balancers interchange, in some cases the builder will install a 12 o'clock timing cover
and a 2 o'clock balancer. When this happens you can't time it as the line won't match the timing tab. The easy fix in that case would be just to go buy a bolt on timing tab that bolts on at the 2 o'clock position.
Now if it were vice versa and a 2 o'clock cover was used and a 12 o'clock balancer then you would have to go online and find the formula on how to find the 2 o'clock position on the balancer. Or, you could just do as I would and purchase a proform balancer cover that has timing marks from zero to sixty degrees. It don't matter what balancer you have when you use the proform cover, because it bolts on to the balancer and has a mark on it so you can line it up with the keyway on the crank. When GM made the change in timing marks they left the keyway in the same place and simply cut the timing mark on a different location on the balancer. The Proform cover places it at the 2 o'clock position period. These covers come in sizes for 6 and 8 inch balancers and well as several different colors. When I do a build I get the color and size I want and use a bolt on 2 o'clock timing tab.
Ok, it seems my balancer only has one line on it. But I am going to change out the balancer and the timing cover to the metal type. I just need the external balanced, harmonic balancer correct?
Why are you swapping out the timing cover and damper?
The 1-piece rear main seal SBC engines use an externally balanced flexplate/flywheel, but the damper is neutral balanced. So you want a neutral balanced damper if the engine is going to use the stock crankshaft.
If you use an early damper you can't use the reluctor ring (if your engine used one) on the crank snout along w/the older type (longer) damper snout, else the pulleys wouldn't align (bottom would be out 1/4" too far). You do not need the reluctor unless you were using the factory EFI. A thread comparing the dampers, etc. is here.
Info on the differences between the plastic and metal timing covers is at post #6.
Info on the various SBC timing tabs and damper lines used prior to the Vortec/plastic timing cover is here.
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