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88 gmc 350 to 99 suburban 350 vortec?

3K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  jeramej 
#1 ·
i have a 1988 gmc sierra with the 350, i just picked up a 1999 chev suburban. I was told it has a thrown rod. What am i going to need to do to take the motor from the 88 and put it in the 99? Ive heard that you need heads, intake from the vortec block and put them on the 88. any help or advise would be great thanks.
 
#2 ·
What you mentioned plus you will need the tone wheel and a new front cover for the timing chain and gears for the crank position sensor. I am not 100% sure if the tone wheel (or reluctor wheel) on the crank is a separate part or not. The last swap I did was Vortec for Vortec, so I am just trying to remember what was there that I know was not on my old TBI motors.

Just make sure you use any electronic pieces from the old Vortec even if your new/old engine has a similar looking part on it.
 
#3 ·
You would need to swap all the pieces mentioned. However with the reluctor wheel, it`s a seperate piece. When you install it you`ll also need to install the Vortec balancer as it`s reduced depth compensates for the reluctor rings thickness so the crank pulley lines up. Everything else is a bolt on. The Vortec engine has a roller cam and a factory windage tray and those are two things the 88 engine don`t have so it won`t have the power the Vortec engine did but it`ll still work one in the same. If the 88 engine has never had a rebuild it would be a wise move to replace the timing chain since the timing chain cover has to come off anyway. The plastic Vortec timing cover it`s recommended it be thrown away and replaced with a new one upon removal, but I`ve reused them several times without issue. I would use a real thin coat of RTV Blue Glue and let it rip.
 
#5 ·
That`s what I was saying is the Vortec cover will have to be used. They say they won`t seal once removed but I didn`t have any problems getting them to seal once removed. Okay I`ll explain on cams and years here. In 1987 Chevy went to hydraulic roller cams in the small block line in passenger cars. Truck engines recieved flat tappet cams. However, some truck blocks had the provision for the roller cam but used a flat tappet cam. If the block has the provisions it`ll have the retainer plate flange on the front of the camshaft tunnel, right behind where the upper timing gear rides. It`ll also have the 3 bolt holes drilled and tapped coming up from the center of the lifter valley. The lifter bores will also be taller, flat tappet lifters will sit so low in the lifter bores you`ll only be able to see the tops of them.
If the block does not have provisions for a roller cam it won`t have any of those things and in those cases a OEM roller cam won`t work, you`d have to go to a aftermarket retro fit roller cam which costs $$$
In 1996, the small block line got roller cams all the way across the board.
 
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